Processing unit

Abstract

The processing unit provides the operator with information that is not pre-recorded as log information by the processing unit, but is requested by the operator. [Solution] The present invention provides a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed, comprising a processing unit for processing the object to be processed, and a controller having a memory and a processor for controlling the processing unit, wherein the controller has a log storage unit for storing log information relating to processing performed on the object to be processed by the processing unit, and a calculation unit for calculating the quantity of an item specified by an operator using the log information stored in the log storage unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor device chips, for example, after grinding the back surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as a wafer) on which a plurality of devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) are formed on the surface with a grinding apparatus to thin it, the wafer after grinding is cut with a cutting apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Thereby, the wafer is divided into a plurality of semiconductor device chips.

[0003] Also, various processing apparatuses are used before and after the processing step of the wafer. For example, a tape sticking apparatus is used to stick a protective tape on the surface of the wafer before grinding. Also, a tape sticking apparatus is used to stick a protective tape on the back surface of the wafer before cutting.

[0004] Furthermore, for example, a thickness measuring apparatus is used to measure the thickness variation of the wafer after grinding, and an inspection apparatus is sometimes used to image the planned division line of the wafer after cutting and inspect whether the size, number, etc. of chipping are within an allowable range.

[0005] Processing apparatuses such as a grinding apparatus, a cutting apparatus, a tape sticking apparatus, a thickness measuring apparatus, and an inspection apparatus have a controller, and the controller records the contents of events (for example, the processing contents performed by the processing apparatus, the operations of each mechanism constituting the processing apparatus, the changes and operations of settings by an operator, the occurrence of errors and failures, etc.) that occurred during the startup of the processing apparatus in chronological order.

[0006] Information recorded chronologically by the controller is called log information (or simply logs). Log information is used to retrospectively verify whether the quality of processing was appropriate, whether each mechanism operated correctly, whether maintenance was performed in a timely manner, what configuration changes or operations were performed, and in which processing or operation errors or failures occurred.

[0007] However, since the information recorded as log data in the controller is generally pre-configured by the processing unit manufacturer, the information requested by the operator actually using the processing unit may not be recorded as log data. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-66233 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims to enable a processing device to provide an operator with information that is not pre-recorded as log information in the processing device but is requested by the operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed is provided, comprising: a processing unit for processing the object to be processed; and a controller having a memory and a processor for controlling the processing unit, wherein the controller includes a log storage unit for storing log information relating to processing performed on the object to be processed by the processing unit; and a calculation unit for calculating the quantity of an item specified by an operator using the log information stored in the log storage unit.

[0011] Preferably, the processing unit is a processing unit having a spindle, and a processing tool having a grinding wheel for processing the workpiece is mounted on the tip of the spindle, and in response to the operator specifying a cumulative processing amount, which is the cumulative value of the amount of processing performed on one or more workpieces by the processing unit, the calculation unit calculates the cumulative processing amount using the log information.

[0012] Preferably, the controller further includes a machinable amount storage unit that stores a machinable amount which is the amount of processing performed on one or more workpieces by the processing unit, predetermined to be the amount by which the processing unit can be used without dressing the grinding wheel, and a determination unit that determines whether the cumulative amount of processing performed on one or more workpieces by the processing unit is greater than the machinable amount, and if the determination unit determines that the cumulative processing amount is greater than the machinable amount, the controller causes the grinding wheel to be dressed.

[0013] Preferably, the processing unit is a processing unit having a spindle, and a processing tool having a grinding wheel for processing the workpiece is mounted on the tip of the spindle. Depending on the operator's specification of the average amount of wear of the grinding wheel worn per workpiece, the calculation unit uses the log information to calculate a cumulative wear amount, which is the cumulative value of the amount of wear of the grinding wheel worn by processing one or more workpieces, and further calculates the average wear amount based on the cumulative wear amount and the number of workpieces processed.

[0014] Preferably, the processing unit also includes a treated water supply unit for supplying treated water used when processing the object to be processed, and in response to the operator specifying the cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative value of the treated water used, the calculation unit uses the log information to calculate the cumulative processing time, which is the cumulative value of the time the treated water supply unit supplies the treated water, and calculates the cumulative usage amount based on the cumulative processing time and the amount of treated water supplied per unit time from the treated water supply unit.

[0015] Preferably, the processing unit is a laser beam irradiation unit that includes a laser oscillator and a focusing lens for irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator in a focused state, and processes the workpiece with the laser beam irradiated from the focusing lens, and the calculation unit calculates the cumulative irradiation time, which is the cumulative value of the time the laser beam irradiation unit has irradiated the workpiece with the laser beam, using the log information, in accordance with the cumulative irradiation time specified by the operator.

[0016] Preferably, the controller further includes a usable time storage unit that stores a predetermined usable time, which is the time during which the laser beam irradiation unit can be used without maintenance or replacement, and a determination unit that determines whether the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the usable time. If the determination unit determines that the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the usable time, the controller notifies the operator to perform maintenance or replacement of the laser beam irradiation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] A controller for a processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a log storage unit and a calculation unit. The log storage unit stores log information relating to processing performed on an object to be processed by a processing unit. The calculation unit calculates the quantity of an item specified by the operator using the log information stored in the log storage unit. Therefore, the processing device can provide the operator with information that is not pre-recorded as log information but is requested by the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a cutting machine. [Figure 2] Figure 2(A) is a magnified view of the tip of the cutting unit, and Figure 2(B) shows the cutting process of the workpiece. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an overview of the screen display that shows log information. [Figure 4]It is a block diagram showing the interaction between an operator and a cutting device. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of a cutting unit or the like showing the state of dressing. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a diagram showing an example of origin setting, and FIG. 6(B) is a diagram showing another example of origin setting. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of a grinding device. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged view of a grinding unit. [Figure 9] It is a block diagram showing the interaction between an operator and a grinding device. [Figure 10] It is a partial cross-sectional side view of a grinding unit, a dressing board, and a chuck table showing the state of dressing a plurality of grinding wheels. [Figure 11] FIG. 11(A) is a diagram showing an example of origin setting, and FIG. 11(B) is a diagram schematically showing the origin in the Z-axis direction of the grinding unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12(A) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the state of grinding a workpiece, FIG. 12(B) is a diagram showing a virtual case where each grinding wheel is not worn, and FIG. 12(C) is a diagram showing an actual case where each grinding wheel is worn. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of a laser processing device. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an overview of a laser beam irradiation unit. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram showing the interaction between an operator and a laser processing device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (First Embodiment) Referring to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment according to an aspect of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cutting device (i.e., a processing device) 2. In FIG. 1, a part of the elements constituting the cutting device 2 is shown as functional blocks.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal to each other. The X axis is parallel to the machining feed direction, and the Y axis is parallel to the indexing feed direction. The Z axis is parallel to the depth of cut feed direction and the vertical direction. In this specification, the direction parallel to the X axis may be referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction parallel to the Y axis as the Y-axis direction, and the direction parallel to the Z axis as the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The cutting device 2 includes a base 4 that supports each component. A rectangular opening 4a is formed in the front corner (one side in the Y-axis direction) of the base 4, and a lifting platform 6, which moves up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown), is provided inside this opening 4a.

[0022] A cassette 8 for accommodating multiple workpieces 11 is placed on the upper surface of the lifting platform 6. In Figure 1, the outer shape of the cassette 8 is simplified and shown by a dashed line. In the cassette 8, a pair of opposing side regions are open. The workpieces 11 are transported to and from the cutting device 2 through one of the openings.

[0023] The workpiece (i.e., the object to be processed) 11 has, for example, a disc-shaped wafer made of silicon (Si), but the wafer may be made of a semiconductor material other than silicon, such as gallium nitride (GaN) or silicon carbide (SiC).

[0024] On the surface 11a of the workpiece 11 (see Figure 2(B)), multiple division lines (streets) are set in a grid pattern, and devices such as ICs are formed in each rectangular area partitioned by the multiple division lines.

[0025] An annular metal frame 15 is positioned on the radially outer side of the workpiece 11. The frame 15 has an opening 15a with a larger diameter than the workpiece 11, and the workpiece 11 is positioned in this opening 15a.

[0026] With the workpiece 11 placed in the opening 15a, the tape 13 is attached to the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 (see Figure 2(B)) and one side of the frame 15, thereby forming a workpiece unit 17 in which the workpiece 11 is supported by the frame 15 via the tape 13.

[0027] Each of the multiple workpieces 11 is housed in the cassette 8 described above in the form of a workpiece unit 17. Behind the opening 4a (on the other side in the Y-axis direction), a rectangular opening 4b is formed, having a longitudinal portion along the X-axis.

[0028] Below the opening 4b, an X-axis movement mechanism (not shown) is provided for moving a chuck table 10, etc., which will be described later, along the X-axis. The X-axis movement mechanism has a pair of guide rails fixed to the base 4.

[0029] A pair of guide rails are connected to an X-axis movable plate so as to be slidable along the X-axis. A nut is provided on the bottom surface of the X-axis movable plate. A screw shaft, whose longitudinal direction is aligned with the X-axis, is rotatably connected to the nut via multiple balls.

[0030] A drive source, such as a servo motor or stepping motor, is connected to one end of the screw shaft. When the screw shaft is rotated by the drive source, the X-axis moving plate moves along the X-axis. A rotational drive mechanism (not shown) is provided on the X-axis moving plate for rotating the chuck table 10 around a rotation axis along the Z-axis.

[0031] The chuck table 10 is rotatably supported by a rotational drive mechanism. The chuck table 10 has a disc-shaped frame 10b (see Figure 6(A)) made of non-porous metal. A disc-shaped recess with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the frame 10b is formed on the upper surface of the frame 10b.

[0032] A disc-shaped porous plate 10c (see Figure 6(A)) made of porous ceramics is fixed to this recess using an adhesive or the like. The upper surfaces of the frame 10b and the porous plate 10c are substantially flush, forming a holding surface 10a that is substantially parallel to the XY plane.

[0033] A suction source (not shown), such as a vacuum pump, is connected to the frame 10b via a flow path (not shown) including a rotary joint. The negative pressure generated by the suction source is transmitted to the upper surface of the porous plate 10c via the frame 10b. This negative pressure causes the workpiece 11 to be held in place by suction at the holding surface 10a via the tape 13.

[0034] Multiple clamp units (four in this embodiment) are provided discretely around the chuck table 10 along the circumferential direction of the chuck table 10. Each clamp unit has a base portion that supports the frame 15. The base portion is provided with a pressing portion that is rotationally driven by an air actuator to press down on the frame 15 from above.

[0035] In the Z-axis direction, a rectangular table cover 12 is provided near the bottom surface of the chuck table 10. On both sides of the table cover 12 in the X-axis direction, bellows-shaped cover members 14 that can expand and contract in the X-axis direction are provided.

[0036] A pair of guide rails 16, each having a longitudinal portion along the Y-axis, are provided above the opening 4b and behind the opening 4a. The pair of guide rails 16 are configured to move closer to and further apart from each other along the X-axis by an actuator (not shown). The pair of guide rails 16 adjust the position of the workpiece unit 17 in the X-axis direction by moving closer together along the X-axis.

[0037] A push-pull arm 18 is provided near the pair of guide rails 16. Figure 1 shows the tip of the push-pull arm 18. The push-pull arm 18 transports one workpiece unit 17 between the cassette 8 and the pair of guide rails 16.

[0038] A gate-shaped support member 4c is provided above the opening 4b, straddling the opening 4b. A first transport unit 20 is provided on the support member 4c so as to be movable along the Y-axis. The movement of the first transport unit 20 is achieved, for example, by a ball screw type first Y-axis movement mechanism having a guide rail 20a, a screw shaft, a nut, a drive source, etc.

[0039] The first transport unit 20 has an arm that extends and retracts along the Z-axis direction by an air actuator (not shown) or the like. The lower end of the arm is provided with a plurality of suction pads for sucking and holding the workpiece unit 17 by negative pressure.

[0040] The first transport unit 20, while holding the frame 15 of the workpiece unit 17, whose position in the X-axis direction has been adjusted, by suction, transports the workpiece unit 17 to the chuck table 10, which is waiting directly below the pair of guide rails 16.

[0041] The support member 4c is provided with a second transport unit 22 that is movable along the Y-axis. The movement of the second transport unit 22 is achieved, for example, by a ball screw type second Y-axis movement mechanism having a guide rail 22a, a screw shaft, a nut, a drive source, etc.

[0042] The second transport unit 22 has an arm that can extend and retract along the Z-axis direction and a plurality of suction pads. The second transport unit 22 transports the workpiece unit 17 after cutting to the spinner cleaning unit 50, which will be described later.

[0043] In the X-axis direction, another gate-shaped support member 4d is provided on the back side of the support member 4c so as to straddle the opening 4b. The support member 4d is provided with a third Y-axis direction movement mechanism (not shown except for the first Y-axis direction movement plate 24 and the second Y-axis direction movement plate 26, which will be described later).

[0044] The third Y-axis movement mechanism has a pair of guide rails arranged along the Y-axis. The pair of guide rails are provided with a first Y-axis movement plate 24 and a second Y-axis movement plate 26, which are slidable independently along the Y-axis.

[0045] A nut portion is provided on the back surface of the first Y-axis moving plate 24, and a first screw shaft, positioned along the Y-axis, is rotatably connected to this nut portion via a plurality of balls. A first drive source, such as a servo motor or a stepping motor, is connected to one end of the first screw shaft. When the first drive source is operated, the first Y-axis moving plate 24 moves along the Y-axis.

[0046] Similarly, a nut portion is provided on the back surface of the second Y-axis movable plate 26, and a second screw shaft, positioned along the Y-axis, is rotatably connected to this nut portion via a plurality of balls. A second drive source, different from the first drive source, is connected to one end of the second screw shaft. When the second drive source is operated, the second Y-axis movable plate 26 moves along the Y-axis.

[0047] A first Z-axis movement mechanism (not shown except for the drive source described later) is provided on the surface of the first Y-axis movement plate 24, and a second Z-axis movement mechanism (not shown except for the drive source described later) is provided on the surface of the second Y-axis movement plate 26.

[0048] The first Z-axis movement mechanism is a ball screw type having a Z-axis movement plate, a pair of guide rails, a screw shaft, a nut section, a drive source 28a, etc., and the second Z-axis movement mechanism is also a ball screw type having a drive source 28b, etc.

[0049] A cutting unit (i.e., processing unit) 30a and a first imaging unit are fixed to the lower end of the Z-axis moving plate of the first Z-axis moving mechanism. A cutting unit (i.e., processing unit, machining unit) 30b and a second imaging unit are fixed to the lower end of the Z-axis moving plate of the second Z-axis moving mechanism.

[0050] Furthermore, the cutting units 30a and 30b are mirror-symmetric with respect to a predetermined plane parallel to the XZ plane, and have substantially the same structure, shape, size, etc., except for this point; therefore, a detailed explanation of cutting unit 30b will be omitted.

[0051] The cutting units 30a and 30b may have the same cutting blade 34 (see Figures 2(A) and 2(B)), or they may have different cutting blades 34 with the same outer diameter, material, etc.

[0052] Figure 2(A) is an enlarged view of the tip of the cutting unit 30a, and Figure 2(B) shows the cutting of the workpiece 11 by the cutting unit 30a. The cutting unit 30a has a spindle housing fixed to the lower end of the Z-axis moving plate.

[0053] A portion of a cylindrical spindle 32 is rotatably housed in the spindle housing. A motor (not shown) is provided on the spindle 32, and the power supplied to the motor allows the spindle 32 to rotate at high speed. The tip of the spindle 32 protrudes outside the spindle housing.

[0054] A cutting blade (i.e., a machining tool) 34 is mounted on the tip of the spindle 32. The cutting blade 34 is, for example, a hubless type (i.e., a washer type) composed of an annular cutting edge (i.e., a grinding wheel) 34a, but is not limited to this, and may also be a hub type having an annular base and an annular cutting edge 34a fixed to one surface of the base.

[0055] The cutting edge 34a has superabrasive grains formed from cBN (cubic boron nitride), diamond, etc., and a binder (i.e., a bonding agent) that fixes the superabrasive grains. The binder is, for example, a resin bond, a metal bond, a vitrified bond, or an electroplated bond.

[0056] A blade cover 36 is fitted to the tip of the spindle housing so as to cover the cutting blade 34. The blade cover 36 has a pair of cooler nozzles 38, a spray nozzle 40, and a shower nozzle 42.

[0057] A pair of cooler nozzles 38 supply cutting fluid 44, such as pure water, to the contact area between the cutting edge 34a of the cutting blade 34 and the workpiece 11. A spray nozzle 40 supplies cutting fluid 44 from the radially outside of the cutting blade 34 to the outer peripheral edge of the cutting edge 34a of the cutting blade 34.

[0058] Furthermore, the shower nozzle 42 supplies cutting fluid 44 to the upper surface (e.g., surface 11a) of the workpiece 11 that is held in place by the holding surface 10a. This reduces the possibility of cutting chips adhering to the upper surface of the workpiece 11.

[0059] A pair of cooler nozzles 38, a spray nozzle 40, and a shower nozzle 42 constitute a cutting fluid supply unit (i.e., a treated water supply unit) 46. In other words, the cutting fluid supply unit 46 supplies cutting fluid (i.e., treated water) 44 used when cutting (i.e., treating) the workpiece 11.

[0060] Cutting water 44 is supplied to the cutting water supply unit 46 from a pure water recycling system that includes a filtration filter, chiller, pump, etc. The cutting water 44 used in the cutting device 2 is recovered by the pure water recycling system and then reused in the cutting device 2.

[0061] A cutting fluid flow control unit (not shown), controlled by a controller 74 (described later), is provided between the cutting fluid supply unit 46 and the pure water recycling device. The cutting fluid flow control unit includes a flow meter, a proportional control valve, etc. The cutting fluid supply unit 46 and the cutting fluid flow control unit are part of the cutting unit 30a. However, the pure water recycling device is a separate device from the cutting unit 30a.

[0062] When cutting the workpiece 11 with the cutting unit 30a, the workpiece unit 17, whose position in the X-axis direction is adjusted by a pair of guide rails 16, is transported to the chuck table 10 by the first transport unit 20, and the workpiece unit 17 is held in place by suction at the chuck table 10.

[0063] Next, the first imaging unit, which is fixed to the cutting unit 30a, detects the planned division line set on the surface 11a, and the rotational drive mechanism is used to adjust the orientation of the chuck table 10 so that the planned division line is approximately parallel to the X-axis.

[0064] Then, the lower end of the cutting blade 34, which rotates at high speed together with the spindle 32, is positioned in the Z-axis direction between the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 and the holding surface 10a. Next, the chuck table 10 is moved along the X-axis while supplying cutting fluid 44 at a predetermined flow rate from the cutting fluid supply unit 46.

[0065] This causes the cutting blade 34 to cut into the workpiece 11 from the outside, cutting the workpiece 11 along the planned division line. After cutting the workpiece 11 along one planned division line, the workpiece 11 is similarly cut along other adjacent planned division lines in the Y-axis direction.

[0066] After cutting the workpiece 11 along all planned division lines along the X-axis, the chuck table 10 is rotated approximately 90 degrees. Then, the workpiece 11 is cut again along all planned division lines along the X-axis. As a result, the workpiece 11 is divided into multiple semiconductor device chips.

[0067] After cutting, the workpiece unit 17 is transported to the spinner cleaning unit 50 (see Figure 1) by the second transport unit 22. Subsequently, other workpieces 11 are transported to the chuck table 10. In this manner, cutting is performed sequentially on multiple workpieces 11.

[0068] The spinner cleaning unit 50 is also a processing unit that cleans (i.e., processes) the workpiece 11. As shown in Figure 1, the spinner cleaning unit 50 has a disc-shaped spinner table 52 that holds the workpiece unit 17 by suction. The configuration of the spinner table 52 is substantially the same as that of the chuck table 10 described above, so a redundant explanation will be omitted.

[0069] However, the spinner table 52 has a pendulum-type clamping unit that uses centrifugal force to hold down the frame 15, instead of an air actuator. Furthermore, the spinner table 52 can rotate at high speed around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis using a rotation drive source such as a servo motor.

[0070] A nozzle unit 54 is provided on the side of the spinner table 52, capable of spraying pure water, air, or a gas-liquid mixed fluid (i.e., two fluids) of pure water and air toward the holding surface 52a of the spinner table 52.

[0071] The nozzle unit 54 has an arm positioned substantially parallel to the XY plane, with a nozzle fixed to the tip of this arm. A rotating shaft positioned substantially parallel to the Z axis is fixed to the base end of the arm. The nozzle, arm, and rotating shaft can be swung within a predetermined angular range by a drive source (not shown), such as a servo motor.

[0072] During the cleaning of the workpiece 11, the spinner table 52, which holds the workpiece unit 17 by suction on the holding surface 52a, is rotated at high speed, and pure water is sprayed from the nozzle while the nozzle unit 54 is oscillated on the holding surface 52a.

[0073] After a predetermined cleaning time, the spinner table 52 is rotated at high speed, and air is sprayed from the nozzle instead of pure water or two fluids. After cleaning and drying in this manner, the first transport unit 20 transports the workpiece unit 17 from the spinner table 52 to the pair of guide rails 16.

[0074] Next, the push-pull arm 18 loads the workpiece unit 17 from the pair of guide rails 16 into the cassette 8. This completes the cutting and cleaning of one workpiece 11.

[0075] Incidentally, the cutting device 2 has a housing that covers its components. In Figure 1, the housing is shown with a dashed line. A touch panel display 70 is provided on the front side of the housing. The operator 71 can input instructions to the cutting device 2 through the touch panel display 70.

[0076] The touch panel display 70 functions as an input device for the operator 71 (see Figure 4) to input instructions to the cutting machine 2, and as a display device for displaying images, processing conditions, GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc.

[0077] Alternatively, instead of the touch panel display 70, a display device that does not have input functionality may be provided on the cutting device 2. However, in this case, an input device (keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, digitizer, etc.) for the operator 71 to input instructions to the cutting device 2 will be provided separately.

[0078] An alarm device 72, including a rotating light and a speaker, is provided at the top of the housing. The alarm device 72 notifies the operator 71 of the problem with light and / or sound if a problem occurs with the cutting device 2.

[0079] The operation of the cutting device 2 is controlled by the controller 74. The controller 74 is composed of a computer having, for example, a processor 74a, represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and memory 74b.

[0080] Memory 74b includes main memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and auxiliary storage such as flash memory, hard disk drive, and solid-state drive. Software is stored in the auxiliary storage. The functions of the controller 74 are realized by operating the processor 74a and other components according to this software.

[0081] In particular, the controller 74 controls the operation of the cutting units 30a, 30b and the chuck table 10 when cutting the workpiece 11, and controls the operation of the spinner cleaning unit 50 when cleaning and drying the workpiece 11 after cutting.

[0082] Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device stores a program that displays a mathematical formula, including an input window and operators, on the touch panel display 70, and performs calculations based on the numbers and / or characters entered by the operator 71 and the operators determined by the operator 71.

[0083] A portion of the memory 74b functions as a log storage unit 76 (see Figure 4). The log storage unit 76 stores log information 76a (see Figures 3 and 4) related to processing of the workpiece 11 performed by processing units such as the cutting units 30a and 30b and the spinner cleaning unit 50.

[0084] The log information 76a includes, for example, (i) the time variation of the current value supplied to the motor that rotates the spindle 32 of the cutting units 30a and 30b, (ii) cutting conditions such as the rotational speed of the spindle 32, machining feed rate, indexing feed amount, and flow rate of cutting fluid 44 (i.e., the cutting recipe), (iii) the time variation of the current value supplied to the motor that rotates the spinner table 52, and (iv) cleaning conditions such as the rotational speed of the spinner table 52, flow rate of pure water and / or air, cleaning time, and drying time (i.e., the cleaning recipe).

[0085] In addition to the log information 76a relating to the processing unit described above, the log storage unit 76 also stores log information 76a relating to other mechanisms that constitute the cutting device 2.

[0086] For example, the log storage unit 76 also stores as log information 76a the processing performed by (a) the lifting mechanism of the cassette 8, (b) the X-axis movement mechanism, rotational drive mechanism and clamping unit of the chuck table 10, (c) a pair of guide rails 16, (d) the push-pull arm 18, (e) the first transport unit 20, (f) the second transport unit 22, etc.

[0087] The log information 76a also includes (g) the time when the lifting mechanism, moving mechanism, transport unit, etc. started and ended operation, (h) the time when an error occurred and the details of the error, (i) the start time of the cutting device 2, and (j) the time when the initial operation was performed on the cutting device 2.

[0088] Figure 3 shows an overview of the screen display of the touch panel display 70 showing log information 76a. The leftmost column 76a1 of the screen display shows the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. The description column 76a2 located to the right of the leftmost column 76a1 shows a description of the event, an event code (i.e., an identifier consisting of alphanumeric characters, etc., to uniquely identify a specific event), etc.

[0089] For example, log information 76a may include a unit element 76a3 indicating that a pair of guide rails 16 have been operated, or a unit element 76a3 indicating that the first transport unit 20 has been operated.

[0090] Furthermore, for example, the log information 76a includes a unit element 76a3 indicating that the cutting unit 30a cut one planned division line on the workpiece 11, or a unit element 76a3 indicating that the cutting unit 30a cut N (where N is a natural number of 2 or more) planned division lines on the workpiece 11.

[0091] Each of the unit elements 76a3 is assigned a unique ID based on the SECS / GEM (i.e., SEMI Equipment Communication Standards and Generic Model For Communications and Control Of Manufacturing Equipment) standard. The ID is a string containing numbers and / or letters.

[0092] The number of division lines that are cut is treated as the amount of machining performed on one or more workpieces 11 by the cutting unit 30a. Strictly speaking, the length of the division lines differs between the center and the outer periphery of the workpiece 11, but in this embodiment, the amount of machining performed by the cutting unit 30a is managed solely by the number of division lines.

[0093] Alternatively, the length of the planned division line cut by the cutting unit 30a may be treated as the amount of material removed. Another part of the memory 74b stores a predetermined program that functions as a calculation unit 78 (see Figure 4) when executed by the processor 74a.

[0094] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the interaction between the operator 71 and the cutting device 2. The calculation unit 78 uses the log information 76a stored in the log storage unit 76 to calculate the quantity of the item specified by the operator 71.

[0095] For example, operator 71 instructs controller 74 via touch panel display 70 to calculate cumulative machining amount, which is the cumulative value of the machining amount starting from the start of machining of any workpiece 11. In response to operator 71 specifying the cumulative machining amount to controller 74, calculation unit 78 calculates the cumulative machining amount using log information 76a.

[0096] For example, operator 71 inputs an operator and a string of IDs corresponding to the unit element 76a3 on the touch panel display 70 to construct a mathematical formula, thereby specifying items such as cumulative processing amount to the controller 74.

[0097] The calculation unit 78 then calculates the cumulative machining amount using the machining amount identified by the ID. In this example, the cumulative machining amount is the total number of cuts. The calculations performed by the calculation unit 78 are usually arithmetic operations.

[0098] In this way, the cutting device 2 can provide the operator 71 with information that is not pre-recorded in the memory 74b as log information 76a, but is requested by the operator 71.

[0099] In this example, another portion of the memory 74b functions as a machinable amount storage unit 80. The machinable amount storage unit 80 stores a predetermined machinable amount that allows the cutting unit 30a to be used without dressing the cutting edge 34a.

[0100] In other words, the machinable amount is the upper limit of the amount of material that can be processed by a cutting unit 30a, which is known to be able to guarantee a certain level of machining quality without replacing the cutting blade 34 and without dressing the cutting edge 34a, as empirically known.

[0101] Incidentally, another part of the memory 74b stores a predetermined program that, when executed by the processor 74a, functions as a determination unit 82. The determination unit 82 determines whether the cumulative amount of material removed by the cutting unit 30a from one or more workpieces 11 is greater than the machinable amount.

[0102] If the determination unit 82 determines that the cumulative machining amount is greater than the machinable amount, the controller 74 causes the cutting edge 34a to be dressed. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cutting unit 30a and the dressing board 19 showing the process of dressing the cutting edge 34a of the cutting blade 34.

[0103] A sub-chuck table (not shown) is provided on the table cover 12 at a position away from the chuck table 10, and a dress board 19 is held in place by suction on the holding surface of the sub-chuck table.

[0104] The dress board 19 comprises abrasive grains and a binder for fixing the abrasive grains. The abrasive grains are formed from, for example, white alundum (WA) and green carbon (GC), and have a smaller average particle size compared to the average particle size of the abrasive grains used in the cutting edge 34a. As for the binder (bonding material), for example, vitrified bond or resin bond is used.

[0105] The controller 74 adjusts the position of the cutting unit 30a in the Y-axis direction, and also adjusts the position of the cutting unit 30a in the Z-axis direction so that the lower end of the cutting edge 34a of the rotating cutting blade 34 is positioned between the upper surface 19a and the lower surface 19b of the dress board 19.

[0106] Then, while supplying cutting fluid 44 from the cutting fluid supply unit 46, the chuck table 10 and sub-chuck table are moved along the X-axis by the X-axis movement mechanism (i.e., machining feed is performed) to dress the cutting edge 34a. One machining groove is formed on the upper surface 19a of the dressing board 19 with each machining feed.

[0107] After forming one machining groove, the cutting unit 30a may be shifted in the Y-axis direction relative to the dressing board 19, and another machining groove may be formed in the same manner. In other words, multiple machining grooves may be formed by alternating between machining feed and indexing feed multiple times.

[0108] Alternatively, a so-called flat dressing can be performed on the cutting edge 34a by supplying cutting fluid 44 from the cutting fluid supply unit 46 to the cutting edge 34a of the rotating cutting blade 34, while moving the cutting unit 30a along the Y-axis relative to the dressing board 19 with the first Y-axis movement mechanism.

[0109] For example, before the cutting device 2 starts automatic cutting of 25 workpieces 11 contained in one cassette 8, the operator 71 inputs the amount of material that can be cut into the controller 74.

[0110] As a result, if the cumulative amount of material removed is greater than the amount that can be removed, the cutting edge 34a is automatically dressed, which reduces the possibility of machining defects occurring in subsequent cutting due to an extreme decrease in the sharpness of the cutting edge 34a.

[0111] Incidentally, in response to the operator 71 specifying to the controller 74 the average amount of wear of the cutting edge 34a per workpiece 11, the calculation unit 78 may use the log information 76a to calculate the cumulative wear amount, which is the cumulative value of the amount of wear of the cutting edge 34a worn by cutting (i.e., machining) on ​​one or more workpieces 11.

[0112] Note that the wear amount of the cutting edge 34a refers to the reduction in the radial direction of the cutting edge 34a. The calculation unit 78 may further calculate the average wear amount based on the cumulative wear amount and the number of workpieces 11 cut (i.e., the number of processed pieces).

[0113] The wear of the cutting edge 34a is determined by the controller 74, for example, by performing the origin setting shown in Figure 6(A) or Figure 6(B). Figure 6(A) is a diagram showing an example of origin setting.

[0114] In the example shown in Figure 6(A), a closed circuit 88 is formed by the spindle 32, cutting blade 34, frame 10b, DC power supply 84, ammeter 86, etc. When the cutting unit 30 is lowered along the Z-axis at a predetermined speed while the cutting blade 34 is rotating, the closed circuit 88 is formed when the cutting blade 34 comes into contact with the upper surface of the frame 10b.

[0115] By measuring the current value with the ammeter 86, the controller 74 can determine the timing of the current flow (i.e., the timing when the cutting blade 34a contacts the upper surface of the frame 10b). In this way, the controller 74 can determine the height position of the cutting unit 30a (i.e., the origin position), which is the position in the Z-axis direction when the cutting blade 34a contacts the upper surface of the frame 10b.

[0116] By determining this origin position before cutting the workpiece 11 and after cutting one or more workpieces 11 is completed, it is possible to calculate how much the diameter of the cutting edge 34a has worn down (i.e., the cumulative amount of wear on the cutting edge 34a) according to the number of workpieces 11 that have been cut. Furthermore, by dividing the cumulative amount of wear on the cutting edge 34a by the number of workpieces 11 that have been cut, the average amount of wear per workpiece 11 can be calculated.

[0117] Furthermore, by determining this origin position before cutting the workpiece 11 and after cutting a predetermined number of planned division lines is completed, the cumulative amount of wear on the cutting edge 34a according to the amount of processing can be calculated. In addition, by dividing the cumulative amount of wear on the cutting edge 34a by the number of planned division lines that have been cut, the average amount of wear per planned division line can be calculated.

[0118] Incidentally, a non-conductive binder (for example, a resin bond) may be used as the binder for the cutting edge 34a. However, in this case, conductivity is imparted to the cutting edge 34a by dispersing a silver-formed filler in the resin bond.

[0119] Figure 6(B) shows another example of origin setting. In the example shown in Figure 6(B), a setup sensor 90 is provided on a part of the table cover 12. The setup sensor 90 has a housing 90a. The upper part of the housing 90a is provided with a groove 90b for inserting the cutting edge 34a of the cutting blade 34.

[0120] The upper part of the housing 90a is provided with a light-emitting section 90c, including an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and a light-receiving section 90d, such as a photodiode, flanking the groove 90b. By lowering the cutting unit 30a along the Z-axis, the rotating cutting blade 34a is transformed into the groove 90b.

[0121] When the cutting unit 30a is lowered at a predetermined speed, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 90c to the light-receiving unit 90d is blocked by the cutting edge 34a. When the amount of light reaching the light-receiving unit 90d falls below a predetermined value due to the light being blocked by the cutting edge 34a, the position of the cutting unit 30a in the Z-axis direction is treated as the origin position of the cutting unit 30a.

[0122] By determining this origin position before cutting the workpiece 11 and after cutting one or more workpieces 11 is completed, it is possible to calculate how much the diameter of the cutting edge 34a has worn down according to the number or amount of workpieces 11 that have been cut.

[0123] Now, let's return to Figure 4. Depending on the operator 71 specifying to the controller 74 the cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative value of the cutting fluid 44 used with an arbitrary date and time as the starting point, the calculation unit 78 may use the log information 76a to calculate the cumulative processing time, which is the cumulative value of the time the cutting fluid supply unit 46 supplies the cutting fluid 44.

[0124] For example, before starting to cut the workpiece 11, the operator 71 inputs the amount of cutting fluid 44 per unit time supplied from the cutting fluid supply unit 46 to the cutting blade 34 (i.e., the amount of water processed per unit time) to the controller 74 via the touch panel display 70.

[0125] Therefore, the calculation unit 78 can calculate the cumulative usage amount based on the cumulative processing time and the amount of cutting fluid 44 supplied per unit time from the cutting fluid supply unit 46.

[0126] Alternatively, a flow meter (not shown) may be installed between the pure water recycling device and the cutting fluid supply unit 46, and the controller 74 may obtain the flow rate of cutting fluid 44 per unit time to each nozzle measured by the flow meter from the flow meter.

[0127] Thus, in this embodiment, the cutting device 2 can provide the operator 71 with information that is not pre-recorded in the memory 74b as log information 76a (such as the cumulative machining amount and average wear amount of the cutting blade 34a, and the cumulative amount of cutting fluid 44 used), as requested by the operator 71.

[0128] For example, the controller 74 visually presents the information requested by the operator 71 to the operator 71 via the touch panel display 70.

[0129] Furthermore, if the controller 74 determines that there is an abnormality in the cumulative machining amount and average wear amount of the cutting blade 34, or in the cumulative usage amount of cutting fluid 44, it may notify the operator 71 of the abnormality through the touch panel display 70 and / or alarm device 72.

[0130] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. In the second embodiment, instead of the cutting device 2, a grinding device (i.e., processing device) 92 grinds (i.e., processes) the workpiece 11.

[0131] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the grinding apparatus 92, and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the grinding unit (i.e., processing unit) 130 that grinds the workpiece 11. In Figures 7 and 8, some of the components are shown as functional blocks.

[0132] As shown in Figure 7, the X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal to each other. The X axis is parallel to the front-to-back direction of the grinding device 92, the Y axis is parallel to the left-to-right direction of the grinding device 92, and the Z axis is parallel to the vertical and height directions.

[0133] In this embodiment, the grinding device 92 grinds the workpiece 11, but loading and unloading the workpiece 11 into and out of the grinding device 92 is done manually by an operator. However, the grinding device 92 may also be a fully automatic type that automatically loads, grinds, cleans, and unloads the workpiece 11.

[0134] The grinding device 92 includes a base 94 such as a frame. The upper surface of the base 94 is provided with a rectangular opening 94a whose long side is aligned along the X-axis. Below the opening 94a is the aforementioned ball screw type X-axis movement mechanism (not shown). The X-axis movement mechanism moves the chuck table 96 along the X-axis.

[0135] As shown in Figure 8, the chuck table 96 has a disc-shaped frame 98a made of non-porous ceramics and a disc-shaped porous plate 98b made of porous ceramics. The porous plate 98b is fixed to a recess provided in the center of the upper surface of the frame 98a using an adhesive or the like.

[0136] A suction source (not shown), such as a vacuum pump, is connected to the porous plate 98b via a predetermined flow path having a rotary joint (not shown), etc. A solenoid valve (not shown) is provided in the predetermined flow path, and when the solenoid valve is opened, the negative pressure generated by the suction source is transmitted to the upper surface of the porous plate 98b.

[0137] The upper surfaces of the frame 98a and the porous plate 98b are substantially flush and constitute a holding surface 96a that holds the workpiece 11 by suction. The holding surface 96a is a conical surface in which the central part protrudes slightly compared to the outer periphery.

[0138] The chuck table 96 is positioned on a disc-shaped table base 110 and is rotatably supported by the table base 110. A through hole (not shown) is formed in the table base 110. A rotating shaft 112 is inserted into this through hole. The upper end of the rotating shaft 112 is fixed to the bottom of the chuck table 96.

[0139] A rotary drive source (not shown), such as a motor, is provided below the table base 110. A drive pulley is fixed to the output shaft of the rotary drive source, and a driven pulley (not shown) is fixed to the bottom of the rotating shaft 112.

[0140] An endless belt (not shown) is stretched over the drive pulley and driven pulley, and power from the rotational drive source is transmitted to the rotating shaft 112 and the chuck table 96. The table base 110 is supported by a tilt adjustment mechanism (not shown).

[0141] The tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt of the rotation axis 112 with respect to the Z-axis direction by adjusting the tilt of the table base 110. The tilt adjustment mechanism has, for example, one fixed axis and two movable axes arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the table base 110.

[0142] The tilt of the rotation axis 112 with respect to the Z-axis is determined by adjusting the height position that supports the table base 110 using the movable axis. The tilt adjustment mechanism adjusts the tilt angle of the rotation axis 112 with respect to the Z-axis so that a portion of the holding surface 96a located directly below the grinding wheel 142 (described later) is approximately parallel to the XY plane.

[0143] The tilt adjustment mechanism is supported by a rectangular X-axis moving plate (not shown). The X-axis moving plate constitutes the aforementioned X-axis moving mechanism and moves along the X-axis together with the chuck table 96, table base 110, rotational drive source, tilt adjustment mechanism, etc.

[0144] The chuck table 96 moves between the loading / unloading area A1 (see Figure 7), located in front of the opening 94a, and the grinding area A2 (see Figure 7), located behind the opening 94a, via the X-axis movement mechanism.

[0145] As shown in Figure 7, the operator 71 loads or unloads the workpiece 11 to or from the chuck table 96 located in the loading / unloading area A1. A contact-type thickness measuring instrument 96b is provided near the chuck table 96 located in the grinding area A2.

[0146] The thickness measuring device 96b has a pair of detectors (gauge heads). With the workpiece 11 held by suction on the holding surface 96a, one detector measures the height position in the Z-axis direction of the outer circumference of the holding surface 96a, and the other detector measures the height position in the Z-axis direction of the upper surface of the workpiece 11.

[0147] The pair of detectors are electrically connected to a controller 154, which will be described later. The controller 154 calculates the difference between the measured values ​​(i.e., height position) obtained by the pair of detectors, thereby calculating the thickness of the workpiece 11 in real time.

[0148] A rectangular cover member 114 is fixed to the table base 110. In addition, bellows-shaped expandable cover members 116 are provided on both sides of the cover member 114 in the X-axis direction.

[0149] A rectangular column 118 is provided behind the opening 94a. A machining feed mechanism 120 is provided on the front side of the column 118. The machining feed mechanism 120 has a pair of guide rails 122 fixed to the front surface of the column 118.

[0150] Each guide rail 122 is connected to a Z-axis movable plate 124 via a slider (not shown) so as to be slidable along the Z-axis. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the Z-axis movable plate 124.

[0151] A screw shaft 126 is rotatably connected to the nut portion via multiple balls (not shown). A drive source 128, such as a servo motor or stepping motor, is connected to the upper end of the screw shaft 126.

[0152] When the screw shaft 126 is rotated by the drive source 128, the Z-axis moving plate 124 moves along the Z axis. A grinding unit (i.e., processing unit, machining unit) 130 is fixed to the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate 124.

[0153] The grinding unit 130 has a cylindrical retaining member 132 fixed to the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate 124. Inside the retaining member 132 is a cylindrical spindle housing 134. The longitudinal direction of the spindle housing 134 is arranged substantially parallel to the Z axis.

[0154] A portion of a cylindrical spindle 136, arranged substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction, is rotatably housed in the spindle housing 134. A rotor is fixed to the upper end of the spindle 136, and a stator is provided around the rotor.

[0155] The rotor and stator constitute the motor 138. Note that Figure 7 shows the approximate position of the motor 138, and the rotor and stator are omitted. The lower end of the spindle 136 protrudes below the bottom surface of the retaining member 132, and a disc-shaped wheel mount 140 is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 136.

[0156] An annular grinding wheel (i.e., a machining tool) 142 is attached to the underside of the wheel mount 140 by fastening members such as screws (not shown). In this way, the grinding wheel 142 is attached to the lower end (i.e., the tip) of the spindle 136 via the wheel mount 140.

[0157] The grinding wheel 142 comprises an annular wheel base 142a made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and a plurality of grinding wheels 142b fixed to the lower surface of the wheel base 142a.

[0158] Multiple grinding wheels 142b are arranged in a ring shape along the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the wheel base 142a, with gaps between adjacent grinding wheels 142b. Each grinding wheel 142b corresponds to the wheel that grinds (i.e., processes) the workpiece 11.

[0159] Inside the wheel base 142a, beyond the grinding wheel 142b, a plurality of discrete openings 142c (see Figure 8) are provided along the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the wheel base 142a. Grinding water (i.e., treated water) 144, such as pure water, is supplied from the plurality of openings 142c.

[0160] Grinding water 144 supplied from multiple openings 142c flows along the inner circumferential surface of the wheel base 142a and is supplied to multiple grinding wheels 142b. In this way, each opening 142c functions as a nozzle (i.e., a treated water supply unit) that supplies grinding water 144 to the grinding wheel 142.

[0161] Alternatively, a grinding water supply nozzle (not shown) for supplying grinding water 144 to multiple grinding wheels 142b may be provided near the grinding area A2, either in place of or together with the opening 142c provided in the grinding wheel 142. In this case, the grinding water supply nozzle may be considered part of the grinding unit 130. The grinding water supply nozzle also functions as a treated water supply unit.

[0162] As shown in Figure 8, the wheel base 142a, wheel mount 140, spindle 136, etc., are provided with flow channels 142d, 140a, and 136a for supplying grinding water 144 to their respective openings 142c. A grinding water supply source 146 is connected to the flow channel 136a of the spindle 136.

[0163] The grinding water supply source 146 includes a tank for storing grinding water, a pump for supplying grinding water from the tank, etc. (neither of which are shown), and is connected to the grinding device 92 via a water supply pipe (not shown).

[0164] The water supply pipe is equipped with a flow control mechanism (not shown) including a flow meter and a proportional control valve, and the controller 154 adjusts the flow rate of the grinding water 144 supplied to the opening 142c via the water supply pipe.

[0165] When grinding the workpiece 11, the operator 71 places the workpiece unit 21, on which a tape 13 with approximately the same diameter as the workpiece 11 is attached to the surface 11a, onto the chuck table 96 located in the loading / unloading area A1. At this time, the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is exposed upwards.

[0166] Next, the chuck table 96, which holds the workpiece unit 21 by suction on the holding surface 96a, is moved to the grinding area A2. Then, the chuck table 96 and the grinding wheel 142 are rotated at predetermined rotational speeds, and grinding water 144 is supplied from the opening 142c at a predetermined flow rate while the grinding unit 130 is fed downward at a predetermined speed (i.e., grinding feed) (see Figure 8).

[0167] When the grinding wheel 142b comes into contact with the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11, the workpiece 11 is ground by the grinding wheel 142. In this embodiment, the workpiece 11 is thinned substantially uniformly as the back surface 11b is ground by the grinding wheel 142.

[0168] During grinding, grinding water 144 is used, causing grinding debris to be scattered into the surrounding area. As shown in Figure 7, a machining chamber cover 148 is provided in the grinding area A2 to cover the chuck table 96 in order to limit the range of scattering of this grinding debris-containing grinding water 144.

[0169] The machining chamber cover 148 covers the chuck table 96 located in the grinding area A2, the cover member 114, the lower end of the spindle 136, the wheel mount 140, and the grinding wheel 142. The machining chamber cover 148 defines the machining chamber 148a.

[0170] The top plate of the machining chamber cover 148 is provided with an opening that is larger in diameter than the spindle 136 but smaller in diameter than the wheel mount 140. With the spindle 136 inserted into this opening, the machining feed of the grinding unit 130 is performed.

[0171] The grinding device 92 has a housing that covers its components. In Figure 7, the housing is shown with a dashed line. A touch panel display 150 is provided on the front side of the housing. An alarm device 152 is provided on the top of the housing.

[0172] The touch panel display 150 is substantially the same as the touch panel display 70 described above, and the alarm device 152 is substantially the same as the alarm device 72, so their respective descriptions will be omitted.

[0173] The operation of the grinding device 92 is controlled by a controller 154. The controller 154 is composed of a computer having, for example, a processor 154a, represented by a CPU, and memory 154b.

[0174] Memory 154b includes main memory and auxiliary memory. Software is stored in the auxiliary memory. The functions of the controller 154 are realized by operating the processor 154a and other components according to this software.

[0175] In particular, the controller 154 controls the operation of the chuck table 96 and the grinding unit 130 when grinding the workpiece 11. The program executed by the processor 154a may be stored on a non-temporary tangible recording medium such as a USB memory stick instead of an auxiliary storage device.

[0176] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the interaction between the operator 71 and the grinding machine 92. Part of the memory 154b functions as a log storage unit 156. The log storage unit 156 stores log information 156a (see Figure 3) related to the processing of the workpiece 11 performed by processing units such as the grinding unit 130.

[0177] The log information 156a includes, for example, (i) the time change in the value of the current supplied to the motor 138 that rotates the spindle 136 of the grinding unit 130, (ii) grinding conditions such as the rotational speed of the spindle 136, the processing feed rate, and the flow rate of the grinding water 144 (i.e., the grinding recipe), and (iii) the time change in the thickness of the workpiece 11 measured by the thickness measuring instrument 96b.

[0178] In addition to the log information 156a relating to the processing unit described above, the log storage unit 156 also stores log information 156a relating to other mechanisms that constitute the grinding device 92.

[0179] For example, the log storage unit 156 also stores as log information 156a the processing performed by (a) the X-axis movement mechanism and rotation drive source of the chuck table 96, (b) the tilt adjustment mechanism, (c) the machining feed mechanism 120, etc.

[0180] The log information 156a also includes (d) the time when the moving mechanism, drive mechanism, feed mechanism, etc. started and ended operation, (e) the time when an error occurred and the details of the error, (f) the time when the grinding device 92 was started, and (g) the time when the initial operation was performed on the grinding device 92.

[0181] For example, log information 156a includes a unit element 156a3 (see Figure 3) indicating that the X-axis movement mechanism of the chuck table 10 has been operated, or a unit element 156a3 indicating that the tilt adjustment mechanism has been operated.

[0182] Furthermore, for example, log information 156a may include a unit element 156a3 indicating that the grinding unit 130 ground one workpiece 11, or a unit element 156a3 indicating that the grinding unit 130 ground N workpieces 11 (where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0183] In this embodiment, the number of workpieces 11 ground by the grinding wheel 142 is treated as the processing amount for one or more workpieces 11 by the grinding unit 130. Alternatively, instead of the number of workpieces 11, the total thickness of the workpieces 11 ground by the grinding wheel 142 may be treated as the processing amount.

[0184] Another portion of memory 154b stores a predetermined program that, when executed by processor 154a, functions as a calculation unit 158. The calculation unit 158 ​​uses log information 156a stored in log storage unit 156 to calculate the quantity of an item specified by operator 71.

[0185] For example, when operator 71 specifies to controller 154 via touch panel display 150 a cumulative processing amount, which is the cumulative value of the processing amount starting from the start of processing of any workpiece 11, calculation unit 158 ​​calculates the cumulative processing amount using log information 76a.

[0186] The operation of the controller 154 by operator 71 and the function of the calculation unit 158 ​​are the same as in the first embodiment. In this example, the cumulative machining amount is the total number of workpieces 11 that have been ground.

[0187] In this way, the grinding device 92 can provide the operator 71 with the information requested by the operator 71, even though this information is not pre-recorded in the memory 154b as log information 156a.

[0188] In this example, another portion of memory 154b functions as a machinable amount storage unit 160. The machinable amount storage unit 160 stores a predetermined machinable amount that allows the grinding unit 130 to be used without dressing each grinding wheel 142b (i.e., grinding wheel).

[0189] In other words, the machinable amount is the upper limit of the amount of material that can be processed by the grinding unit 130, which is known empirically in advance to ensure a certain grinding quality for the workpiece 11 without having to change the grinding wheel 142 or dress multiple grinding wheels 142b.

[0190] Incidentally, another part of memory 154b stores a predetermined program that, when executed by processor 154a, functions as a determination unit 162. The determination unit 162 determines whether the cumulative amount of material removed by the grinding unit 130 from one or more workpieces 11 is greater than the machinable amount.

[0191] If the determination unit 162 determines that the cumulative machining amount is greater than the machinable amount, the controller 154 causes each grinding wheel 142b to be dressed. Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the grinding unit 130, dressing board 23, and chuck table 96 showing the process of dressing multiple grinding wheels 142b.

[0192] When performing the dressing process, the dressing board 23 is held by suction on the holding surface 96a instead of the workpiece unit 21. The dressing board 23 has a disc-shaped substrate 23a having an outer diameter approximately the same as the holding surface 96a, and a dressing portion 23b on one side of the substrate 23a that has a smaller diameter than the substrate 23a.

[0193] The dressing portion 23b comprises abrasive grains and a binder for fixing the abrasive grains. The abrasive grains are formed from, for example, white alundum and green carbon, and have a smaller average particle size compared to the average particle size of the abrasive grains used in the grinding wheel 142b. As the binder, for example, vitrified bond or resin bond is used.

[0194] The controller 154 rotates the chuck table 96 and the grinding wheel 142 at predetermined rotational speeds, and feeds the grinding unit 130 along the Z-axis while supplying grinding fluid 144 from each opening 142c. The machining feed speed and machining feed amount are adjusted as appropriate.

[0195] For example, before starting grinding the workpiece 11 with the grinding device 92, the operator 71 inputs the amount of material that can be processed into the controller 154. This ensures that if the cumulative amount of material processed is greater than the amount of material that can be processed, each grinding wheel 142b is automatically dressed, thereby reducing the possibility of processing defects occurring in subsequent grinding due to poor condition of each grinding wheel 142b.

[0196] Incidentally, the calculation unit 158 ​​may use log information 156a to calculate the cumulative wear amount, which is the cumulative value of the wear amount of the grinding wheel 142b consumed by grinding (i.e., processing) on ​​one or more workpieces 11, in response to the operator 71 specifying to the controller 154 the average wear amount of the grinding wheel 142b consumed per workpiece 11.

[0197] The calculation unit 158 ​​may further calculate the average wear amount based on the cumulative wear amount and the number of workpieces 11 that have been ground (i.e., the number of workpieces processed). For example, by setting the origin as shown in Figures 11(A) to 12(C), the controller 154 can determine the wear amount of each grinding wheel 142b.

[0198] The wear amount of the grinding wheel 142b refers to the decrease in the segment height (i.e., the length in the Z-axis direction) of the grinding wheel 142b when the grinding wheel 142 is mounted on the spindle 136.

[0199] Figure 11(A) shows an example of origin setting using a block gauge 170. The block gauge 170 is a rectangular block with a stepped top surface having multiple steps. Each step is measured in micrometers.

[0200] When setting the origin, the grinding unit 130 is positioned at a predetermined height, and then the block gauge 170, which is placed on the holding surface 96a, is slid directly below the grinding wheel 142. If the bottom surface of the first step does not contact the bottom surface of the grinding wheel 142b, the height of the grinding wheel 142 is slightly lowered.

[0201] Then, the height position of the grinding unit 130 is repeatedly lowered in steps until the bottom surface of the first stepped section and the bottom surface of the grinding wheel 142b come into contact. The height position of the grinding unit 130 when the bottom surface of the first stepped section and the bottom surface of the grinding wheel 142b come into contact is defined as the origin position of the grinding unit 130 in the Z-axis direction.

[0202] Figure 11(B) schematically shows the origin of the grinding unit 130 in the Z-axis direction. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 11(B), the height position in the Z-axis direction of the bottom surface of one grinding wheel 142b is taken as the origin position (Z=0). In this example, the distance from the origin position to the holding surface 96a is 5000 μm.

[0203] Figure 12(A) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the grinding process of the workpiece 11. For example, in this example where the workpiece 11 is thinned to 100 μm, the grinding unit 130 is machined to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction so that the thickness of the workpiece 11 measured by the thickness measuring instrument 96b becomes 100 μm.

[0204] Figure 12(B) shows a hypothetical case where each grinding wheel 142b is not worn down. Theoretically, if each grinding wheel 142b is not worn down at all, lowering each grinding wheel 142b by 4900 μm from the origin position will result in a thickness of 100 μm for the workpiece 11.

[0205] However, in reality, when grinding the workpiece 11, the grinding wheel 142b wears down and its length in the Z-axis direction shortens. Figure 12(C) shows a realistic case where each of the multiple grinding wheels 142b has worn down.

[0206] Note that in Figures 12(A) to 12(C), the tape 13 is omitted for the sake of explanation, but as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the tape 13 is actually attached to the surface 11a.

[0207] Since the thickness of the tape 13 is known, the thickness of the workpiece 11 can be measured by subtracting the thickness of the tape 13 from the measurement value of the thickness measuring instrument 96b. Therefore, the thickness of the tape 13 does not hinder the measurement of the thickness of the workpiece 11.

[0208] In the example shown in Figure 12(C), when the thickness of the workpiece 11 is 100 μm, the lower surface of each grinding wheel 142b is located 4910 μm below the origin. In this case, the wear amount of each grinding wheel 142b is 10 μm.

[0209] When multiple workpieces 11 are ground and the last workpiece 11 is thinned to 100 μm, the lower surface of each grinding wheel 142b shows the cumulative amount of wear caused by grinding these multiple workpieces 11. By dividing the cumulative amount of wear by the number of workpieces 11 that were ground, the average amount of wear can be calculated.

[0210] Incidentally, instead of measuring the wear amount of each grinding wheel 142b as described above, the calculation unit 158 ​​may calculate the cumulative wear amount and the average wear amount based on the grinding conditions and the number of workpieces 11 that have been ground.

[0211] For example, if the amount of wear on each grinding wheel 142b when grinding a single workpiece 11 under specified grinding conditions is known empirically, the calculation unit 158 ​​can calculate the cumulative wear amount by multiplying the amount of wear according to the grinding conditions by the number of workpieces 11 that have been ground.

[0212] Now, let's return to Figure 9. The calculation unit 158 ​​may use log information 156a to calculate the cumulative processing time, which is the cumulative time over which the opening 142c supplies the grinding water 144, in response to the operator 71 specifying the cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative value of the grinding water 144 used, to the controller 154.

[0213] For example, before starting grinding of the workpiece 11, the operator 71 inputs the amount of grinding water 144 per unit time (i.e., the amount of water processed per unit time) supplied to the multiple grinding wheels 142b from the multiple openings 142c to the controller 154 via the touch panel display 150.

[0214] Therefore, the calculation unit 158 ​​can calculate the cumulative usage amount based on the cumulative processing time and the amount of grinding water 144 supplied per unit time from the multiple openings 142c.

[0215] Alternatively, a flow meter (not shown) may be installed between the grinding water supply source 146 and the opening 142c, and the controller 154 may obtain the flow rate of the grinding water 144 per unit time measured by the flow meter from the flow meter.

[0216] Thus, in this embodiment, the grinding device 92 can provide the operator 71 with information that is not pre-recorded in the memory 154b as log information 156a (such as the cumulative processing amount and average wear amount of the grinding wheel 142b, and the cumulative usage amount of grinding water 144), as requested by the operator 71.

[0217] For example, the controller 154 presents the information requested by the operator 71 to the operator 71 via the touch panel display 70. Furthermore, if the controller 154 determines that there is an abnormality in the cumulative processing amount and average wear amount of the grinding wheel 142b, or in the cumulative usage amount of grinding fluid 144, it may notify the operator 71 of the abnormality via the touch panel display 150 and / or alarm device 152.

[0218] (Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. In the third embodiment, instead of the cutting device 2, a laser processing device (i.e., processing device) 172 performs laser processing on the workpiece 11 (i.e., processes the workpiece 11).

[0219] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the laser processing apparatus 172. In Figure 13, some of the components are shown as functional blocks. The X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figure 13 are orthogonal to each other. The X axis is approximately parallel to the processing feed direction, and the Y axis is approximately parallel to the indexing feed direction. The Z axis is approximately parallel to the height direction (vertical direction).

[0220] The laser processing apparatus 172 includes a base 174 that supports each structure. The base 174 includes a flat base portion 176 and a wall portion 178 located at the rear end of the base portion 176 and extending upward. A chuck table 180 is provided on the upper surface of the base portion 176 for suction holding of the workpiece 11 in the form of a workpiece unit 17.

[0221] The shape, structure, and materials of the chuck table 180 are substantially the same as those of the chuck table 10 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Below the chuck table 180, a ball screw type Y-axis movement mechanism 192 is provided for moving the chuck table 180 in the Y-axis direction.

[0222] The Y-axis movement mechanism 192 includes a pair of Y-axis guide rails 194 fixed to the upper surface of the base 176 and arranged substantially parallel to each other in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis movement table 196 is slidably connected to the pair of Y-axis guide rails 194.

[0223] A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the underside of the Y-axis moving table 196, and a screw shaft 198, which is positioned approximately parallel to the Y-axis, is rotatably connected to this nut portion via a plurality of balls (not shown).

[0224] A drive source 200, such as a servo motor or stepping motor, is connected to one end of the screw shaft 198. When the screw shaft 198 is rotated by the drive source 200, the Y-axis moving table 196 moves along the Y axis.

[0225] On the upper surface of the Y-axis moving table 196, a ball screw type X-axis moving mechanism 202 is provided for moving the chuck table 180 in the X-axis direction. The X-axis moving mechanism 202 includes a pair of X-axis guide rails 204 fixed to the upper surface of the Y-axis moving table 196 and arranged substantially parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0226] An X-axis moving table 206 is slidably connected to an X-axis guide rail 204. A nut (not shown) is provided on the underside of the X-axis moving table 206, and a screw shaft 208, which is positioned approximately parallel to the X-axis direction, is rotatably connected to this nut.

[0227] A drive source 210, such as a servo motor or stepping motor, is connected to one end of the screw shaft 208. When the screw shaft 208 is rotated by the drive source 210, the X-axis moving table 206 moves along the X-axis direction.

[0228] A cylindrical support base 212 is provided on the upper surface of the X-axis moving table 206. The chuck table 180 described above is positioned on top of the support base 212. A drive source (not shown), such as a motor, is provided inside the support base 212, and rotates the chuck table 180 within a predetermined angular range around a rotation axis parallel to the Z-axis direction as needed.

[0229] A support arm 214 extending forward is provided at the upper front of the wall section 178. Part of the laser beam irradiation unit 216 is attached to the support arm 214. A cylindrical head section 218 is provided at the tip of the support arm 214.

[0230] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the laser beam irradiation unit (i.e., processing unit) 216. In Figure 14, some of the components of the laser beam irradiation unit 216 are shown as functional blocks. The laser beam irradiation unit 216 has a laser oscillator 220 fixed to a base 174.

[0231] The laser oscillator 220 has, for example, a crystal such as Nd:YAG as the laser medium, and emits a pulsed laser beam L having a wavelength (for example, 1064 nm) that penetrates the workpiece 11 (in this example, a silicon single crystal substrate) by irradiating the crystal with excitation light from a light source such as a laser diode.

[0232] Alternatively, a nonlinear optical crystal such as CLBO (cesium lithium borate) may be used to generate harmonics (for example, the fourth harmonic at a wavelength of 1064 nm) of the laser beam L emitted from the laser oscillator 220. When a pulsed laser beam L having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region (for example, a wavelength of 266 nm) is irradiated onto the workpiece 11, it is mainly absorbed by the workpiece 11.

[0233] The laser beam L emitted from the laser oscillator 220 is guided to the head unit 218 after its output is adjusted in the output adjustment unit 222, which includes an attenuator and a spatial light phase modulator. A mirror 224 is provided inside the head unit 218 to change the direction of the laser beam L.

[0234] The laser beam L reflected by the mirror 224 is focused by a focusing lens 226 located within the head unit 218 and irradiated onto the workpiece 11 held by the holding surface 180a. In this way, the workpiece 11 is laser-processed by the laser beam L irradiated from the focusing lens 226 (i.e., the workpiece 11 is processed by the laser beam L).

[0235] Returning to Figure 13, the head portion 232 of the imaging unit 230 is provided at the tip of the support arm 214 so as to be adjacent to the head portion 218 in the Y-axis direction. The imaging unit 230 includes, for example, an objective lens, a light source, and an image sensor. The imaging unit 230 is used for adjusting the irradiation position of the laser beam L, checking the calf after laser processing, etc.

[0236] The laser processing apparatus 172 has a housing that covers its components. In Figure 13, the housing is shown by a dashed line. A touch panel display 240 is provided on the front side of the housing. An alarm device 242 is provided on the top of the housing. The touch panel display 240 is substantially the same as the touch panel display 70 described above, and the alarm device 242 is substantially the same as the alarm device 72, so their descriptions are omitted.

[0237] The operation of the laser processing apparatus 172 is controlled by a controller 244. The controller 244 is composed of a computer having, for example, a processor 244a, represented by a CPU, and memory 244b.

[0238] Memory 244b includes main memory and auxiliary memory. Software is stored in the auxiliary memory. The functions of the controller 244 are realized by operating the processor 244a and other components according to this software.

[0239] In particular, the controller 244 controls the operation of the laser beam irradiation unit 216 and the chuck table 180 when cutting the workpiece 11. The program executed by the processor 244a may be stored on a non-temporary tangible recording medium such as a USB memory stick instead of an auxiliary storage device.

[0240] A portion of memory 244b functions as a log storage unit 246 (see Figure 15). The log storage unit 246 stores log information 246a (see Figure 3) related to processing performed on the workpiece 11 by processing units such as the laser beam irradiation unit 216.

[0241] Log information 246a includes, for example, laser processing conditions (i.e., the recipe for laser processing) such as the wavelength of the laser beam L, average power, repetition frequency, pulse width, defocus amount, processing feed rate, number of passes, and indexing feed rate.

[0242] In addition to the log information 246a relating to the processing unit described above, the log storage unit 246 also stores log information 246a relating to other mechanisms that constitute the laser processing apparatus 172.

[0243] For example, the log storage unit 246 also stores as log information 246a the processing performed by (a) the Y-axis movement mechanism 192, (b) the X-axis movement mechanism 202, (c) the drive source in the support base 212, and (d) the clamping unit of the chuck table 180.

[0244] The log information 246a includes, for example, (e) the time when the moving mechanism, drive source, etc. started and ended operation, (f) the time when an error occurred and the details of the error, (g) the startup time of the laser processing device 172, and (h) the time when the initial operation was performed on the laser processing device 172.

[0245] For example, log information 246a has a unit element 246a3 (see Figure 3) indicating that the Y-axis movement mechanism 192 of the chuck table 10 has been operated. Also, for example, log information 246a has a unit element 246a3 indicating that the tilt adjustment mechanism has been operated.

[0246] Furthermore, for example, log information 246a includes a unit element 246a3 indicating that the laser beam irradiation unit 216 has started processing one workpiece 11, and a unit element 246a3 indicating that the laser beam irradiation unit 216 has finished processing one workpiece 11.

[0247] Another portion of memory 244b stores a predetermined program that, when executed by processor 244a, functions as calculation unit 248 (see Figure 15). The calculation unit 248 uses log information 246a stored in log storage unit 246 to calculate the quantity of an item specified by operator 71.

[0248] For example, operator 71 instructs controller 244 via touch panel display 240 to calculate cumulative irradiation time, which is the cumulative value of the time that laser beam irradiation unit 216 has been irradiating the workpiece 11 with the laser beam L.

[0249] In response to operator 71 specifying the cumulative irradiation time to controller 244, calculation unit 248 calculates the cumulative irradiation time using log information 246a. The specification by operator 71 to controller 244 and the function of calculation unit 248 are the same as in the first embodiment. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the interaction between operator 71 and laser processing apparatus 172.

[0250] For example, the time required for laser processing of one workpiece 11 can be calculated using a set of unit elements 246a3 indicating the time when the laser beam L irradiation started and 246a3 indicating the time when the laser beam L irradiation stopped.

[0251] The calculation unit 248 calculates the cumulative irradiation time by summing the time during this set for each workpiece 11, according to the operator 71's specifications.

[0252] In this example, another portion of memory 244b functions as a usable time storage unit 250. The usable time storage unit 250 stores a predetermined usable time, which is the time during which the laser beam irradiation unit 216 can be used without maintenance or replacement.

[0253] The usable time refers to the time during which the laser beam irradiation unit 216 can be used, for example, during which it is empirically known that a certain level of processing quality can be guaranteed without maintenance or replacement of the laser beam irradiation unit 216.

[0254] Incidentally, another part of memory 244b stores a predetermined program that, when executed by processor 244a, functions as a determination unit 252. The determination unit 252 determines whether the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the available time.

[0255] If the determination unit 252 determines that the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the usable time, the controller 74 notifies the operator 71 to perform maintenance or replace the laser beam irradiation unit 216. By performing maintenance or replacement of the laser beam irradiation unit 216 accordingly, the possibility of processing defects in the workpiece 11 caused by the laser beam L can be reduced.

[0256] Furthermore, the structures, methods, etc., according to the embodiments described above can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the quantity of the item specified by operator 71 is not limited to the examples described above. It may be appropriately selected depending on the type of processing apparatus, the mechanism of the processing apparatus, etc.

[0257] By the way, the processing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the cutting apparatus 2, the grinding apparatus 92, and the laser processing apparatus 172. The processing apparatus may also be a tape application apparatus that applies a circular tape 13 to the workpiece 11.

[0258] The tape application device includes a support section for supporting a roll body on which a strip of tape is wound in a roll shape, a holding table for holding the workpiece 11, a feeding mechanism for feeding the strip of tape from the roll body, a pressing roller for heat-pressing the strip of tape drawn from the roll body onto the workpiece 11 held by the holding table, and a cutter unit having a cutting blade for cutting the strip of tape heat-pressed onto the workpiece 11 along the outer shape of the workpiece 11.

[0259] When the processing device is a tape application device, each of the following components—the feeding mechanism, the pressing roller, the cutter unit, etc.—becomes a processing unit that performs processing on the workpiece 11. The tape application device further includes a controller that controls the processing units, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0260] The processing apparatus may be a thickness measuring device for measuring variations in the thickness of the workpiece 11. The thickness measuring device has a processing unit including a contact-type detector that measures the thickness of the workpiece 11 by contacting it, or a non-contact-type processing unit including a detector that measures the thickness of the workpiece 11 without contacting it by using light. The thickness measuring device further has a controller that controls the processing unit, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0261] The processing device may also be an inspection device that performs imaging of the workpiece 11, image processing of the image obtained from the imaging, etc. The inspection device has a processing unit such as a microscope camera unit that images the workpiece 11. The inspection device further has a controller that controls the processing unit, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0262] The processing apparatus may also be a resin layer forming apparatus that forms a substantially flat resin layer on the surface 11a of the workpiece 11. The resin layer forming apparatus includes a holding table for suction holding the workpiece 11, a dispenser for applying liquid resin to the surface 11a of the workpiece 11 held by the holding table, and a pressing unit for pressing a carrier substrate, which has substantially the same diameter as the workpiece 11, against the liquid resin while holding the carrier substrate by suction.

[0263] When the processing apparatus is a resin layer forming apparatus, each of the dispenser, pressing unit, etc., becomes a processing unit that performs processing on the workpiece 11. The resin layer forming apparatus further has a controller that controls the processing units, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0264] The processing apparatus may also be an ultraviolet irradiation device that cures a resin layer by irradiating an ultraviolet-curable liquid resin layer with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet irradiation device includes a holding table for holding the workpiece 11, and a light source such as a UV (ultraviolet) lamp or UV-LED for irradiating the workpiece 11 held by the holding table with ultraviolet light.

[0265] When the processing device is an ultraviolet irradiation device, the light source becomes a processing unit that performs processing on the workpiece 11. The ultraviolet irradiation device further includes a controller that controls the processing unit, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0266] The processing device may be a tape expansion device that expands the tape 13 by pulling the outer circumference of the tape 13 attached to the workpiece 11 in all directions. The tape expansion device has a disc-shaped holding table that holds the workpiece 11 by suction and has rollers on its outer circumference, and retractable legs that are located outside the holding table in the radial direction of the holding table and can move up and down while supporting the frame 15.

[0267] The tape expansion device moves the frame 15 downward by retracting the legs, starting from a state where the workpiece 11 and frame 15 are supported at the same height by the holding table and legs. This expands the tape 13.

[0268] The tape expansion device may further include a heating element that applies heat to the annular region of the expanded tape 13 in order to eliminate the deflection of the annular region between the outer edge of the workpiece 11 and the inner edge of the frame 15.

[0269] When the processing device is a tape expansion device, the retractable legs, heating element, etc., become a processing unit that performs processing on the workpiece 11. The tape expansion device further includes a controller that controls the processing unit, and the controller includes the log storage unit and calculation unit described above.

[0270] Furthermore, programs executed by processors 74a, 154a, 244a, etc., may be stored on non-temporary tangible recording media such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, optical disks, SD memory cards, or HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) instead of auxiliary storage devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0271] 2: Cutting device (processing device), 4: Base, 4a, 4b: Opening, 4c, 4d: Support members 6: Lifting platform, 8: Cassette 10: Chuck table, 10a: Holding surface, 10b: Frame, 10c: Porous plate 11: Workpiece (processed object), 11a: Front surface, 11b: Back surface 12: Table cover, 14: Cover component 13: Tape, 15: Frame, 15a: Opening, 17: Workpiece unit 16: Guide rail, 18: Push-pull arm 19: Dress board, 19a: Top surface, 19b: Bottom surface 20: First transport unit, 20a: Guide rail 21: Workpiece Unit 22: Second transport unit, 22a: Guide rail 23: Dress board, 23a: Circuit board, 23b: Dress part 24: First Y-axis moving plate, 26: Second Y-axis moving plate 28a, 28b: Power source 30a, 30b: Cutting unit (processing unit, machining unit) 32: Spindle, 34: Cutting blade (machining tool), 34a: Cutting edge (grinding wheel) 36: Blade Cover 38: Cooler nozzle, 40: Spray nozzle, 42: Shower nozzle 44: Cutting fluid (treated water), 46: Cutting fluid supply unit (treated water supply unit) 50: Spinner cleaning unit (processing unit) 52: Spinner table, 52a: Holding surface, 54: Nozzle unit 70: Touch panel display, 71: Operator, 72: Alarm device 74: Controller, 74a: Processor, 74b: Memory 76: Log storage unit 76a: Log information, 76a1: Leftmost column, 76a2: Explanation column, 76a3: Unit element 78: Calculation unit, 80: Machinable amount storage unit, 82: Judgment unit 84: DC power supply unit, 86: Ammeter, 88: Closed circuit 90: Setup sensor 90a: Housing, 90b: Groove part, 90c: Light emitting part, 90d: Light receiving part 92: Grinding device (processing device), 94: Base, 94a: Opening 96: Chuck table, 96a: Holding surface, 96b: Thickness measuring instrument 98a: Frame body, 98b: Porous plate 110: Table base, 112: Rotation axis 114: Cover member, 116: Telescopic cover member 118: Column, 120: Machining feed mechanism, 122: Guide rail 124: Z-axis direction moving plate, 126: Screw shaft, 128: Drive source 130: Grinding unit (processing unit, machining unit), 132: Holding member 134: Spindle housing, 136: Spindle, 136a: Flow path, 138: Motor 140: Wheel mount, 140a: Flow path 142: Grinding wheel (processing tool) 142a: Wheel base, 142b: Grinding wheel (grinding stone) 142c: Opening (processing water supply unit), 142d: Flow path 144: Grinding water (processing water), 146: Grinding water supply source 148: Processing chamber cover, 148a: Processing chamber 150: Touch panel display, 152: Alarm device 154: Controller, 154a: Processor, 154b: Memory 156: Log storage unit, 156a: Log information, 156a3: Unit element 158: Calculation section, 160: Machinable amount storage section, 162: Judgment section 170: Block gauge, A1: Loading / unloading area, A2: Grinding area 172: Laser processing device (processing device), 174: Base, 176: Base part, 178: Wall part 180: Chuck table, 180a: Holding surface 192: Y-axis movement mechanism, 194: Y-axis guide rail 196: Y-axis movement table, 198: Screw axis, 200: Drive source 202: X-axis movement mechanism, 204: X-axis guide rail 206: X-axis movement table, 208: Screw axis, 210: Drive source 212: Support base, 214: Support arm 216: Laser beam irradiation unit (processing unit), 218: Head unit 220: Laser oscillator, 222: Output adjustment unit 224: Mirror, 226: Focusing lens 230: Imaging unit, 232: Head unit 240: Touch panel display, 242: Alarm device 244: Controller, 244a: Processor, 244b: Memory 246: Log storage unit, 246a: Log information, 246a3: Unit element 248: Calculation unit, 250: Usable time storage unit, 252: Judgment unit L: Laser beam

Claims

1. Apparatus for processing a workpiece, A processing unit for processing the object to be processed, A controller having memory and a processor, which controls the processing unit, Equipped with, The controller is, A log storage unit that stores log information relating to the processing performed on the object to be processed by the processing unit, A calculation unit that calculates the quantity of an item specified by the operator using the log information stored in the log storage unit, A processing apparatus characterized by having

2. The processing unit is a processing unit having a spindle, and a processing tool having a grinding wheel for processing the workpiece is mounted on the tip of the spindle. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the operator specifying a cumulative processing amount which is the cumulative value of the processing amount for one or more workpieces processed by the processing unit, the calculation unit calculates the cumulative processing amount using the log information.

3. The controller is, A machinable amount storage unit stores the machinable amount, which is the amount of processing performed on one or more workpieces by the processing unit, which is predetermined to be usable without dressing the grinding wheel. A determination unit that determines whether the cumulative amount of processing performed on one or more workpieces by the processing unit is greater than the amount of processing possible, It further possesses, The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the determination unit determines that the cumulative processing amount is greater than the processing amount, the controller causes the grinding wheel to perform a dressing.

4. The processing unit is a processing unit having a spindle, and a processing tool having a grinding wheel for processing the workpiece is mounted on the tip of the spindle. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the operator specifying the average amount of wear of the grinding wheel worn per workpiece, the calculation unit uses the log information to calculate a cumulative amount of wear, which is the cumulative value of the amount of wear of the grinding wheel worn by processing one or more workpieces, and further calculates the average amount of wear based on the cumulative amount of wear and the number of workpieces processed.

5. The processing unit includes a treated water supply unit for supplying treated water used when processing the object to be processed, The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the operator specifying the cumulative usage amount, which is the cumulative value of the treated water used, the calculation unit uses the log information to calculate the cumulative processing time, which is the cumulative value of the time the treated water supply unit supplies the treated water, and calculates the cumulative usage amount based on the cumulative processing time and the amount of treated water per unit time supplied from the treated water supply unit.

6. The processing unit comprises a laser oscillator and a focusing lens for irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator, and is a laser beam irradiation unit that processes the workpiece with the laser beam irradiated from the focusing lens. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the operator specifying the cumulative irradiation time, which is the cumulative value of the time the laser beam irradiation unit has irradiated the workpiece with the laser beam, the calculation unit calculates the cumulative irradiation time using the log information.

7. The controller is, A usable time storage unit stores a predetermined usable time, which is the time during which the laser beam irradiation unit can be used without maintenance or replacement. A determination unit that determines whether the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the usable time, It further possesses, The processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, if the determination unit determines that the cumulative irradiation time is greater than the usable time, the controller causes the operator to notify the operator of the maintenance or replacement of the laser beam irradiation unit.

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