Washing equipment and processing equipment

Abstract

To shorten the washing time of the object being washed. [Solution] The first cleaning apparatus (35) includes a first cleaning table (34) having a nozzle (102) that opens to the cleaning surface (101) and ejects fluid, a pad moving mechanism (22) that moves the first cleaning table closer to and further away from the cleaning surface (205) of the wafer (200), a holding pad (21) that holds the wafer, and a pad rotating mechanism (28) that rotates the holding pad. When cleaning the cleaning surface by ejecting fluid, the pad moving mechanism sets a predetermined distance between the cleaning surface of the wafer held by the holding pad and the cleaning surface that covers the cleaning surface, and the pad rotating mechanism ejects fluid from a nozzle located at a position offset in the plane direction of the cleaning surface from the rotation center (C1) of the rotating wafer.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface to be cleaned of an object to be cleaned, and a processing apparatus including the cleaning apparatus. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a grinding apparatus that grinds a wafer held on a chuck table with a grinding wheel. The grinding apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a cleaning apparatus that supplies cleaning water to a ground surface of the wafer after grinding to clean the wafer.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on a wafer carried into and held on a processing table by a carrying-in means. The processing apparatus of Patent Document 2 includes a cleaning apparatus that blows air onto the lower surface of the wafer to clean the wafer while the carrying-in means carries the wafer onto the processing table, and cleans the lower surface of the wafer before placing the wafer on the processing table. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0004] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-200785 [[Patent Document 2]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-039286 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0005] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the wafer and the cleaning apparatus are relatively moved along the surface direction of the wafer, there is a problem that the cleaning time of the wafer by the cleaning apparatus becomes long.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus and a processing apparatus capable of shortening the cleaning time of an object to be cleaned. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0007] A cleaning apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a flat surface to be cleaned, comprising: a cleaning unit having a nozzle that opens to a cleaning surface parallel to the surface to be cleaned and larger than the surface to be cleaned and ejects a fluid; a moving mechanism for moving the cleaning unit closer to and further away from the surface to be cleaned; a holding unit for holding the object to be cleaned; and a rotating mechanism for rotating the cleaning unit and the holding unit relative to each other, wherein the moving mechanism sets a predetermined distance between the surface to be cleaned of the object to be cleaned held by the holding unit and the cleaning surface covering the surface to be cleaned, and ejects the fluid from the nozzle.

[0008] A processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a chuck table that holds a wafer by a holding surface, a processing unit for processing the wafer held on the holding surface, a loading mechanism for loading the wafer into the chuck table, and a loading mechanism for loading the wafer out of the chuck table, wherein the cleaning apparatus has the surface to be cleaned as the surface of the wafer held by the loading mechanism before being held on the chuck table, the surface of the wafer held by the loading mechanism before being held on the chuck table, or the surface of the wafer held on the chuck table opposite to the surface of the wafer held on the chuck table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the cleaning surface of the object to be cleaned can be covered with the cleaning surface of the cleaning unit, and then the cleaning unit and the object to be cleaned can be rotated relative to each other while spraying fluid from the nozzle to clean the surface. With this cleaning method, the surface to be cleaned can be cleaned without the cleaning unit and the object to be cleaned moving relative to each other in the surface direction of the surface to be cleaned, so the cleaning time can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the grinding apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the first cleaning apparatus, including the loading mechanism for the grinding apparatus. [Figure 3]This is a partial cross-sectional view of the second cleaning apparatus, including the chuck table of the grinding apparatus. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a plan view of the first washing table, and Figure 4B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first washing table. [Figure 5] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the cleaning device in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the cleaning device in the third embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7A is a plan view of the modified first washing table, and Figure 7B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modified first washing table. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The grinding apparatus to which the cleaning device according to the embodiment is applied will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the grinding apparatus according to the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown below and can be modified as appropriate.

[0012] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the grinding apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. First, the overall configuration of the grinding apparatus 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions shown in Figure 1 are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis and Y-axis directions are approximately horizontal, and the Z-axis direction is vertical. In addition, in the following figures, the front side in the X-axis direction may be referred to as the +X side and the rear side as the -X side, the right side in the Y-axis direction as the +Y side and the left side as the -Y side, and the upper side in the Z-axis direction as the +Z side and the lower side as the -Z side.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the grinding apparatus 1 is an example of a processing apparatus equipped with a plurality of cleaning devices 35, 59, 75, and 82, which will be described later, and is an apparatus for grinding a wafer 200. Note that the present invention is not limited to the grinding apparatus 1, but can also be applied to other processing apparatuses equipped with various tables, processing units, transport mechanisms, etc. The grinding apparatus 1 is configured to perform a series of processes on the wafer 200, including loading, grinding, cleaning, and unloading.

[0014] The wafer 200 is an example of a work formed in a circular plate shape, wherein a front surface 202 (lower surface in FIG. 1), which is one surface in the thickness direction, and a back surface 201 (upper surface in FIG. 1), which is the other surface in the thickness direction, are formed flat. Examples of the wafer 200 to be ground include disk-shaped semiconductor wafers and optical device wafers using silicon, sapphire, gallium, or the like as a base material.

[0015] A protective tape 204 is adhered to and protects the front surface 202 of the wafer 200. In the present embodiment, the integrated wafer 200 and protective tape 204 serve as an object to be cleaned that is cleaned by each of the cleaning devices 35, 59, 75, and 82 described later. The wafer 200 and the protective tape 204 are provided in the same planar shape and are integrated in a state where their respective outer peripheral positions are aligned. In the present embodiment, the lower surface (front surface) of the protective tape 204 serves as a flat surface to be cleaned 205 that is cleaned by each of the cleaning devices 35, 59, 75, and 82. Therefore, hereinafter, the lower surface of the protective tape 204 may be referred to as "the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200".

[0016] In the grinding apparatus 1, the wafers 200 stored in cassettes 12 and 13 on a first apparatus base 11 are conveyed by a robot 14 to a temporary placement mechanism 16 and aligned. Thereafter, the wafer 200 temporarily placed on the temporary placement mechanism 16 is held and conveyed by a carry-in mechanism 20. The temporary placement mechanism 16 includes a temporary placement table 16a having on its upper surface a temporary placement surface 16b for temporarily placing the surface to be cleaned 205 (front surface 202 side) of the wafer 200.

[0017] The carry-in mechanism 20 includes a holding pad 21 that holds the wafer 200 with the protective tape 204 adhered thereto, and a pad moving mechanism 22 that moves the holding pad 21.

[0018] The holding pad 21 has a suction holding surface 23 (see FIG. 2). More specifically, on the lower surface of the holding pad 21, the suction holding surface 23 that sucks and holds the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 by a porous material or the like is formed, and the suction holding surface 23 is connected to a suction source (not shown). The back surface 201 side, which becomes the top surface of the wafer 200, is suction-held by the suction holding surface 23 of the holding pad 21.

[0019] The pad moving mechanism 22 includes a horizontally extending transfer arm 25, and a support shaft 26 that protrudes upward from the first apparatus base 11 and is connected to the base of the transfer arm 25. The pad moving mechanism 22 rotates the support shaft 26 around the Z-axis via a motor or the like, and causes the transfer arm 25 and the holding pad 21 to pivot in the horizontal direction. Further, the pad moving mechanism 2 drives the support shaft 26 in the Z-axis direction via a linear motion mechanism such as a cylinder, thereby causing the transfer arm 25 and the holding pad 21 to move up and down.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first cleaning apparatus 35 including the carry-in mechanism 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip end of the transfer arm 25 is connected to the central portion of the upper surface of the holding pad 21 via a pad rotation mechanism 28. The pad rotation mechanism 28 includes a rotation shaft 30 extending in the Z-axis direction from the upper surface of the holding pad 21, a motor 31 that rotates the rotation shaft 30 around the Z-axis, and a bearing 32 that is provided on the tip end side of the transfer arm 25 and rotatably supports the rotation shaft 30. The pad rotation mechanism 28 rotates the holding pad 21 and the wafer 200 held on the suction holding surface 23 by the driving force of the motor 31. The rotation center C1 of the holding pad 21 in the pad rotation mechanism 28 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, passes through the center of the holding pad 21, and passes through the center of the wafer 200 held on the suction holding surface 23.

[0021] Returning to Figure 1, once the wafer 200 temporarily placed on the temporary placement surface 16b of the temporary placement table 16a of the temporary placement mechanism 16 is held by the holding pad 21 of the transport mechanism 20, it is transported to the first washing table 34, where the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be washed becomes washable. Here, the first washing apparatus 35 is configured including the transport mechanism 20 and the first washing table 34 (washing table). The configuration of the first washing apparatus 35 and the washing method will be described later.

[0022] After cleaning in the first cleaning device 35, the wafer 200 is loaded onto the chuck table 37 provided on the second device base 18 by the loading mechanism 20, while the holding pad 21 maintains the wafer 200's position, and is held on its holding surface 38.

[0023] The chuck table 37 has an upper surface formed as a holding surface 38. The holding surface 38 is formed by the upper surface of a disc-shaped porous plate 39 and the upper surface of a frame 40 (see Figure 3) that supports the porous plate 39. The porous plate 39 is made of a porous material such as ceramics, and fine pores are formed throughout it. A suction source 91 (see Figure 3) is connected to the porous plate 39 including the holding surface 38, and the wafer 200 is held by suction on the holding surface 38 due to the negative pressure from the suction source 91. At this time, the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200, which is the surface 202 side, becomes the holding surface and is held on the holding surface 38.

[0024] A rectangular opening extending in the X-axis direction is formed on the upper surface of the second device base 18. This opening is covered by a bellows-shaped waterproof cover 42 that is movable in the X-axis direction together with the chuck table 37.

[0025] Below the waterproof cover 42, a table moving mechanism 44 is provided for moving the chuck table 37 in the Y-axis direction. The table moving mechanism 44 comprises a pair of guide rails 45 extending in the Y-axis direction and a ball screw 46, and the moving table 47 is supported so as to be movable along the guide rails 45. The ball screw 46 is screwed into a threaded portion (not shown) of the moving table 47, and when the motor 48 operates and rotates the ball screw 46, the moving table 47 moves in the Y-axis direction.

[0026] Furthermore, a table rotation mechanism 50 for rotating the chuck table 37 is provided below the waterproof cover 42. The table rotation mechanism 50 has a table rotation shaft 52 rotatably supported inside a support frame 51 supported on the movable table 47 via a bearing 58 (not shown in Figure 1, see Figure 3). An endless belt 56 is wrapped around a driven pulley 53 provided on the outer surface of the table rotation shaft 52 and a drive pulley 55 rotated by a motor 54.

[0027] When the motor 54 operates and the drive pulley 55 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the driven pulley 53 via the endless belt 56, causing the table rotation shaft 52 to rotate. Above the table rotation shaft 52 is a table base 57 (not shown in Figure 1, see Figure 3) on which the chuck table 37 is mounted, and the table base 57 and the chuck table 37 rotate together with the table rotation shaft 52. The rotation center C2 of the chuck table 37 (see Figure 3) is parallel to the Z-axis direction and passes through the center of the chuck table 37.

[0028] Here, the second cleaning device 59 is configured including the loading mechanism 20, the chuck table 37, and the table rotation mechanism 50. In the second cleaning device 59, the chuck table 37 functions as the second cleaning table (cleaning table). The configuration and cleaning method of the second cleaning device 59 will be described later.

[0029] The wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 and the holding surface 38 is moved in the +Y axis direction by the table moving mechanism 44. The wafer 200 held on the holding surface 38 is then ground by a grinding unit 60 (processing unit) which is raised and lowered by a grinding feed mechanism 64 provided on the column 19 of the second apparatus base 18.

[0030] The grinding unit 60 is mounted on the grinding feed mechanism 64 via a holder 61. The grinding unit 60 includes a spindle motor 62 located within the holder 61 and a spindle 63 that rotates with the Z-axis direction as its central axis due to the driving force of the spindle motor 62. The spindle 63 rotates about its axis in the Z-axis direction due to the driving force of the spindle motor 62.

[0031] A mount 65 is connected to the lower end of the spindle 63, and a grinding wheel 66 is mounted on the mount 65. Multiple grinding wheels 67 are arranged in an annular pattern on the lower surface of the grinding wheel 66.

[0032] In the grinding process of the wafer 200 using the grinding unit 60, the table rotation mechanism 50 rotates the chuck table 37 and the wafer 200 held on the holding surface 38 around the center of the holding surface 38. At the same time, the grinding wheel 66 is rotated by the driving force of the spindle motor 62, and the grinding feed mechanism 64 lowers the grinding unit 60 so that the grinding wheel 67 comes into contact with the back surface 201 of the wafer 200. As a result, the back surface 201 is ground while the rotating grinding wheel 67 presses against the wafer 200.

[0033] During the grinding process of the wafer 200, the thickness of the wafer 200 is measured by a thickness measuring instrument 69 provided on the base 18 of the second apparatus.

[0034] The wafer 200, which has been ground, is held in the chuck table 37 and then removed (transported) from the chuck table 37 by the removal mechanism 71. The loading mechanism 20 and the removal mechanism 71 have similar configurations, and components common to both the loading mechanism 20 and the removal mechanism 71 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0035] When the wafer 200 on the chuck table 37 is held by the holding pad 21 of the unloading mechanism 71, it is transported to the third cleaning table 74 (cleaning table), and the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned becomes available for cleaning. Here, the third cleaning apparatus 75 is formed by including the unloading mechanism 71 and the third cleaning table 74. The configuration of the third cleaning apparatus 75 and the cleaning method will be described later.

[0036] After cleaning in the third cleaning device 75, the wafer 200 is carried to the spin cleaning device 77 while maintaining its hold on the holding pad 21 of the unloading mechanism 71.

[0037] The spin cleaning mechanism 77 includes a spinner table 78 and a nozzle 80 that sprays cleaning water and drying air toward the spinner table 78. The upper surface of the spinner table 78 is formed as a spinner holding surface 79. The spinner holding surface 79 is provided to hold the surface 205 (surface 202 side) of the wafer 200 to be cleaned by suction, similar to the holding surface 38 of the chuck table 37.

[0038] In the spin cleaning mechanism 77, the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21 of the discharge mechanism 71 is received by the spinner table 78, and the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned is held by the spinner holding surface 79 through suction. Then, while the wafer 200 held by the spinner table 78 and the spinner holding surface 79 is rotated around the center of the spinner holding surface 79 as an axis, cleaning water is sprayed onto the wafer 200 from the nozzle 80. After the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 is cleaned with cleaning water, drying air is blown from the nozzle 80 to dry the back surface 201 of the wafer 200. The cleaned and dried wafer 200 is transported to cassettes 12 and 13 by the robot 14.

[0039] Here, the spinner table 78 is rotatably mounted by a spinner table rotation mechanism (not shown) configured similarly to the table rotation mechanism 50 described above. The fourth cleaning device 82 is configured including this spinner table rotation mechanism, the spinner table 78, and the discharge mechanism 71. In the fourth cleaning device 82, the spinner table 78 functions as the fourth cleaning table. The configuration and cleaning method of the fourth cleaning device 82 will be described later.

[0040] Each part of the grinding apparatus 1 is controlled by the control unit 84. The control unit 84 consists of a processor that performs various processes and a memory that records programs and temporary data. Although only the connection relationships between the control unit 84 and some of its components are shown, the control unit 84 is also connected to other parts of the apparatus not shown in the diagram, enabling it to send and receive signals.

[0041] The control unit 84 controls the grinding operation of the wafer 200 by the grinding unit 60, etc., as well as the cleaning operation of the surface 205 of the wafer 200 by the cleaning devices 35, 59, 75, and 82, according to the control program stored in memory.

[0042] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the second cleaning apparatus 59, including the chuck table 37. As shown in Figure 3, a rotary joint 86 is provided at the lower end of the table rotation axis 52, and a communication passage 87 is formed between the rotary joint 86, the inside of the table rotation axis 52, and the inside of the frame 40. The communication passage 87 is connected to a suction pipe 89 via the rotary joint 86. The suction pipe 89 is connected to a suction source 91 via a valve 90. When the valve 90 is opened and the suction source 91 is activated, the air in the bubbles of the porous plate 39 on the chuck table 37 is sucked out, and a suction force acts on the holding surface 38 to hold the wafer 200 by suction.

[0043] Furthermore, the communication passage 87 is connected to an air supply source 93 via a valve 92 and to a water supply source 95 via a valve 94. When valve 92 is opened and the air supply source 93 is activated, air supplied via the communication passage 87 is ejected from the holding surface 38. When valve 94 is opened and the water supply source 95 is activated, water supplied via the communication passage 87 is ejected from the holding surface 38. It is also possible to activate the air supply source 93 and the water supply source 95 simultaneously to eject a mixed fluid of air and water from the holding surface 38.

[0044] Next, the first cleaning device 35, the second cleaning device 59, the third cleaning device 75, and the fourth cleaning device 82 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0045] Returning to Figure 2, the first cleaning device 35 includes a first cleaning table 34 which constitutes the cleaning section. The first cleaning device 35 also includes a part of the loading mechanism 20 and comprises a holding pad 21 which constitutes the holding section, a pad moving mechanism 22 which constitutes the moving mechanism, and a pad rotating mechanism 28 which constitutes the rotating mechanism.

[0046] The first washing table 34 has an upper surface formed as a washing surface 101. The washing surface 101 is formed to be parallel and flat in the horizontal direction and is parallel to the surface 205 of the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21.

[0047] Figure 4A is a plan view of the first cleaning table 34, and Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of the first cleaning table 34. As shown in Figure 4A, the cleaning surface 101 is circular in shape with a diameter larger than that of the wafer 200, and has a larger area than the cleaning surface 205 of the wafer 200. The first cleaning table 34 has a nozzle 102 that opens onto the cleaning surface 101, and the positions of the nozzle 102 and the cleaning surface 101 in the Z-axis direction are the same. The nozzle 102 is formed in an annular shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4A), and is located at a position offset from the center of the cleaning surface 101 in the plane direction (horizontal direction) of the cleaning surface 101.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4B, the first cleaning table 34 is equipped with a fluid discharge passage 103 that extends in the Z-axis direction from below the nozzle 102. Fluid discharged from the nozzle 102 flows through the fluid discharge passage 103. The upper end (downstream end) of the fluid discharge passage 103 is positioned below the cleaning surface 101 (nozzle 102), and a guide section 105, which is an inclined flow path, is formed between the upper end of the fluid discharge passage 103 and the nozzle 102. In the vertical cross-sectional view of Figure 4B, the guide section 105 extends in an inclined direction, widening from the upper end of the fluid discharge passage 103 toward the nozzle 102. Therefore, as the fluid flows from the fluid discharge passage 103 through the guide section 105 to the nozzle 102, the fluid discharged from the nozzle 102 is guided by the guide section 105 so that it flows along the cleaning surface 101.

[0049] Returning to Figure 2, the first cleaning device 35 includes an air passage 107 and a water passage 108 that communicate with a fluid discharge passage 103 formed in the first cleaning table 34. The first cleaning device 35 further includes an air supply source 109 connected to the air passage 107, an air valve 110 for opening and closing the air passage 107, a water supply source 112 connected to the water passage 108, and a water valve 113 for opening and closing the water passage 108. The air valve 110 and the water valve 113 can be exemplified by a configuration combining a flow control valve and an on / off control valve.

[0050] The nozzle 102 and the air supply source 109 are connected via the fluid discharge passage 103 and the air communication passage 107. Furthermore, the supply of air from the air supply source 109 to the nozzle 102 can be switched on and off by opening and closing the air valve 110, and the amount of air supplied from the nozzle 102 can be adjusted.

[0051] The nozzle 102 and the water supply source 112 are connected via the fluid discharge passage 103 and the water connection passage 108. Furthermore, the start and stop of the water supply from the water supply source 112 to the nozzle 102 can be switched on and off by opening and closing the water valve 113, and the amount of water discharged from the nozzle 102 can be adjusted.

[0052] The air valve 110 and the water valve 113 are controlled to open and close by the control unit 84. Therefore, by controlling the control unit 84 to open the air valve 110 and close the water valve 113, air is ejected from the nozzle 102, and by controlling the control unit 84 to close the air valve 110 and open the water valve 113, water is ejected from the nozzle 102. Furthermore, by controlling the control unit 84 to open the air valve 110 and the water valve 113 respectively, a mixture of water and air is ejected, and by controlling the control unit 84 to close the air valve 110 and the water valve 113 respectively, the ejection of water and air is stopped.

[0053] Multiple ultrasonic transducers 115 are provided inside the first cleaning table 34, aligned with the cleaning surface 101. The ultrasonic transducers 115 emit ultrasonic waves when AC power is supplied. The ultrasonic transducers 115 propagate ultrasonic waves into the water (fluid) that is ejected from the nozzle 102 and flows over the cleaning surface 101. The water on which the ultrasonic waves have propagated flows so as to come into contact with the cleaning surface 205 of the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21, and the cleaning surface 205 is cleaned by the action of the ultrasonic waves.

[0054] Next, a cleaning method using the first cleaning device 35 will be described. In cleaning with the first cleaning device 35, the holding pad 21 that holds the wafer 200 is moved horizontally by the pad moving mechanism 22 and positioned above the first cleaning table 34. At this time, the rotation center C1 of the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200 is aligned with the center of the cleaning surface 101 of the first cleaning table 34. The nozzle 102 formed on the cleaning surface 101 is offset from the center of the cleaning surface 101 in the planar direction (horizontal direction) of the cleaning surface 101, and is therefore positioned offset from the rotation center C1 of the surface to be cleaned 205 in the planar direction of the cleaning surface 101.

[0055] Next, the pad moving mechanism 22 lowers the holding pad 21, bringing the cleaning surface 101 of the first cleaning table 34 closer to the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned. This ensures that the surface 205 is covered from below by the cleaning surface 101 of the first cleaning table 34. Furthermore, the amount of downward movement by the pad moving mechanism 22 is controlled so that a predetermined distance is established between the surface 205 of the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21 and the cleaning surface 101, and a gap S1 of a predetermined vertical width is formed between the surface 205 and the cleaning surface 101.

[0056] Simultaneously with the descent of the retaining pad 21, the pad rotation mechanism 28 rotates the retaining pad 21 around the rotation center C1. This causes the retaining pad 21 and the first cleaning table 34 to rotate relative to each other. In this state, the control unit 84 controls the opening and closing of the air valve 110 and the water valve 113, causing cleaning fluid to be ejected from the nozzle 102.

[0057] For example, the control unit 84 controls the air valve 110 to close and the water valve 113 to open, causing water to be ejected from the nozzle 102 for a predetermined time. Subsequently, the control unit 84 controls the air valve 110 to open and the water valve 113 to close, causing air to be ejected from the nozzle 102 for a predetermined time to dry the surface to be cleaned 205. The fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 flows through the gap S1 between the surface to be cleaned 205 and the cleaning surface 101. In other words, the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200 is cleaned by the fluid such as water, air, or two fluids ejected from the nozzle 102 and flowing through the gap S1. After the wafer 200 is cleaned, the holding pad 21 is raised by the pad moving mechanism 22, and the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200 is separated from the cleaning surface 101 of the first cleaning table 34.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4A, the nozzle 102 is formed in an annular shape, so as indicated by the dashed arrow in the figure, fluid is ejected radially from the nozzle 102 along the cleaning surface 101. Here, as shown in Figure 4B, a series of guide sections 105 are formed below the nozzle 102, so the fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 is guided along the guide sections 105 to flow radially along the cleaning surface 101.

[0059] Furthermore, the fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 is subjected to a force that causes it to rotate around the rotation center C1 by the rotating wafer 200. As a result, the fluid flowing radially through the gap S1 from the nozzle 102 to the outer circumference of the wafer 200 is curved radially due to the rotational force of the wafer 200, thereby lengthening the fluid flow path.

[0060] Here, the rotational force from the wafer 200 ceases to act at the rotation center C1. In this embodiment, since the nozzle 102 is positioned offset from the rotation center C1 of the surface to be cleaned 205, the rotational force of the wafer 200 can be applied to the fluid immediately after it is ejected from the nozzle 102. Also, since the rotation center C1 of the surface to be cleaned 205 is at a predetermined distance from the nozzle 102, the fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 passes through the rotation center C1 due to the momentum of its radial flow.

[0061] In the first cleaning apparatus 35, the wafer 200 can be cleaned before being loaded onto the chuck table 37 by the loading mechanism 20 and before grinding. In this cleaning, the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned is covered with the cleaning surface 101 of the first cleaning table 34, and then fluid is sprayed from the nozzle 102 to flow the fluid into the gap S1 while the wafer 200 is rotated to clean the surface 205. As a result, the surface 205 to be cleaned can be cleaned without moving the wafer 200 in the planar direction relative to the first cleaning table 34, and the cleaning time can be shortened by eliminating the time required for movement compared to conventional apparatuses that clean the wafer 200 by moving it in the planar direction.

[0062] The surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned is the surface to be held by the chuck table 37, and in the first cleaning device 35, the surface to be held (the surface to be cleaned 205) of the wafer 200 is cleaned before it is held by the loading mechanism 20 and then held by the chuck table 37.

[0063] Here, as shown in Figure 2, the first washing device 35 and the third washing device 75 have similar configurations. Furthermore, the third washing table 74 of the third washing device 75 has the same configuration as the first washing table 34, and in Figure 2, components common to the third washing table 74 and the first washing table 34 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, in the third washing device 75, the loading mechanism 20 of the first washing device 35 is replaced with an unloading mechanism 71, and the loading mechanism 20 and the unloading mechanism 71 have the same configuration as described above.

[0064] Therefore, the third cleaning device 75 can clean the ground wafers 200 that have been removed from the chuck table 37 by the discharge mechanism 71 in the same manner as the first cleaning device 35.

[0065] Next, the second cleaning device 59 shown in Figure 3 will be described. The second cleaning device 59 includes a chuck table 37 that functions as a second cleaning table which is the cleaning section, and a table rotation mechanism 50 which constitutes the rotation mechanism. The second cleaning device 59 is also composed of a part of the loading mechanism 20 and includes a holding pad 21 which constitutes the holding section, and a pad moving mechanism 22 which constitutes the moving mechanism.

[0066] In the second cleaning apparatus 59, the cleaning surface is formed by the holding surface 38 of the chuck table 37. The holding surface 38 is formed to be parallel and flat in the horizontal direction, so that it is parallel to the cleaning surface 205 of the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21. The area of ​​the holding surface 38 is larger than the cleaning surface 205 of the wafer 200.

[0067] The chuck table 37 has a nozzle 122 that opens onto the holding surface 38, and the Z-axis position of the nozzle 122 and the holding surface 38 are the same. The nozzle 122 is formed in an annular shape, similar to the nozzle 102 of the first washing table 34 shown in Figure 4A, and is positioned offset from the rotation center C2 of the chuck table 37 in the planar direction (horizontal direction) of the holding surface 38. Although not shown, a guide section similar to the guide section 105 shown in Figure 4B is formed below the nozzle 122 to guide the fluid ejected from the nozzle 122 so that it flows along the holding surface 38.

[0068] The porous plate 39 of the chuck table 37 is provided with a fluid ejection passage 123 that extends in the Z-axis direction from below the nozzle 122 and through which the fluid ejected from the nozzle 122 flows. The fluid ejection passage 123 is connected to a communication passage 124 that passes through the inside of the frame 40, the inside of the table rotation shaft 52, and the rotary joint 86, and is connected to an air communication passage 107 and a water communication passage 108 at the rotary joint 86.

[0069] In the second cleaning device 59, as in the first cleaning device 35, an air supply source 109, an air valve 110, a water supply source 112, and a water valve 113 are provided in the air passage 107 and the water passage 108. Therefore, by controlling the opening and closing of the air valve 110 and the water valve 113 in the control unit 84, cleaning water, air, and other fluids can be ejected from the nozzle 122.

[0070] During cleaning with the second cleaning device 59, the holding pad 21 that holds the wafer 200 is moved horizontally by the pad moving mechanism 22 and positioned above the chuck table 37. At this time, the center of the surface 205 of the wafer 200 is aligned with the rotation center C2 of the chuck table 37. The nozzle 122 formed on the chuck table 37 is offset from the rotation center C2 in the plane direction (horizontal direction) of the holding surface 38, and is therefore positioned offset from the center of the surface 205 of the wafer in the plane direction of the holding surface 38.

[0071] Next, the pad moving mechanism 22 lowers the holding pad 21, bringing the holding surface 38 of the chuck table 37 closer to the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned. This ensures that the surface 205 is covered from below by the holding surface 38 of the chuck table 37. Furthermore, the amount of downward movement by the pad moving mechanism 22 is controlled so that a predetermined distance is created between the surface 205 of the wafer 200 held by the holding pad 21 and the holding surface 38, and a gap S2 of a predetermined vertical width is formed between the surface 205 and the holding surface 38.

[0072] Simultaneously with the descent of the holding pad 21, the chuck table 37 is rotated around the rotation center C2 by the table rotation mechanism 50. This causes the holding pad 21 and the chuck table 37 to rotate relative to each other. In this state, the control unit 84 controls the opening and closing of the air valve 110 and the water valve 113, causing cleaning fluid to be ejected from the nozzle 122. The fluid ejected from the nozzle 122 flows through the gap S2 between the surface to be cleaned 205 and the holding surface 38. As a result, similar to the cleaning in the first cleaning device 35, the surface to be cleaned 205 of the wafer 200 is cleaned by the fluid such as water, air, or two other fluids ejected from the nozzle 122 and flowing through the gap S2.

[0073] In the second cleaning device 59, the wafer 200 can be cleaned on the chuck table 37 both before and after grinding, or either one of them. Even in the second cleaning device 59, the surface to be cleaned 205 can be cleaned without moving the wafer 200 in the planar direction, and the wafer 200 can be cleaned in a short time. When cleaning the wafer 200 before grinding, cleaning can be performed using both the first cleaning device 35 and the second cleaning device 59, or cleaning can be performed using either the first cleaning device 35 or the second cleaning device 59 selectively.

[0074] Here, the fourth cleaning device 82 has a configuration similar to that of the second cleaning device 59 shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the spinner table 78 of the fourth cleaning device 82 has a configuration similar to that of the chuck table 37 and functions as a cleaning unit. In addition, the loading mechanism 20 of the second cleaning device 59 is replaced with an unloading mechanism 71 in the fourth cleaning device 82, and the loading mechanism 20 and the unloading mechanism 71 have the same configuration as described above. In Figure 3, components common to the second cleaning device 59 and the fourth cleaning device 82 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0075] In the fourth cleaning device 82, the nozzle 122 opens onto the spinner holding surface 79, and the ground wafer 200, which has been discharged from the chuck table 37 by the discharge mechanism 71, can be cleaned in the same manner as in the second cleaning device 59. Therefore, when cleaning the ground wafer 200, cleaning can be performed by selectively using at least one of the second to fourth cleaning devices 59, 75, and 82.

[0076] Furthermore, the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned is the surface to be held by the chuck table 37, and the second to fourth cleaning devices 59, 75, and 82 can clean the surface (surface 205) of the wafer 200 that was held by the unloading mechanism 71 and held by the chuck table 37.

[0077] Next, embodiments of the present invention other than those described above will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals may be used for components that are the same as or equivalent to those described in embodiments described before the embodiment being described, and the description may be omitted or simplified.

[0078] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cleaning apparatus 130 in the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, in the cleaning apparatus 130 in the second embodiment, a nozzle 132 is formed on the holding pad 21, and the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 is used as the surface to be cleaned. In other words, the back surface 201 of the wafer 200, which is the surface to be cleaned, is located on the opposite side from the lower surface of the protective tape 204 attached to the wafer 200, which is the surface to be held on the chuck table 37.

[0079] The cleaning device 130 shown in Figure 5 is composed of a part of the loading mechanism 20 and includes a holding pad 21 that constitutes the cleaning section, a pad rotation mechanism 28 that constitutes the rotation mechanism, and a pad movement mechanism 22 that constitutes the moving mechanism. The cleaning device 130 also includes a chuck table 37 that constitutes the holding section.

[0080] In the cleaning apparatus 130, the cleaning surface is formed by the suction holding surface 23 of the holding pad 21 in the loading mechanism 20. The suction holding surface 23 is parallel to the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37. The area of ​​the suction holding surface 23 is larger than the back surface 201 of the wafer 200.

[0081] The retaining pad 21 has a nozzle 132 that opens onto the suction retaining surface 23. The nozzle 132 is positioned offset from the rotation center C1 of the retaining pad 21 in the planar direction (horizontal direction) of the suction retaining surface 23.

[0082] A rotary joint 134 is provided at the upper end of the motor 31 of the pad rotation mechanism 28, and a communication passage 135 is formed that passes through the rotary joint 134, the inside of the motor 31, and the inside of the retaining pad 21. The communication passage 135 is connected to the nozzle 132 at the retaining pad 21. The communication passage 135 is connected to the air communication passage 107 and the water communication passage 108 at the rotary joint 134.

[0083] In the cleaning device 130, as in the first cleaning device 35, an air supply source 109, an air valve 110, a water supply source 112, and a water valve 113 are provided in the air passage 107 and the water passage 108. Therefore, by controlling the opening and closing of the air valve 110 and the water valve 113 in the control unit 84, cleaning water, air, and other fluids can be ejected from the nozzle 132.

[0084] In the cleaning of the cleaning apparatus 130 in the second embodiment, the holding pad 21 is moved by the pad moving mechanism 22 in the loading mechanism 20 and positioned above the chuck table 37 that holds the wafer 200. At this time, the holding pad 21 is positioned so that the center of the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 roughly coincides with the rotation center C1 of the holding pad 21. The nozzle 132 formed on the holding pad 21 is offset from the rotation center C1 in the plane direction (horizontal direction) of the suction holding surface 23, and is therefore positioned offset from the center of the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 in the plane direction of the suction holding surface 23.

[0085] Next, the pad moving mechanism 22 lowers the holding pad 21, bringing the suction holding surface 23 of the holding pad 21 closer to the back surface 201 of the wafer 200. As a result, the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 is covered from above by the suction holding surface 23 of the holding pad 21. Furthermore, the amount of downward movement by the pad moving mechanism 22 is controlled so that a predetermined distance is created between the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 and the suction holding surface 23, and a gap S3 of a preset vertical width is formed between them.

[0086] Simultaneously with the descent of the holding pad 21, the pad rotation mechanism 28 rotates the holding pad 21 around the rotation center C1. This causes the holding pad 21 and the chuck table 37 to rotate relative to each other. In this state, the control unit 84 controls the opening and closing of the air valve 110 and the water valve 113, causing cleaning fluid to be ejected from the nozzle 132. The fluid ejected from the nozzle 132 flows through the gap S3 between the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 and the suction holding surface 23. As a result, similar to the cleaning in the first cleaning device 35, the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 is cleaned by the fluid such as water, air, or two other fluids ejected from the nozzle 132 and flowing through the gap S3.

[0087] In the cleaning apparatus 130 of the second embodiment, the back surface 201 of the ground wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 can be cleaned in a short time without moving the wafer 200 in the planar direction.

[0088] In the second embodiment, the washing device 130 is configured by the loading mechanism 20, but the washing device 130 may also be configured by the holding pad 21, pad rotation mechanism 28, and pad movement mechanism 22 of the unloading mechanism 71.

[0089] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cleaning device 140 in the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, in the cleaning device 140 in the third embodiment, the rotation mechanism is changed from that of the second embodiment, and the rotation mechanism is configured by a table rotation mechanism 50. In Figure 6, the pad rotation mechanism 28 is omitted compared to the second embodiment, but a pad rotation mechanism 28 may be provided as in the second embodiment.

[0090] In the third embodiment, the cleaning device 140, similar to the second embodiment, has a nozzle 132 that opens onto the suction holding surface 23 on the holding pad 21, and a fluid flowing through a communication passage 135 formed inside the holding pad 21 is ejected from the nozzle 132.

[0091] When cleaning the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 with the cleaning device 140, the holding pad 21 is positioned so that its center roughly coincides with the rotation center C2 of the chuck table 37. The nozzle 132 formed on the holding pad 21 is offset from the center of the holding pad 21 in the plane direction (horizontal direction) of the suction holding surface 23, and is therefore positioned offset from the rotation center C2 of the chuck table 37 in the plane direction of the suction holding surface 23. Furthermore, when cleaning the back surface 201 of the wafer 200, the wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 and the holding surface 38 is rotated around the rotation center C2 by the table rotation mechanism 50, and cleaning fluid is ejected from the nozzle 132.

[0092] In the cleaning apparatus 140 of the third embodiment, the back surface 201 of the ground wafer 200 held on the chuck table 37 can be cleaned in a short time without moving the wafer 200 in the planar direction.

[0093] In the third embodiment, the washing device 140 is configured by the loading mechanism 20, but the washing device 140 may also be configured by the holding pad 21 and pad moving mechanism 22 of the unloading mechanism 71.

[0094] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications. In the embodiments described above, the size, shape, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately modified within the scope that allows the present invention to exert its effects. In addition, the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications as long as it does not deviate from the scope of its objectives.

[0095] For example, the direction in which the fluid is ejected from the nozzles 102, 122, and 132 can be changed in various ways, and one example is the modified configuration shown in Figure 7. Figure 7A is a plan view of the modified first cleaning table 34, and Figure 7B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modified first cleaning table 34. Although the modified configurations in Figures 7A and 7B are illustrated as configurations in which the first cleaning table 34 has been modified, similar modifications can be made to each of the tables that make up the cleaning section as described above.

[0096] In the modified versions shown in Figures 7A and 7B, a vortex-forming unit 150 is provided that causes the fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 to flow onto the cleaning surface 101 while forming a vortex centered on the nozzle 102. The vortex-forming unit 150 comprises a recess 151 formed by indenting the cleaning surface 101 from the annular nozzle 102, and a plurality of openings 152 formed in the recess 151.

[0097] The recess 151 includes a bottom portion 154 that is lower than the cleaning surface 101, an inner guide surface 155 that extends inclined from the bottom portion 154 toward the inner peripheral edge of the annular nozzle 102, and an outer guide surface 156 that extends inclined from the bottom portion 154 toward the outer peripheral edge of the nozzle 102.

[0098] The four openings 152 are formed at equal intervals around the annular nozzle 102. Each opening 152 communicates with a fluid discharge passage 103 that branches at its upper end, and is designed to discharge fluid flowing through the fluid discharge passage 103. The openings 152 are formed on the inner guide surface 153 of the recess 151 and are oriented to discharge fluid tangentially to the inner periphery of the nozzle 102 when viewed from the Z-axis direction.

[0099] The fluid ejected from each opening 152 flows along the bottom 154 and outer guide surface 156 of the recess 151, forming a curved flow along the cleaning surface 101, as shown in Figure 7A. As a result, the fluid ejected from the four openings 152 through the nozzles 102 flows along the cleaning surface 101 in a curved manner, and the fluid ejected from the nozzles 102 forms a vortex centered on the nozzle 102. The bottom 154 and outer guide surface 156 of the recess 151 also function as guides that direct the fluid ejected from the nozzles 102 to the cleaning surface 101.

[0100] According to the modified example in Figure 7, the vortex-forming section 150 can curve the fluid ejected from the nozzle 102 and direct it across the cleaning surface 101, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of the fluid on the surface to be cleaned 205.

[0101] Furthermore, the moving mechanism in each of the above embodiments may be modified to include a mechanism that raises and lowers the chuck table 37 insofar as it moves the cleaning section where the nozzles 102, 122, and 132 are formed closer to and further away from the surface 205 of the wafer 200 to be cleaned.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the nozzles 102, 122, and 132 are formed at positions offset from the rotation centers C1 and C2, but the nozzles 102, 122, and 132 may also be formed at the rotation centers C1 and C2.

[0103] Alternatively, the cleaning apparatus may be configured to include the temporary placement mechanism 16 shown in Figure 1. In such a cleaning apparatus, the temporary placement mechanism 16 forms a nozzle 16c that opens onto the temporary placement surface 16b of the temporary placement table 16a, similar to the nozzles 102, 122, and 132 described above, so that the temporary placement table 16a is configured as the cleaning section and the temporary placement surface 16b as the cleaning surface. The rotation mechanism of this cleaning apparatus can be configured by a temporary placement table rotation mechanism (not shown) that rotates the temporary placement table 16a around the center of the temporary placement surface 16b as an axis. Furthermore, similar to the first cleaning apparatus 35, the holding section is configured by a holding pad 21 and the moving mechanism is configured by a pad moving mechanism 22. While rotating the temporary placement table 16a with the temporary placement table rotation mechanism, fluid can be sprayed from the nozzle 16c to clean the wafers 200 held by the loading mechanism 20. In addition, in a cleaning device that includes a temporary placement mechanism 16, the rotation mechanism may be configured as a pad rotation mechanism 28, and the temporary placement surface 16b, which is the cleaning surface, may be made larger than the surface to be cleaned 205 so as to cover the surface to be cleaned 205.

[0104] Furthermore, while the above-described cleaning devices 35, 59, 75, 82, 130, and 140 explained the cases where the surface to be cleaned 205 is the underside of the protective tape 204 on the surface 202 side of the wafer 200, and where the back surface 201 of the wafer 200 is the surface to be cleaned, the invention is not limited to these cases. On the wafer 200 included in the object to be cleaned, the protective tape 204 does not need to be attached, may be attached only to the back surface 201, or may be attached to both the surface 202 and the back surface 201. Therefore, the surface to be cleaned of the object to be cleaned may be the surface 202 of the wafer 200, or the exposed surface of the protective tape 204 attached to the back surface 201. Moreover, while one side of the wafer 200 in the thickness direction was described as the surface 202 and the other side as the back surface 201, the front and back may be reversed.

[0105] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses grinding apparatus 1 as an example of a processing apparatus, the present invention may also be applied to other processing apparatuses that process the object to be cleaned, such as polishing apparatuses. When the processing apparatus is a polishing apparatus, the processing unit is the polishing mechanism and the processing tool is the polishing pad. The processing apparatus may also be a cutting-edge machining apparatus that turns the upper surface of the object to be cleaned with a cutting tool, or a laser processing apparatus that processes the object to be cleaned by irradiating it with a laser. [Industrial applicability]

[0106] As described above, the present invention has the effect of being able to clean the surface of a wafer without moving it relative to the surface of the wafer in the plane direction, thereby shortening the cleaning time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 1: Grinding equipment (processing equipment) 16a: Temporary storage table (washing section) 16b: Temporary placement surface (cleaning surface) 16c: spout 20: Loading mechanism 21: Retaining pad (cleaning section) 22: Pad movement mechanism (movement mechanism) 23: Suction holding surface (cleaning surface) 28: Pad rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 34: First washing table (washing section) 35: First washing device (washing device) 37: Chuck table (first washing table, washing section) 38: Retaining surface (cleaning surface) 50: Table rotation mechanism (rotation mechanism) 59: Second washing device (washing device) 60: Grinding unit (processing unit) 71: Unloading mechanism 74: Third washing table (washing section) 75: Third cleaning device (cleaning device) 78: Spinner table (cleaning section) 79: Spinner holding surface (cleaning surface) 82: Fourth washing device (washing device) 84: Control Unit 101: Cleaning surface 102: Spout 105: Information department 107: Air passageway 108:Water connection passage 109: Air supply source 110: Air valve 112 :Water supply source 113: Water valve 115: Ultrasonic transducer 122: Spout 130: Washing device 132: spout 140: Washing device 150: Vortex forming part 200: Wafer 201: Reverse side (the other side, the side to be washed) 202: Surface (one side) 205: Surface to be cleaned C1: Center of rotation C2: Center of rotation

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning the flat surface of an object to be cleaned, The device comprises a cleaning unit having a nozzle that is parallel to the surface to be cleaned and opens to a cleaning surface larger than the surface to be cleaned, and ejects a fluid; a moving mechanism that moves the cleaning unit closer to and further away from the surface to be cleaned; a holding unit that holds the object to be cleaned; and a rotating mechanism that rotates the cleaning unit and the holding unit relative to each other. A cleaning device that, by the moving mechanism, maintains a predetermined distance between the surface of the object to be cleaned, which is held in the holding part, and the cleaning surface covering the surface to be cleaned, and sprays the fluid from the nozzle.

2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is positioned at a location offset in the direction of the cleaning surface from the center of rotation of the object to be cleaned, which is rotated by the rotating mechanism.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit includes a guide unit that directs the fluid ejected from the nozzle to the cleaning surface.

4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cleaning unit includes a vortex-forming unit that forms a vortex centered on the center of the nozzle and directs the fluid ejected from the nozzle onto the cleaning surface.

5. A cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: an air passage connecting the nozzle and an air supply source; an air valve for opening and closing the air passage; a water passage connecting the nozzle and a water supply source; a water valve for opening and closing the water passage; and a control unit for opening and closing the air valve and the water valve, respectively.

6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer that transmits ultrasonic waves to the fluid flowing over the cleaning surface.

7. A processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table that holds one side of a wafer with a holding surface; a processing unit for processing the wafer held on the holding surface; a loading mechanism for loading the wafer into the chuck table; and a loading mechanism for unloading the wafer from the chuck table, A processing apparatus comprising a cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one side or the other side of the wafer held on the chuck table is the surface to be cleaned.

8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit is the chuck table, and the nozzle opens to the holding surface of the chuck table.

9. The loading mechanism comprises a holding pad having a suction holding surface that holds the other side of the wafer by suction, and a pad moving mechanism for moving the holding pad. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning section is the holding pad, and the nozzle opens to the suction holding surface of the holding pad.

10. The unloading mechanism comprises a holding pad having a suction holding surface that holds the other side of the wafer by suction, and a pad moving mechanism for moving the holding pad. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning section is the holding pad, and the nozzle opens to the suction holding surface of the holding pad.

11. The system includes a temporary storage table having a temporary storage surface for temporarily placing one side of the wafer, The processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit is the temporary placement table, and the nozzle opens to the temporary placement surface of the temporary placement table.

12. The device comprises a spinner table having a spinner holding surface that holds one side of the wafer by suction, The processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning section is the spinner table, and the nozzle opens to the spinner holding surface of the spinner table.

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