Positioning method, disk-shaped substrate manufacturing method, positioning device, and disk-shaped substrate manufacturing device

Abstract

A positioning method, a manufacturing method for a disk-shaped substrate, a positioning device, and a manufacturing device for a disk-shaped substrate, which are capable of suppressing a decrease in the efficiency of the positioning process, are provided. [Solution] The positioning method involves placing a disk-shaped substrate having an inner circumference and a hole surrounded by the inner circumference on a table, contacting a contact portion inserted into the hole from the table side with the inner circumference, and positioning the disk-shaped substrate in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate before transporting it to a predetermined position on the table of a processing device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a positioning method, a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, a positioning device, and an apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 disclose polishing apparatuses equipped with an unmachined workpiece batch transfer device that transfers each workpiece waiting in an unmachined workpiece waiting section to a polishing section in a batch. In the polishing apparatus of Patent Document 1, a dish-shaped workpiece receiving section receives and positions the unmachined workpieces before the unmachined workpieces are transferred in a batch. In the polishing apparatus of Patent Documents 2 and 3, a loader dish receives and positions the unmachined workpieces before the unmachined workpieces are transferred in a batch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2535089 [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-283457 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2013-103321 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, when a dish-shaped member is used as a positioning portion for a disk-shaped substrate such as a disk-shaped unmachined workpiece, the disk-shaped substrate is positioned by contacting its outer periphery with the positioning portion. Therefore, every time the outer diameter of the disk-shaped substrate changes, the dish-shaped member as the positioning portion must be replaced with one having an inner diameter that matches the outer diameter. As a result, the efficiency of the positioning process for positioning the disk-shaped substrate decreases.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a positioning method, a manufacturing method for a disk-shaped substrate, a positioning device, and a manufacturing device for a disk-shaped substrate, which suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the positioning process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure includes the following aspects. <1> a disk-shaped substrate having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery is placed on a table, and a contact portion inserted into the hole from the table side is brought into contact with the inner periphery, thereby positioning the disk-shaped substrate in a direction along a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate before transporting the disk-shaped substrate to a predetermined position of a processing device; Positioning method. <2> The disk-shaped substrate is positioned in a thickness direction of the substrate. <1> The positioning method according to claim 1. <3> The contact portion is brought into contact with an inner circumference of the disk-shaped substrate at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction. <1> or <2> The positioning method according to claim 1. <4> The disk-shaped substrate having an outer periphery is positioned by a positioning unit including the contact portion in a non-contact state with respect to the outer periphery. <1> ~ <3> 13. The positioning method according to claim 12, <5> a positioning step of placing a plurality of disk-shaped substrates, each having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery, on a table, and positioning each of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates in a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrates by bringing contact portions inserted into the holes from the table side into contact with the inner periphery; a transport step of transporting the positioned disk-shaped substrate to a predetermined position of a processing device while maintaining a relative positional relationship between the plurality of disk-shaped substrates; a processing step of processing the disk-shaped substrate transported to the predetermined position; A method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate comprising the steps of: <6> a base on which a disk-shaped substrate having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery is placed; a contact portion that is provided on the platform so as to be insertable into the hole, the contact portion contacting the inner circumference to position the disk-shaped substrate in a direction along a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate before the disk-shaped substrate is transported to a predetermined position of a processing device; A positioning device comprising: <7> a positioning device including: a table on which a plurality of disk-shaped substrates, each having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery, are placed; and a contact portion provided on the table so as to be insertable into the hole, the contact portion contacting the inner periphery to position each of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates in a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate; a processing device for processing the disk-shaped substrate; a conveying device that conveys the plurality of disk-shaped substrates to a predetermined position of the processing device while maintaining a relative positional relationship between the disk-shaped substrates; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a positioning method, a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing method, a positioning device, and a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing device that suppress a decrease in efficiency of the positioning process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a positioning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a positioning portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the positioning portion of the embodiment of the present disclosure, specifically, a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a positioning portion and a transport device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 11 is a side view illustrating a state in which an adsorption portion adsorbs a disk-shaped substrate positioned by a positioning portion in the manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 7]1 is a side view showing a state in which a transport device transports a disk-shaped substrate from a positioning unit to a stage of a processing device in a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a transport device transports a disk-shaped substrate to a stage of a processing device in a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a processing device processes a disk-shaped substrate in a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following embodiments, components are not essential unless specifically stated. When an embodiment is described with reference to the drawings in this disclosure, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Also, the size of the components in each drawing is conceptual. Therefore, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down dimensional ratios of each component, and the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down dimensional ratios between each component are not limited to the illustrated dimensional ratios. Also, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down dimensional ratios of each component may differ from the actual ones. In addition, unless otherwise specified in this disclosure, the number of each component of the present disclosure is not limited to one, and may be more than one. In the following description of the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] <Manufacturing equipment 90> Hereinafter, as an example of the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure, a manufacturing apparatus 90 will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to the manufacturing apparatus 90.

[0011] The manufacturing apparatus 90 is an apparatus that processes the disk-shaped substrate 100 to manufacture the disk-shaped substrate 200. In other words, the disk-shaped substrate 200 is a processed disk-shaped substrate obtained by processing the disk-shaped substrate 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the manufacturing apparatus 90 includes a positioning device 10, a transport device 30, and a processing device 40. The disk-shaped substrate 100, each part of the manufacturing apparatus 90, and modified examples of the manufacturing apparatus 90 will be described below.

[0012] <Disc-shaped substrate 100> The disk-shaped substrate 100 is a substrate formed in a disk shape as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Specifically, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is formed in an annular shape having an inner circumference 100A, an outer circumference 100B, and a hole 100C surrounded by the inner circumference 100A in a plan view. The plan view here refers to a case where the disk-shaped substrate 100 is viewed from one side in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The disk-shaped substrate 100 is a substrate before processing by a processing device 40 described later.

[0013] Furthermore, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is formed in a plate shape having one surface 100J and the other surface 100K. Hereinafter, the one surface 100J is referred to as the first surface 100J. Hereinafter, the other surface 100K is referred to as the second surface 100K. Note that the boundary portion between the first surface 100J and the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 and the boundary portion between the second surface 100K and the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 may be understood as a part of the inner circumference 100A. Also, the boundary portion between the first surface 100J and the outer circumference 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100 and the boundary portion between the second surface 100K and the outer circumference 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100 may be understood as a part of the outer circumference 100B. Note that the aforementioned boundary portion may also be referred to as a ridge portion.

[0014] The disk-shaped substrate 100 may be, for example, a substrate for a magnetic recording medium. Furthermore, the disk-shaped substrate 100 may be a substrate made of a metal material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy substrate, glass, or the like. Hereinafter, the aluminum substrate, the aluminum alloy substrate, and the glass substrate are collectively referred to as "substrate". Hereinafter, the aluminum substrate and the aluminum alloy substrate are collectively referred to as "aluminum substrate". A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the aluminum substrate. Furthermore, the disk-shaped substrate 100 to be positioned by the positioning device 10 may be, for example, a plurality of types of disk-shaped substrates 100 having the same inner diameter and different outer diameters.

[0015] The uses, materials, types, and the like of the disk-shaped substrate 100 are not limited to those described above, and various disk-shaped substrates can be used as the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0016] <Positioning device 10> The positioning device 10 is an example of a positioning device of the present disclosure. The positioning device 10 is a device that positions a disk-shaped substrate 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the positioning device 10 includes, for example, a plurality of positioning units 12 and a support 14.

[0017] 1, the support 14 has a function of supporting the positioning portion 12. The support 14 is formed in a disk shape. Specifically, the support 14 is formed in a substantially circular shape having an outer periphery 14B in a plan view. The plan view here refers to the case where the support 14 is viewed from one side in the thickness direction of the support 14.

[0018] 2 and 3, each of the positioning portions 12 contacts the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 and positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 can also be referred to as a direction along the first surface 100J or the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, for example, five of the positioning portions 12 are provided on the upper surface of the support body 14. Each of the positioning portions 12 has, for example, a base 20, a plurality of contact portions 21, a plurality of spaces 22, and a support portion 23, as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3. In Fig. 1, each portion of one of the positioning portions 12 is assigned a reference symbol.

[0020] A disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed on the upper surface of the base 20 as shown in Fig. 3. The base 20 is formed, for example, in a disk shape as shown in Fig. 1. Specifically, the base 20 is formed in a circular shape having an outer periphery 20B in a plan view as shown in Fig. 2. The plan view here refers to the case where the base 20 is viewed from one side in the thickness direction of the base 20. Note that the base 20 can be interchangeably loaded with disk-shaped substrates 100 having different outer diameters.

[0021] The base 20 has a smaller diameter than the disk-shaped substrate 100. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed on the base 20, the disk-shaped substrate 100 protrudes beyond an outer periphery 20B of the base 20 toward the outer periphery of the base 20.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each of the contact portions 21 is provided so as to be insertable into a hole 100C of the disk-shaped substrate 100 from the base 20 side. Each of the contact portions 21 is inserted into the hole 100C and contacts the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The contact portions 21 are provided, for example, on the upper surface of the base 20, in the center of the base 20 in a plan view. Furthermore, the contact portions 21 protrude upward from the base 20. The contact portions 21 are inserted into the hole 100C of the disk-shaped substrate 100 placed on the base 20. The tip of the contact portion 21 passes from the second surface 100K side to the first surface 100J side.

[0023] The multiple contact portions 21 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the base 20. Therefore, in the positioning portion 12, the multiple contact portions 21 come into contact with the inner circumference of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at multiple positions in the circumferential direction, and position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0024] Specifically, three of the contact portions 21 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the base 20. Therefore, the contact portions 21 come into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at three positions in the circumferential direction. Note that the contact portions 21 are arranged, for example, at equal angular intervals.

[0025] As described above, in the positioning unit 12, the contact portions 21 come into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100, thereby positioning the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In other words, in the positioning unit 12, the contact portions 21 come into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100, thereby restricting the movement of the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in, for example, two different directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Specifically, the two different directions are two perpendicular directions. The two different directions can be understood as, for example, the Y direction and the X direction in FIG. 2. Note that the contact unit 21 may be fixed to the base 20 or may be movable, as long as it can contact the inner circumference 100A and position the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0026] Each of the plurality of contact portions 21 has an outer peripheral surface 21B formed in an arc shape along the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100, for example. In the contact portion 21, the outer peripheral surface 21B contacts a part of the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the circumferential direction. The outer peripheral surface 21B has a predetermined outer diameter. Specifically, the predetermined outer diameter is an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0027] In the positioning unit 12, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed on the base 20, thereby positioning the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. As described above, the positioning unit 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the radial and thickness directions of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0028] The positioning portion 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 without contacting the outer periphery 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100. That is, in this embodiment, the positioning portion 12 does not have a portion that contacts the outer periphery 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Incidentally, this does not exclude a mode in which a member other than the positioning portion 12, such as an elastic member or a movable member, comes into contact with the outer periphery 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100, provided that the effect of this embodiment is not impaired.

[0029] The space 22 is a space for receiving a holding portion 82 (described later) that holds the disk-shaped substrate 100. The space 22 is disposed between the multiple contact portions 21 along the circumferential direction of the base 20.

[0030] The support portion 23 has a function of supporting the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 placed on the platform 20, as shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the support portion 23 supports the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a position facing a contact position where a suction portion 33 (described later) contacts the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. Hereinafter, the position facing the contact position is referred to as the facing position.

[0031] The facing position can also be said to be a position that overlaps with the contact position in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The facing position only needs to overlap with the contact position at least partially in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0032] The support portion 23 is provided, for example, on the upper surface of the base 20, on the outer periphery of the contact portion 21. The support portion 23 is formed, for example, in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Specifically, for example, an O-ring made of an elastic body that can be elastically deformed, such as rubber, is used as the support portion 23. The support portion 23 is attached coaxially to the base 20 in a state in which it protrudes upward from the upper surface of the base 20 relative to a groove 25 formed in the upper surface of the base 20.

[0033] Here, as described below, a plurality of suction parts 33 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, and contact the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a plurality of contact positions along the circumferential direction. In contrast, the support part 23 supports the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at opposing positions opposite to the plurality of contact positions. In FIG. 2, the contact positions of the suction parts 33 are indicated by the two-dot chain lines indicated by the reference numeral 33.

[0034] 3, for example, the positioning unit 12 supports the disk-shaped substrate 100 arranged above the upper surface of the base 20 only by the support unit 23. That is, a gap is formed between the base 20 and the disk-shaped substrate 100 supported by the support unit 23. The support unit 23 may be regarded as a member constituting a part of the base 20.

[0035] As described above, in the positioning unit 12, the support unit 23 supports the second surface 100K at the opposing position, while the contact unit 21 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In the positioning device 10, the contact unit 21 of each of the positioning units 12 contacts the inner periphery 100A of each of the disk-shaped substrates 100, and positions the disk-shaped substrates 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0036] <Modifications of the positioning device 10> The positioning device 10 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in two orthogonal directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited thereto. The positioning device 10 may, for example, position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in two directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 that intersect at an angle of less than 90 degrees. Furthermore, the positioning device 10 may, for example, position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in one direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. That is, the positioning device 10 may position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in any direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In other words, the positioning device 10 may position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in any direction along the first surface 100J or the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The one direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 is, for example, the X direction or the Y direction shown in FIG. 2.

[0037] In addition, in the positioning device 10, the contact portion 21 contacts the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at three positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited to this. In the positioning device 10, the contact portion 21 may contact the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at four or more positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In addition, in the positioning device 10, the contact portion 21 may contact the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at one or two positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0038] Furthermore, in the positioning device 10, the positioning unit 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the radial direction and thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but this is not limited to this. The positioning unit 12 only needs to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 at least in the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0039] The positioning device 10 includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of positioning units 12. The positioning device 10 only needs to include at least one positioning unit 12, and the number of positioning units 12 is not limited to a plurality.

[0040] 1 illustrates one support 14, the positioning device 10 may include a plurality of supports 14 each provided with one or a plurality of positioning units 12. When the positioning device 10 includes a plurality of supports 14, the positioning device 10 may further include a support that supports the plurality of supports 14.

[0041] Although the positioning device 10 includes a support 14, the positioning device 10 does not necessarily have to include the support 14. In this case, for example, it is possible to use a single positioning unit in which a plurality of positioning parts 12 are integrally formed. In other words, the positioning device 10 may position a plurality of disk-shaped substrates 100 by a single positioning part.

[0042] The positioning portion 12 has, but is not limited to, a base 20, a plurality of contact portions 21, a plurality of spaces 22, and a support portion 23. The positioning portion 12 may be any portion that at least contacts the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 and positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0043] In the positioning device 10, the support portion 23 is formed in a circular ring shape, but is not limited thereto. In the positioning device 10, the support portion 23 may be formed in a frame shape that is, for example, a polygon such as a triangle or a rectangle in a plan view, and support portions 23 of various shapes can be used. In addition, the positioning device 10 may be configured such that a plurality of support portions 23 are arranged at contact positions along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In other words, the support portion 23 is not limited to being continuous along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but may be a plurality of support portions arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0044] The positioning unit 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 while supporting the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at an opposing position opposing a contact position where the suction unit 33 contacts the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited to this. The positioning unit 12 may also position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 while supporting the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a position different from the opposing position.

[0045] <Conveyor device 30> 5, 6, 7, and 8, the transport device 30 is a device that transports the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned by the positioning device 10 to a predetermined position of the processing device 40. Specifically, the transport device 30 transports the disk-shaped substrate 100 to the predetermined position, which is the destination, in a state in which a part of the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100 is adsorbed by an adsorption unit 33 described below.

[0046] In this embodiment, the transport device 30 transports the disk-shaped substrates 100 to the predetermined position while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the disk-shaped substrates 100 by moving the disk-shaped substrates 100 while holding the disk-shaped substrates 100. Specifically, the transport device 30 has, for example, a holding unit 32 and a moving mechanism 34.

[0047] The holding unit 32 holds the disk-shaped substrate 100. Specifically, the holding unit 32 has, for example, an adsorption unit 33, and holds the disk-shaped substrate 100 by adsorbing the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100 with the adsorption unit 33. For example, a suction cup can be used as the adsorption unit 33. Note that the adsorption unit 33 may be one that adsorbs by suction, or another adsorption unit may be used.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of suction units 33 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, and come into contact with the first surface 100J of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a plurality of contact positions along the circumferential direction. In Fig. 2, as described above, the contact positions of the suction units 33 are indicated by the two-dot chain lines indicated by the reference numeral 33. The transport device 30 transports one disk-shaped substrate 100 while the disk-shaped substrate 100 is held by the plurality of suction units 33. For example, three suction units 33 are provided.

[0049] The moving mechanism 34 is a mechanism for moving the holder 32. The moving mechanism 34 transports the disk-shaped substrate 100 by moving the holder 32 holding the disk-shaped substrate 100. For example, a three-axis robot capable of moving in the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions can be used as the moving mechanism 34. Note that the moving mechanism 34 is not limited to a three-axis robot, and any mechanism capable of moving the holder 32 can be used.

[0050] In the transport device 30, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding unit 32 holds the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned by the positioning device 10 by contacting the suction unit 33 with the disk-shaped substrate 100 and suctioning it. Next, in the transport device 30, while the holding unit 32 holds the disk-shaped substrate 100, the moving mechanism 34 moves the holding unit 32 in a predetermined moving direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, to transport the disk-shaped substrate 100 to a predetermined position on the platform 42 of the processing device 40. The moving direction is, for example, the direction of arrow A and the direction of arrow B in FIG. 7. Then, in the transport device 30, the suction by the holding unit 32 is released, so that the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed at a predetermined position on the platform 42 of the processing device 40. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the transport device 30 transports the plurality of disk-shaped substrates 100 to a predetermined position on the platform 42 of the processing device 40 while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the plurality of disk-shaped substrates 100.

[0051] <Modification of the conveying device 30> The transport device 30 transports the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned by the positioning device 10 to a predetermined position on the table 42 of the processing device 40 while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the disk-shaped substrates 100, but is not limited to this. The transport device of the present disclosure may transport the disk-shaped substrates 100 while changing the relative positions of the disk-shaped substrates 100. The transport device of the present disclosure may transport the disk-shaped substrates 100 one by one, for example.

[0052] In the conveying device 30, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is held by the suction unit 33, but is not limited to this. For example, the conveying device of the present disclosure may use a holding unit that holds the disk-shaped substrate 100 by pressing against at least one of the inner circumference 100A and the outer circumference 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0053] <Processing equipment 40> The processing device 40 shown in FIG. 9 is a device that processes the disk-shaped substrate 100 transported onto the platform 42 by the transport device 30. The processing device 40 processes the disk-shaped substrate 100, for example, in a state in which the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed on the platform 42. As shown in FIG. 9, for example, a polishing device including a platform 42 as a lower surface plate and an upper surface plate 44 can be used as the processing device 40. In the polishing device, for example, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is accommodated in each of a plurality of accommodation holes 48 in a plate-shaped carrier 47 arranged between the platform 42 and the upper surface plate 44. Then, for example, the carrier 47, the platform 42, and the upper surface plate 44 rotate, so that the disk-shaped substrate 100 rotates relative to the platform 42 and the upper surface plate 44, and each of the first surface 100J and the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 is polished.

[0054] The relative positional relationship of the multiple accommodating holes 48 in the carrier 47 is the same as the relative positional relationship of the multiple positioning parts 12 in the support 14. The relative positional relationship of the multiple accommodating holes 48 and the relative positional relationship of the multiple positioning parts 12 may be shifted within a range in which the multiple disk-shaped substrates 100 can be accommodated in the accommodating holes 48 while maintaining the relative positional relationship in the positioning parts 12, and is not limited to being completely identical. In this embodiment, for example, the disk-shaped substrates 100 positioned by the multiple positioning parts 12 by the transport device 30 are accommodated in the multiple accommodating holes 48 in the carrier 47 while maintaining the relative positional relationship.

[0055] <Modification of Processing Device 40> The processing apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to a polishing apparatus. For example, the processing apparatus of the present disclosure may be a grinding apparatus that grinds a disk-shaped substrate. Furthermore, the processing apparatus of the present disclosure may be an apparatus that performs other processing on a table, and may be an apparatus that can perform processing on a disk-shaped substrate.

[0056] <Modification of the manufacturing apparatus 90> As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing apparatus 90 may include a conveying device 80 that conveys the disk-shaped substrate 100 to the positioning unit 12 of the positioning device 10. The conveying device 80 has, for example, a plurality of holding units 82 that press against the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a plurality of points to hold the disk-shaped substrate 100. For example, three holding units 82 are provided along the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. In this conveying device 80, the holding units 82 are moved to the platform 20 of the positioning unit 12 while holding the disk-shaped substrate 100, thereby conveying the disk-shaped substrate 100 to the positioning unit 12. At this time, for example, three holding units 82 are positioned in the space 22. As a result, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is positioned above the upper surface of the platform 20 with the three contact units 21 inserted into the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0057] According to the above-mentioned configuration in which the holding portion 82 is pressed against the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at multiple points to hold the disk-shaped substrate 100, it is possible to hold the disk-shaped substrate 100 even if the first surface 100J and the second surface 100K of the disk-shaped substrate 100 are wet.

[0058] The manufacturing apparatus 90 may further include one or more other devices necessary for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrates, such as a storage rack for storing the disk-shaped substrates before or after processing, a cleaning device for cleaning the disk-shaped substrates, a drying device for drying the disk-shaped substrates, and the like.

[0059] <Method of Manufacturing the Disk-Shaped Substrate 200> Hereinafter, an example of the method for producing a disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the method for producing a disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure is not limited to the following example.

[0060] The manufacturing method of this embodiment is a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate 200. The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a first conveying step, a positioning step, a second conveying step, and a processing step. In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the first conveying step, the positioning step, the second conveying step, and the processing step are performed in this order. The manufacturing method of this embodiment can be performed, for example, by using the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus 90. In this case, for example, before performing the first conveying step, the manufacturing apparatus 90 including the positioning device 10, the conveying device 30, and the processing device 40 is prepared.

[0061] <First conveying process> The first conveying step is a step of conveying the disk-shaped substrate 100 to the positioning device 10. In the first conveying step, for example, the disk-shaped substrate 100 accommodated in a housing unit (not shown) is held by a holding unit, and the holding unit is moved to remove the disk-shaped substrate 100 from the housing unit.

[0062] Next, in a first conveying step, the holding part holding the disk-shaped substrate 100 is moved to the positioning device 10, and the disk-shaped substrate 100 is conveyed to the positioning device 10. Next, in the first conveying step, the holding part is lowered toward the positioning part 12, and the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed on the base 20 while inserting the contact part 21 into the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100. The disk-shaped substrate 100 placed on the base 20 is supported by the support part 23, as shown in FIG.

[0063] In the first transport step, transport of the disk-shaped substrates 100 is repeated until the disk-shaped substrates 100 are placed on the tables 20 of all the positioning units 12. Note that in the first transport step, for example, a predetermined number of disk-shaped substrates 100 may be removed from the storage unit and transported to the positioning device 10. The predetermined number is, for example, multiple substrates.

[0064] <Positioning process> The positioning step is a step of bringing the positioning portion 12 into contact with the inner periphery 100A of each of the multiple disk-shaped substrates 100 to position the disk-shaped substrates 100 before transporting them to a predetermined position on the stage 42 of the processing device 40. In the positioning step, the disk-shaped substrate 100 placed on the stage 20 is positioned in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0065] In this way, in the positioning step, since the positioning part 12 is brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100, even if the outer diameter of the disk-shaped substrate 100 to be positioned changes, the disk-shaped substrate 100 can be positioned without replacing the positioning part 12. This prevents a decrease in the efficiency of the positioning process in the positioning step. As a result, a decrease in productivity in the manufacturing method of the disk-shaped substrate 200 is prevented.

[0066] Specifically, in the positioning step, for example, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is positioned in two different directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In other words, in the positioning step of this embodiment, movement of the disk-shaped substrate 100 in two different directions along the radial direction is restricted. This suppresses misalignment of the disk-shaped substrate 100 on the base 20. The two different directions are, for example, two directions that are perpendicular to each other and can be understood as, for example, the Y direction and the X direction in FIG.

[0067] Furthermore, in the positioning step of this embodiment, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is positioned in the thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. This makes it possible to suppress positional deviation of the disk-shaped substrate 100 in the thickness direction.

[0068] In the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning part 12 is brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction. Specifically, in the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning part 12 is brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at three positions in the circumferential direction. This suppresses misalignment of the disk-shaped substrate 100 on the base 20.

[0069] In the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning unit 12 positions the disk-shaped substrate 100 without contacting the outer periphery 100B. This makes it possible to place the disk-shaped substrate 100 on the base 20 even if the outer diameter of the disk-shaped substrate to be positioned changes, and therefore there is no need to replace the positioning unit 12. As a result, a decrease in the efficiency of the positioning process in the positioning step is suppressed. The positioning step of this embodiment can be performed by using the positioning device 10 described above.

[0070] <Modification of the positioning process> In the positioning step of this embodiment, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is positioned in two perpendicular directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited to this. In the positioning step of this embodiment, for example, the disk-shaped substrate 100 may be positioned in two directions along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100 that intersect at an angle of less than 90 degrees. Furthermore, in the positioning step of this embodiment, for example, the disk-shaped substrate 100 may be positioned in one direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0071] In the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning unit 12 is brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at three positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited thereto. In the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning unit 12 may be brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at three or more positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Furthermore, in the positioning step of this embodiment, the positioning unit 12 may be brought into contact with the inner circumference 100A of the disk-shaped substrate 100 at one or two positions in the circumferential direction to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 in a direction along the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0072] In the positioning step of the present embodiment, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is positioned in the radial direction and thickness direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100, but is not limited thereto. In the positioning step, it is sufficient to position the disk-shaped substrate 100 at least in the radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate 100.

[0073] The positioning step of this embodiment can be performed using the positioning device 10 described above, but may also be performed without using the positioning device 10 described above. Furthermore, the positioning step of the present embodiment may be performed as an example of the positioning method of the present disclosure. When the positioning step of the present embodiment is performed as a positioning method, the positioning step of the present embodiment may be performed as a separate step.

[0074] <Second conveying process> The second transport step of this embodiment is a step of transporting the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned in the positioning step to a predetermined position on the platform 42 while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the multiple disk-shaped substrates 100. The second transport step starts transporting the disk-shaped substrate 100 after, for example, preparation for execution of the processing step is completed in the processing device 40. The second transport step of this embodiment can be performed, for example, by using the above-mentioned transport device 30.

[0075] In the second conveying process of this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 6, the holding portion 32 holds the disk-shaped substrate 100 by contacting and adsorbing the suction portion 33 to the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned by the positioning device 10. Next, in the second transport process of this embodiment, while the holding portion 32 holds the disk-shaped substrate 100, the moving mechanism 34 moves the holding portion 32, for example, in a predetermined moving direction, as shown in Figure 7, to transport the disk-shaped substrate 100 to a predetermined position on the table 42 of the processing device 40.

[0076] Then, in the second transport step of this embodiment, the suction by the holder 32 is released, and the disk-shaped substrate 100 is placed at a predetermined position on the stage 42 of the processing device 40. As a result, in the second transport step of this embodiment, the multiple disk-shaped substrates 100 are transported to predetermined positions on the stage 42 of the processing device 40 while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the multiple disk-shaped substrates 100, as shown in FIG.

[0077] <Modification of the second conveying step> In the second transport step of the present embodiment, the disk-shaped substrate 100 positioned by the positioning device 10 is transported to a predetermined position on the stage 42 of the processing device 40 while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the disk-shaped substrates 100, but is not limited to this. In the second transport step of the present disclosure, for example, the disk-shaped substrates 100 may be transported while changing the relative positions of the disk-shaped substrates 100. In addition, in the second transport step of the present disclosure, for example, the disk-shaped substrates 100 may be transported one by one.

[0078] In the second transport step of the present embodiment, the disk-shaped substrate 100 is held by the suction unit 33, but is not limited to this. For example, the second transport step of the present disclosure may use a holding unit that holds the disk-shaped substrate 100 by pressing against at least one of the inner circumference 100A and the outer circumference 100B of the disk-shaped substrate 100. Further, the second conveying step in this embodiment can be performed using the conveying device 30 described above, but may be performed without using the conveying device 30 .

[0079] <Processing process> In the processing step of this embodiment, processing is performed on the disk-shaped substrate 100 transported onto the table 42 in the second transport step. Processing is performed on the disk-shaped substrate 100 transported onto the table 42 while it is placed on the table 42. Examples of the processing include polishing. This processing step can be performed, for example, by using the processing device 40 described above.

[0080] <Modifications of the processing steps> The processing performed in this processing step is not limited to polishing. For example, the processing may be grinding. Furthermore, the processing may be other processing performed on the stage 42, and may be any processing performed on the disk-shaped substrate 100. Moreover, this processing step can be performed using the processing device 40 described above, but may also be performed without using the processing device 40.

[0081] <Modification of manufacturing method> The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may be any method that includes at least a positioning step, a transport step, and a processing step. In the present disclosure, the method for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrate 200 may include one or more other commonly known processes required for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrate 200 depending on the type of the disk-shaped substrate 200.

[0082] For example, in the case of an aluminum substrate, the method for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrate 200 includes the following steps. Blank substrate preparation step: An aluminum alloy ingot is rolled to obtain an aluminum alloy plate having a thickness of about 2 mm or less, and the obtained aluminum alloy plate is punched into a disk shape to prepare an aluminum substrate of the desired dimensions. Cutting step: The inner and outer edges of the prepared aluminum alloy substrate are chamfered and both main surfaces are cut. Grinding process: In order to reduce the surface roughness and waviness of the aluminum alloy substrate after cutting, both main surfaces of the aluminum alloy substrate are ground with a grindstone. Plating process: After grinding, the surface of the aluminum alloy substrate is plated with NiP or other plating in order to impart surface hardness and reduce surface defects. Polishing step: Both main surfaces of the aluminum alloy substrate on which the plating film has been formed are polished. In the case of an aluminum substrate, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment may be carried out, for example, in either the grinding step or the polishing step, or in both steps.

[0083] In the case of a glass substrate, the method for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrate 200 includes, for example, the following steps. Blank substrate preparation process: A glass blank, which is a material for a plate-shaped glass substrate for a magnetic recording medium having a pair of main surfaces, is produced by press molding, and a circular hole is formed in the center of the produced glass blank to make it into an annular shape. Next, a shape processing is performed to obtain a glass substrate having a chamfered surface. The inner and outer peripheral end surfaces of the shaped glass substrate are ground and polished. Grinding process: The main surface of the glass substrate after the edge polishing is ground with fixed abrasive grains. Polishing step: The main surface of the glass substrate after the grinding step is polished with a predetermined abrasive. During the polishing step, the glass substrate may be subjected to a chemical strengthening treatment. In the case of a glass substrate, the manufacturing method according to this embodiment may be carried out, for example, in either the grinding step or the polishing step, or in both steps. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10 Positioning device 12 Positioning section 20 units 21 Contact part 30 Transport device 40 Processing equipment 42 units 90 Manufacturing equipment 100 Disc-shaped substrate 100A Inner Circumference 100B Outer circumference 100C hole 200 Disc-shaped substrate

Claims

1. a disk-shaped substrate having an inner circumference and a hole surrounded by the inner circumference, a plurality of holding parts are pressed against the inner circumference to hold and transport the disk-shaped substrate, the disk-shaped substrate is placed on a table, and contact parts inserted into the holes from the table side are brought into contact with the inner circumference, thereby positioning the disk-shaped substrate in a direction along a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate before transporting the disk-shaped substrate to a predetermined position of a processing device; Positioning method.

2. The disk-shaped substrate is positioned in a thickness direction of the substrate. The positioning method according to claim 1 .

3. The contact portion is brought into contact with an inner circumference of the disk-shaped substrate at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction. The positioning method according to claim 1 .

4. The disk-shaped substrate having an outer periphery is positioned by a positioning unit including the contact portion in a non-contact state with respect to the outer periphery. The positioning method according to claim 1 .

5. a positioning step of pressing a plurality of holding parts against an inner periphery of a plurality of disk-shaped substrates each having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery to hold the disk-shaped substrate and transporting the disk-shaped substrate while holding the disk-shaped substrate, placing the disk-shaped substrate on a table, and bringing contact parts inserted into the holes from the table side into contact with the inner periphery to position each of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates in a direction along a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate; a transport step of transporting the positioned disk-shaped substrate to a predetermined position of a processing device while maintaining a relative positional relationship between the plurality of disk-shaped substrates; a processing step of processing the disk-shaped substrate transported to the predetermined position; A method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate comprising the steps of:

6. a stage on which the disk-shaped substrate is placed, the disk-shaped substrate having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery is transported in a state in which the disk-shaped substrate is held by pressing a plurality of holding parts against the inner periphery of the disk-shaped substrate; a contact portion that is provided on the platform so as to be insertable into the hole, the contact portion contacting the inner circumference to position the disk-shaped substrate in a direction along a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate before the disk-shaped substrate is transported to a predetermined position of a processing device; A positioning device comprising:

7. a positioning device including: a table on which a plurality of disk-shaped substrates, each having an inner periphery and a hole surrounded by the inner periphery, are placed; and a contact portion provided on the table so as to be insertable into the hole, the contact portion contacting the inner periphery to position each of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates in a radial direction of the disk-shaped substrate; a first conveying device having a plurality of holding parts that hold the disk-shaped substrate by pressing them against an inner periphery of the disk-shaped substrate, and conveying the disk-shaped substrate to the table in a state in which the plurality of holding parts hold the disk-shaped substrate; a processing device for processing the disk-shaped substrate; a second transfer device that transfers the plurality of disk-shaped substrates to a predetermined position of the processing device while maintaining a relative positional relationship between the plurality of disk-shaped substrates; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate comprising:

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