Processing device, processing method, and computer storage medium

Abstract

To perform appropriate processing on a substrate before a processing device of a substrate is stopped, after the processing device is stopped during operation and is re-started.SOLUTION: A processing device for processing a substrate includes a holding part for holding the substrate, a grinding part for grinding a processing surface of the substrate held by the holding part, a conveyance part for conveying the substrate to the holding part, a rotary table for moving the holding part between a delivery position of the substrate to the conveyance part and a processing position of the substrate in the grinding part, and a control part for controlling the holding part, the grinding part, the conveyance part and the rotary table. The control part controls the grinding part and the holding part so as to execute initialization of the holding part and initialization of the grinding part, after the processing device is stopped during operation and is re-started, and to execute initialization of the grinding part and initialization of the holding part in this order, in the initialization of the holding part and the grinding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing apparatus, a processing method, and a computer storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of operating a grinding device that grinds the back surface of a wafer. The grinding device has an alignment means for aligning the center of the wafer, a chuck table for suction-holding the wafer, a grinding means for grinding the wafer held on the chuck table, and a cleaning means for cleaning the wafer. In the grinding device, a control means executes an automatic grinding program, and the wafer is moved in the order of the alignment means, the chuck table, and the cleaning means, and each process is performed on the wafer. When the control means receives a signal to stop the automatic grinding program while the automatic grinding program is being executed, the control means judges whether or not the wafer has been ground. If it is judged that the grinding process has been executed, the wafer is moved along the same path as the automatic grinding program and stored in a cassette. On the other hand, if it is judged that the grinding process has not been executed, the wafer is moved along the reverse path of the automatic grinding program and stored in a cassette. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-218472 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure performs appropriate processing on the substrates before the processing device was stopped after the processing device is stopped during operation and then restarted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a processing device for processing a substrate, the processing device having a holding section for holding a substrate, a grinding section for grinding a processed surface of the substrate held by the holding section, a transport section for transporting the substrate to the holding section, a rotary table for moving the holding section between a transfer position of the substrate with respect to the transport section and a processing position of the substrate in the grinding section, and a control section for controlling the holding section, the grinding section, the transport section, and the rotary table, the control section being configured to initialize the holding section and the grinding section after the processing device is stopped during operation and then restarted. and initializing the rotary table. Run The grinding unit, the holding unit, and the rotary table are controlled so that the grinding unit, the holding unit, and the rotary table are initialized in this order. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, after a substrate processing device is stopped during operation and then restarted, it is possible to perform appropriate processing on the substrate that was present before the processing device was stopped. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic outline of a configuration of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the outline of the configuration of the inspection unit. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart showing main steps of processing. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing main steps for preparing a processing operation. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the timing for initializing each unit of the processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of post-restart grinding of a wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] 2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) having a plurality of devices such as electronic circuits formed on its front surface is thinned by grinding the back surface of the wafer.

[0009] Grinding of the back surface of the wafer is performed, for example, by a grinding device disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this grinding device, when the control means receives a signal to stop the automatic grinding program as described above, it determines whether or not grinding has been performed on the wafer, and determines the transport path to the wafer cassette according to the result of the determination.

[0010] In this way, the grinding machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 takes into consideration efficient collection of wafers when a command to stop grinding is issued. However, it does not take into consideration the appropriate handling of wafers remaining after the grinding machine is stopped, between the time when the grinding machine is restarted and normal operation is resumed.

[0011] Therefore, the technology disclosed herein appropriately prepares the processing device for operation after the processing device is stopped and then restarted. Hereinafter, the processing device and processing method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] First, the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic outline of the configuration of the processing apparatus 1.

[0013] In the processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a wafer W serving as a substrate is thinned. The wafer W is a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer. A device (not shown) is formed on a front surface (hereinafter referred to as a non-processing surface Wn) of the wafer W, and a protective material for protecting the device, such as a protective tape (not shown), is attached to the non-processing surface Wn. Then, a predetermined processing process such as grinding is performed on the rear surface (hereinafter referred to as a processing surface Wg) of the wafer W, and the wafer W is thinned.

[0014] 1, the processing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a loading / unloading station 2, where a cassette C capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W is loaded and unloaded between, for example, the outside, and a processing station 3, where a predetermined process is performed on the wafers W, are integrally connected. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction.

[0015] The carry-in / out station 2 is provided with a cassette placement stage 10. In the illustrated example, a plurality of, for example, four cassettes C can be freely placed on the cassette placement stage 10 in a line in the X-axis direction.

[0016] Further, the loading / unloading station 2 is provided with a wafer transport area 20 adjacent to the cassette placement table 10 in the Y-axis positive direction, for example. The wafer transport area 20 is provided with a wafer transport device 22 that is movable on a transport path 21 extending in the X-axis direction. The wafer transport device 22 has a transport fork 23 and a transport pad 24 that hold the wafer W. The transport fork 23 is branched into two at its tip and suction-holds the wafer W. The transport fork 23 transports, for example, the wafer W before grinding. The transport pad 24 has a circular shape with a diameter longer than the diameter of the wafer W in a plan view, and suction-holds the wafer W. The transport pad 24 transports, for example, the wafer W after grinding. The transport fork 23 and the transport pad 24 are each configured to be movable horizontally, vertically, around a horizontal axis, and around a vertical axis.

[0017] In the processing station 3, processing such as grinding and cleaning is continuously performed on the wafer W. The processing station 3 has a rotating table 30, a transfer unit 40 as a transfer section, an alignment unit 50, a first cleaning unit 60, a second cleaning unit 70, a third cleaning unit 80, a rough grinding unit 90 as a grinding section, a medium grinding unit 100 as a grinding section, a finish grinding unit 110 as a grinding section, and an inspection unit 120.

[0018] The rotary table 30 is configured to be freely rotatable by a rotating mechanism (not shown). Four chucks 31 are provided on the rotary table 30 as holding parts for suction-holding the wafer W. The chucks 31 are arranged evenly on the same circumference as the rotary table 30, that is, at 90 degree intervals. The four chucks 31 can be moved to the transfer position A0 and the processing positions A1 to A3 by the rotation of the rotary table 30. For example, a porous chuck (vacuum chuck) is used as the chuck 31, and a suction source 33 for evacuating the wafer W is connected to the chuck 31 via a suction pipe 32 as shown in FIG. 2. The chuck 31 is held by a chuck base (not shown) and configured to be rotatable by a rotating mechanism (not shown).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the transfer position A0 is a position on the X-axis positive side and the Y-axis negative side of the rotary table 30, and the third cleaning unit 80 is arranged therein. On the Y-axis negative side of the transfer position A0, the second cleaning unit 70, the alignment unit 50, and the first cleaning unit 60 are arranged side by side. The alignment unit 50 and the first cleaning unit 60 are arranged stacked in this order from above. The first processing position A1 is a position on the X-axis positive side and the Y-axis positive side of the rotary table 30, and the rough grinding unit 90 is arranged therein. The second processing position A2 is a position on the X-axis negative side and the Y-axis positive side of the rotary table 30, and the medium grinding unit 100 is arranged therein. The third processing position A3 is a position on the X-axis negative side and the Y-axis negative side of the rotary table 30, and the finish grinding unit 110 is arranged therein.

[0020] The transfer unit 40 is an articulated robot equipped with multiple, for example, three, arms 41. Each of the three arms 41 is configured to be freely rotatable. A transfer pad 42 that suctions and holds the wafer W is attached to the arm 41 at the tip end. The arm 41 at the base end is attached to an elevating mechanism 43 that raises and lowers the arm 41 in the vertical direction. The transfer unit 40 thus configured can transfer the wafer W to the delivery position A0, the alignment unit 50, the first cleaning unit 60, and the second cleaning unit 70.

[0021] In the alignment unit 50, the horizontal orientation of the wafer W before the grinding process is adjusted. For example, while rotating the wafer W held by a spin chuck (not shown), a detection unit (not shown) detects the position of a notch portion of the wafer W, and adjusts the position of the notch portion to adjust the horizontal orientation of the wafer W.

[0022] In the first cleaning unit 60, the processed surface Wg of the wafer W after the grinding process is cleaned, more specifically, spin-cleaned.

[0023] In the second cleaning unit 70, the non-processing surface Wn of the wafer W after the grinding process while it is held on the transfer pad 42 is cleaned, and the transfer pad 42 is also cleaned.

[0024] In the third cleaning unit 80, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W after the grinding process is cleaned, and the chuck 31 is also cleaned.

[0025] The rough grinding unit 90 roughly grinds the processing surface Wg of the wafer W. The rough grinding unit 90 has a rough grinding section 91 equipped with a ring-shaped rotatable rough grinding wheel (not shown). The rough grinding section 91 is configured to be movable vertically and horizontally along a support 92. Then, with the processing surface Wg of the wafer W held by the chuck 31 in contact with the rough grinding wheel, the chuck 31 and the rough grinding wheel are rotated, and the rough grinding wheel is lowered, thereby roughly grinding the processing surface Wg of the wafer W.

[0026] In the medium grinding unit 100, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is medium ground. The medium grinding unit 100 has a medium grinding section 101 equipped with a ring-shaped rotatable medium grinding wheel (not shown). The medium grinding section 101 is configured to be movable vertically and horizontally along a support 102. The grain size of the abrasive grains of the medium grinding wheel is smaller than that of the rough grinding wheel. Then, with the processing surface Wg of the wafer W held by the chuck 31 in contact with the medium grinding wheel, the chuck 31 and the medium grinding wheel are rotated, and the medium grinding wheel is lowered to medium grind the processing surface Wg.

[0027] The finish grinding unit 110 performs finish grinding on the processed surface Wg of the wafer W. The finish grinding unit 110 has a finish grinding section 111 equipped with a ring-shaped rotatable finish grinding wheel (not shown). The finish grinding section 111 is configured to be movable vertically and horizontally along a support 112. The grain size of the abrasive grains of the finish grinding wheel is smaller than that of the medium grinding wheel. Then, the chuck 31 and the finish grinding wheel are rotated while the processed surface Wg of the wafer W held by the chuck 31 is in contact with the finish grinding wheel, and the finish grinding wheel is lowered to finish grind the processed surface Wg.

[0028] The inspection unit 120 is provided at each of the delivery position A0 and the processing positions A1 to A3. As shown in Fig. 2, the inspection unit 120 has a pressure sensor 121 as a detection section. The pressure sensor 121 is provided in the suction pipe 32 and measures the suction pressure of the suction source 33. The inspection unit 120 can detect the presence or absence of the wafer W based on the suction pressure measured by the pressure sensor 121.

[0029] The inspection unit 120 also has a first height gauge 122 for measuring the height of the processing surface Wg of the wafer W, and a second height gauge 123 for measuring the height of the surface 31a of the chuck 31. The first height gauge 122 includes a sensor 124, and the tip of the sensor 124 abuts against the processing surface Wg of the wafer W to measure the height position of the processing surface Wg. The second height gauge 123 includes a sensor 125, and the tip of the sensor 125 abuts against the surface 31a of the chuck 31 to measure the height position of the surface 31a. The inspection unit 120 can measure the thickness of the wafer W. The configuration of the inspection unit 120 is not limited to this embodiment, and may have any configuration as long as it detects the wafer W. For example, the inspection unit may detect the wafer W using a non-contact sensor.

[0030] 1, the processing apparatus 1 is provided with a control unit 130. The control unit 130 is, for example, a computer, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling the processing of the wafer W in the processing apparatus 1. The program storage unit also stores a program for controlling the operation of the drive systems such as the above-mentioned various processing units and the transport device to realize the processing process described below in the processing apparatus 1. The above program may be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium H and installed in the control unit 130 from the storage medium H.

[0031] Next, a processing process performed by using the processing device 1 configured as above will be described.

[0032] First, a cassette C storing a plurality of wafers W is placed on the cassette placement stage 10 of the carry-in / out station 2. In order to prevent the protective tape from being deformed, the wafers W are stored in the cassette C such that the non-processed surfaces Wn of the wafers W face upward.

[0033] Next, the wafer W in the cassette C is taken out by the transfer fork 23 of the wafer transfer device 22 and transferred to the processing station 3. At this time, the transfer fork 23 turns the wafer W upside down so that the processing surface Wg faces upward.

[0034] The wafer W transferred to the processing station 3 is delivered to the alignment unit 50. Then, in the alignment unit 50, the horizontal orientation of the wafer W is adjusted (step S1 in FIG. 3).

[0035] Next, the wafer W is transported by the transport unit 40 from the alignment unit 50 to the delivery position A0, and is delivered to the chuck 31 at the delivery position A0. Thereafter, the chuck 31 is moved to the first processing position A1. Then, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is roughly ground by the rough grinding unit 90 (step S2 in FIG. 3).

[0036] Next, the chuck 31 is moved to the second processing position A2. Then, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is semi-ground by the semi-grinding unit 100 (Step S3 in FIG. 3).

[0037] Next, the chuck 31 is moved to the third processing position A3. Then, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is finish-ground by the finish grinding unit 110 (Step S4 in FIG. 3).

[0038] Next, the chuck 31 is moved to the delivery position A0. Here, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is roughly cleaned with a cleaning liquid by the third cleaning unit 80 (step S5 in FIG. 3). In this step, cleaning is performed to remove contamination on the processing surface Wg to a certain extent.

[0039] Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 40 from the delivery position A0 to the second cleaning unit 70. Then, in the second cleaning unit 70, the non-processing surface Wn of the wafer W is cleaned and dried while the wafer W is held on the transfer pad 42 (step S6 in FIG. 3).

[0040] Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 40 from the second cleaning unit 70 to the first cleaning unit 60. Then, in the first cleaning unit 60, the processing surface Wg of the wafer W is finish-cleaned with a cleaning liquid (step S7 in FIG. 3). In this step, the processing surface Wg is cleaned and dried to a desired degree of cleanliness.

[0041] Thereafter, the wafer W on which all the processes have been performed is transferred to the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 10 by the transfer pad 24 of the wafer transfer device 22. In this manner, a series of processing steps in the processing apparatus 1 is completed.

[0042] Next, a method of preparing the processing apparatus 1 for operation, from when the processing apparatus 1 is stopped during operation and then when the processing apparatus 1 is restarted until normal operation is performed, will be described.

[0043] First, as described above, when the processing apparatus 1 processes the wafer W, during the processing, an abnormality may occur, for example, in one of the units of the processing apparatus 1. In such a case, the processing apparatus 1 is stopped and shut down (step T1 in FIG. 4).

[0044] In this step T1, the wafer W may remain inside the processing device 1. Therefore, the control unit 130 stores the state of the wafer W when the processing device 1 is shut down, for example, the position of the wafer W and the processing progress state. For example, in the turntable 30, it is detected whether the wafer W is held on the chuck 31 at each of the transfer position A0 and the processing positions A1 to A3, and the state is stored in the control unit 130. In addition, when the wafer W is held on the chuck 31 at the processing positions A1 to A3, the grinding recipe performed on the wafer W is also stored in the control unit 130. This grinding recipe is the one at the time of shutdown of the processing device 1, in other words, the one used before shutdown. Furthermore, when the wafer W is in another unit, for example, the alignment unit 50, the position and processing progress state of the wafer W are also stored in the control unit 130. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the wafer W in the chuck 31 of the turntable 30 may be referred to as the wafer Wa, and the wafer W in the alignment unit 50 may be referred to as the wafer Wb.

[0045] Next, the processing device 1 is restarted (step T2 in FIG. 4).

[0046] Next, each unit in the processing device 1 is initialized (step T3 in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 5, in the processing device 1, initialization is performed sequentially according to the function of each unit. Initialization refers to returning each unit to its origin and making the unit operable. Note that the horizontal axis in FIG. 5 represents time, and the base end (left end) of the arrow of each unit indicates the start timing of initialization, and the tip (right end) indicates the end timing of initialization.

[0047] The initialization of the loading / unloading station 2 will now be described. In this loading / unloading station 2, the initialization of the wafer transport device 22 starts first. Specifically, the horizontal axis of the transport fork 23 and the transport pad 24 is initialized. For example, if the processing device 1 is shut down with the transport fork 23 inserted into the cassette C or the alignment unit 50, the transport fork 23 is removed from the cassette C or the alignment unit 50 and returned to its original position for initialization.

[0048] In the initialization of the wafer transport device 22, when the transport fork 23 and the transport pad 24 are retracted from the cassette C, the initialization of the cassette mounting stage 10 is started next. Specifically, the cassette mounting stage 10 is returned to its original state, for example, by returning a shutter (not shown) provided on the cassette C to its original position.

[0049] Next, the initialization of the processing station 3 will be described. In this processing station 3, first, the initialization of the transfer unit 40 is started together with the start of the initialization of the wafer transfer device 22 described above. Specifically, the horizontal axis of the transfer pad 42 is initialized. For example, if the processing device 1 is shut down with the transfer pad 42 in an accessible unit (e.g., the alignment unit 50), the transfer pad 42 is made to exit from the alignment unit 50 and returned to its original position for initialization.

[0050] In the initialization of the transport unit 40, when the transport pad 42 is retracted from each unit, the initialization of the third cleaning unit 80 and the grinding units 90, 100, 110 is then started. That is, the initialization of each unit provided above the rotary table 30 is performed. Specifically, the third cleaning unit 80 is retracted vertically upward from the cleaning position, and the third cleaning unit 80 itself is initialized. In addition, each of the grinding units 91, 101, 111 is retracted vertically upward from the grinding position, and the grinding units 90, 100, 110 themselves are initialized.

[0051] After the third cleaning unit 80 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111 have all been withdrawn, initialization is then performed on the four chucks 31. Furthermore, after the initialization of the four chucks 31 is completed, initialization is performed on the rotary table 30.

[0052] In addition, in the initialization of the transfer unit 40 described above, when the transfer pad 42 is retracted from each unit, the initialization of the alignment unit 50 and the cleaning units 70 and 80 is started in parallel with the initialization of the third cleaning unit 80 and the grinding units 90, 100, and 110. Note that, since the wafer transfer device 22 and the transfer unit 40 access the alignment unit 50 and the first cleaning unit 60, it is necessary that the transfer fork 23, the transfer pad 24, and the transfer pad 42 are all retracted.

[0053] In parallel with the initialization of each unit of the processing apparatus 1, the wafer Wa on the chuck 31 of the rotary table 30 is detected (step T4 in FIG. 4). Note that the detection of the wafer Wa in step T4 may be performed after the restart in step T2, and may be performed in parallel with the initialization of the processing apparatus 1 in step T3 as in this embodiment, or may be performed during or after the initialization.

[0054] In step T4, at the delivery position A0 and the processing positions A1 to A3, the inspection unit 120 (pressure sensor 121) is used to detect the wafer Wa on the chuck 31. Then, based on the wafer Wa detected by the inspection unit 120 and the state of the wafer Wa stored in the control unit 130 at the time of shutdown of the processing apparatus 1 in step T1, the presence or absence of the wafer Wa on the chuck 31 is confirmed.

[0055] For example, when the control unit 130 stores that a wafer Wa is "present" for one chuck 31 and the inspection unit 120 also detects that a wafer Wa is "present," it is determined that the wafer Wa is held on the chuck 31. Then, post-restart grinding or recovery, which will be described later, is performed on the wafer Wa. Note that in this embodiment, post-restart grinding refers to grinding a wafer Wa remaining in the processing apparatus 1 before shutdown after restart. For example, post-restart grinding includes a case where a wafer Wa that was shut down during grinding is re-ground, and a case where a wafer Wa that was shut down before or after grinding is ground.

[0056] In the control unit 130, the wafer Wa is stored as "present", but if the inspection unit 120 detects that the wafer Wa is "not present", it is checked whether the wafer Wa is actually held on the chuck 31. If the wafer Wa is not on the chuck 31, for example if the operator has already removed the wafer Wa, it is assumed that the wafer Wa is not present and no further processing is performed. On the other hand, if the wafer Wa remains on the chuck 31 for some reason, the grinding units 91, 101, and 111 are retracted vertically, and the operator removes the wafer Wa.

[0057] In the control unit 130, the wafer Wa is stored as "absent," but if the inspection unit 120 detects that the wafer Wa is "present," the operator retrieves the wafer Wa. As described below, post-restart grinding of the wafer Wa is performed based on the grinding recipe that was performed on the wafer Wa before the processing apparatus 1 was shut down, but in the above case, this grinding recipe is not stored in the control unit 130. In this state, if post-restart grinding is performed on the wafer Wa after the processing apparatus 1 is restarted, the wafer Wa may not be ground appropriately. In such a case, there is a risk of damaging the processing apparatus 1, so here, the operator retrieves the wafer Wa.

[0058] The control unit 130 stores that the wafer Wa is "absent," and when the inspection unit 120 also detects that the wafer Wa is "absent," it determines that the wafer Wa is not held on the chuck 31. In this case, when the initialization in step T3 is completed, the chuck 31 becomes available for use.

[0059] As described above, in step T4, the presence or absence of the wafer Wa is detected using both the control unit 130 and the inspection unit 120, so that the detection accuracy can be improved and the subsequent processing can be performed appropriately.

[0060] Next, when it is determined in step T4 that the wafer Wa is held on the chuck 31, it is designated whether to perform post-restart grinding on the wafer Wa or to recover the wafer without performing post-restart grinding (step T5 in FIG. 4). Whether or not the wafer Wa needs to be subjected to post-restart grinding may be designated automatically by the control unit 130 or manually by the operator.

[0061] Then, in step T5, if it is specified that post-restart grinding of the wafer Wa is not required, the wafer Wa is transported to the cassette C and collected. When the wafer Wa is thus collected in the cassette C without post-restart grinding, the thickness of the wafer Wa may vary depending on the state of the wafer Wa. Therefore, in order to stabilize the transportation of the wafer Wa, it is preferable to measure the thickness (height) of the wafer Wa held by the chuck 31 by the inspection unit 120 (height gauges 122, 123). Alternatively, the wafer Wa may be collected by an operator.

[0062] Next, when it is specified in step T5 that post-restart grinding of the wafer Wa is required, it is specified whether or not to warm up the processing apparatus 1 (first preparation process in this disclosure) (step T6 in FIG. 4). Warm-up is performed for each of the processing positions A1 to A3 where post-restart grinding is performed. Hereinafter, this warm-up may be referred to as "single warm-up." Note that whether or not a single warm-up is required may be specified automatically by the control unit 130, or may be specified manually by the operator. Then, when it is specified in step T6 that a single warm-up is not required, the single warm-up is skipped, and post-restart grinding is performed in step T8, which will be described later.

[0063] Next, when it is specified in step T6 that a single warm-up is required, the single warm-up is performed (step T7 in FIG. 4). The single warm-up is performed, for example, by rotating the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111 while flowing water toward the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111, to stabilize the temperatures of the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111. The single warm-up is performed according to a warm-up recipe that specifies, for example, the water flow rate and the rotation speed. By performing the single warm-up in this manner, the temperatures of the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111 can be made constant, and grinding can be stably performed after restart in step T8 described later.

[0064] Next, post-restart grinding of the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is performed (step T8 in FIG. 4). The flow of this post-restart grinding differs depending on the position and state of the wafer Wa. The position of the wafer Wa is the position where the wafer Wa is present, which is either the transfer position A0 or the processing positions A1 to A3. The state of the wafer Wa refers to the final processing progress state of the wafer Wa when the processing apparatus 1 is shut down. Below, the cases are divided into patterns 1 to 7 and explained as shown in FIG. 6.

[0065] In pattern 1, the wafer Wa is at the transfer position A0 and is in an unground state. In pattern 1, rough grinding (step S2) at the first processing position A1, medium grinding (step S3) at the second processing position A2, finish grinding (step S4) at the third processing position A3, and rough cleaning of the processed surface at the transfer position A0 (step S5) are sequentially performed.

[0066] Pattern 2 is a case where the position of the wafer Wa is the first processing position A1, and the state of the wafer Wa is in the middle of rough grinding. Pattern 2 also includes a case where the wafer Wa is not ground at the first processing position A1. In pattern 2, first, a grinding process following rough grinding is performed at the first processing position A1. At this time, the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground based on the processing progress state of the wafer Wa in the grinding recipe and the grinding recipe stored in the control unit 130 when the processing device 1 is shut down in the above-mentioned step T1. For example, the grinding recipe determines a target height for rough grinding of the wafer Wa, and the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground to this target height, and the rough grinding is completed (step S2). Next, intermediate grinding at the second processing position A2 (step S3), finish grinding at the third processing position A3 (step S4), and rough cleaning of the processing surface at the transfer position A0 (step S5) are sequentially performed. Thereafter, the wafer Wa is returned to the first processing position A1, that is, the position of the wafer Wa when the processing apparatus 1 is shut down.

[0067] In pattern 2, after the cleaning of the processed surface at the transfer position A0 is completed, the wafer Wa may be returned to the cassette C as is. However, the wafer Wa that has been ground after the rough grinding is stopped once and restarted is not subjected to normal grinding, and the quality cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, it is preferable to return the wafer Wa to the position (first processing position A1) where the processing apparatus 1 was shut down, and then to return the wafer Wa to the cassette C. Basically, it is preferable to transport the wafer Wa in the order in which it was brought into the processing apparatus 1, and from this viewpoint, it is also preferable to return the wafer Wa to the first processing position A1.

[0068] Pattern 3 is a case where the wafer Wa is at the first processing position A1 and the state of the wafer Wa is a state where rough grinding has been completed. In pattern 3, the wafer Wa is moved to the second processing position A2 and intermediate grinding (step S3) is performed. Then, finish grinding (step S4) is performed at the third processing position A3, and rough cleaning of the processed surface (step S5) is performed at the transfer position A0 in sequence. After that, the wafer Wa is returned to the first processing position A1, i.e., the position of the wafer Wa when the processing device 1 was shut down.

[0069] Pattern 4 is a case where the position of the wafer Wa is the second processing position A2 and the state of the wafer Wa is in the middle of intermediate grinding. Pattern 4 also includes a case where the wafer Wa is not ground at the second processing position A2. In pattern 4, first, a grinding process following intermediate grinding is performed at the second processing position A2. At this time, the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground based on the processing progress state of the wafer Wa in the grinding recipe and the grinding recipe stored in the control unit 130 when the processing device 1 is shut down in step T1, and the intermediate grinding is completed (step S3). Then, finish grinding at the third processing position A3 (step S4) and rough cleaning of the processing surface at the transfer position A0 (step S5) are performed in sequence. After that, the wafer Wa is returned to the second processing position A2, that is, the position of the wafer Wa at the time of shutdown of the processing device 1.

[0070] Pattern 5 is a case where the position of the wafer Wa is the second processing position A2 and the state of the wafer Wa is a state where intermediate grinding has been completed. In pattern 5, the wafer Wa is moved to the third processing position A3 and finish grinding (step S4) is performed. Then, the processed surface is roughly cleaned (step S5) at the transfer position A0. After that, the wafer Wa is returned to the second processing position A2, that is, the position of the wafer Wa when the processing device 1 was shut down.

[0071] Pattern 6 is a case where the position of the wafer Wa is the third processing position A3 and the state of the wafer Wa is in the middle of finish grinding. Pattern 6 also includes a case where the wafer Wa is not ground at the third processing position A3. In pattern 6, first, a grinding process following the finish grinding is performed at the third processing position A3. At this time, the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground based on the processing progress state of the wafer Wa in the grinding recipe and the grinding recipe stored in the control unit 130 when the processing device 1 is shut down in step T1, and the finish grinding is completed (step S4). Next, the processing surface rough cleaning (step S5) is performed at the transfer position A0. After that, the wafer Wa is returned to the third processing position A3, that is, the position of the wafer Wa when the processing device 1 is shut down.

[0072] Pattern 7 is a case where the position of the wafer Wa is the third processing position A3 and the state of the wafer Wa is a state where the finish grinding is completed. In pattern 5, the wafer Wa is moved to the transfer position A0 and the processed surface is cleaned (step S5). After that, the wafer Wa is returned to the third processing position A3, that is, the position of the wafer Wa when the processing device 1 is shut down.

[0073] In the above example, patterns 1 to 7 have been described individually, but when there are multiple wafers Wa at the transfer position A0 and processing positions A1 to A3, the control unit 130 may determine which wafer Wa is to be ground after restarting. Specifically, the control unit 130 automatically sets the order of the post-restart grinding of the wafers Wa based on the final processing progress state of the wafers Wa at the time of shutdown of the processing device 1. Also, when there are multiple wafers Wa in this way, any of the patterns may be performed in parallel. In other words, post-restart grinding of the wafers Wa may be performed on one wafer, or may be performed in parallel at multiple processing positions A1 to A3.

[0074] As described above, when the post-restart grinding of the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa in step T8 is completed, the wafer Wa for which the post-restart grinding has been completed is then transported to the cassette C and collected (step T9 in FIG. 4). At this time, the wafer Wa is sequentially subjected to non-processing surface cleaning in the second cleaning unit 70 (step S6) and processing surface finish cleaning in the first cleaning unit 60 (step S7) before being transported to the cassette C. In step T9, when the wafer Wa is collected and the wafer Wa held by the chuck 31 is no longer present, a normal warm-up (second preparation process in this disclosure) may be performed in order to perform post-restart grinding of the wafer Wb in step T11, which will be described later. In addition to the above-mentioned single warm-up, this warm-up may also include flowing water or gas from the chuck 31 and adjusting the height of the chuck 31. In addition, when a device (e.g., a mounter, etc.) that performs a subsequent process after grinding is connected to the processing device 1, the wafer Wa may be moved to the device that performs the subsequent process.

[0075] On the other hand, if the control unit 130 stores in step T1 that the wafer Wb is in the alignment unit 50, it is designated whether the wafer Wb is to be ground after restart or is to be collected without being ground after restart (step T10 in FIG. 4). The necessity of grinding the wafer Wb after restart may be designated automatically by the control unit 130 or may be designated manually by the operator. Then, if it is designated in step T10 that the wafer Wb is not to be ground after restart, the wafer Wb is transported to the cassette C and collected. Alternatively, the wafer Wb may be collected by the operator. Note that step T10 may be performed before step T9.

[0076] Next, the wafer Wb designated for post-restart grinding in step T10 is subjected to post-restart grinding (step T11 in FIG. 4). Specifically, first, the horizontal orientation of the wafer Wb is readjusted in the alignment unit 50 (step S1). Next, the wafer Wb is subjected to rough grinding at the first processing position A1 (step S2), medium grinding at the second processing position A2 (step S3), finish grinding at the third processing position A3 (step S4), and rough cleaning of the processed surface at the transfer position A0 (step S5), in that order. The post-restart grinding of the wafer Wb in step T11 may be performed in parallel with the recovery of the wafer Wa in step T9.

[0077] Next, the wafer Wb, which has been ground after restart in step T11, is transferred to the cassette C and collected (step T12 in FIG. 4). At this time, before being transferred to the cassette C, the wafer Wb is sequentially subjected to non-machined surface cleaning in the second cleaning unit 70 (step S6) and processed surface finish cleaning in the first cleaning unit 60 (step S7).

[0078] Next, when all the wafers W in the processing apparatus 1 are collected, it is specified whether or not to perform normal warm-up of the processing apparatus 1 (second preparation process in this disclosure) (step T13 in FIG. 4). Whether or not this warm-up is required may be specified automatically by the control unit 130, or may be specified manually by the operator. Then, if it is specified in step T13 that warm-up is not required, warm-up is skipped, and preparation for normal operation of the processing apparatus 1 is completed.

[0079] Next, when it is specified in step T13 that warm-up is required, the warm-up is performed (step T14 in FIG. 4). In this warm-up, like the single warm-up in step T7, the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, and 111 are rotated while water is flowing through them to stabilize the temperatures of the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, and 111. In addition, water and gas are flowed through the chuck 31, and the height of the chuck 31 is also adjusted. Then, when the warm-up is completed, the processing apparatus 1 is ready for normal operation.

[0080] According to the above embodiment, after the processing apparatus 1 is restarted, the wafer Wa detected in step T4 and designated in step T5 as requiring post-restart grinding is subjected to post-restart grinding in step T8. Furthermore, the wafer Wb designated in step T10 as requiring post-restart grinding is subjected to post-restart grinding in step T11. Therefore, the wafers Wa and Wb remaining inside the processing apparatus 1 when it is shut down can be effectively used without being wasted.

[0081] In step T8, post-restart grinding of the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is performed, for example, in patterns 1 to 7, depending on the position and state of the wafer Wa. At this time, the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground based on the processing progress state of the wafer Wa in the grinding recipe and the grinding recipe stored in the control unit 130 when the processing apparatus 1 is shut down, so that the post-restart grinding can be performed appropriately.

[0082] Furthermore, in step T8, after the processing surface Wg of the wafer Wa is ground after restart, the wafer Wa is returned to the position at the time of shutdown of the processing apparatus 1. Therefore, the wafer Wa can be smoothly collected based on the recipe before the shutdown of the processing apparatus 1.

[0083] Furthermore, since an independent warm-up is performed in step T7, the temperatures of the chuck 31 and the grinding units 91, 101, 111 are stabilized. As a result, grinding can be stably performed after restart in step T8.

[0084] Furthermore, in step T4, the wafer Wa on the chuck 31 is detected based on the wafer Wa detected by the inspection unit 120 and the state of the wafer Wa stored in the control unit 130 when the processing apparatus 1 was shut down in step T1. In this way, the presence or absence of the wafer Wa is detected using both the control unit 130 and the inspection unit 120, so that subsequent processing can be performed appropriately. Specifically, the processing conditions for the subsequent processing can be set appropriately, and unnecessary actions such as performing processing despite the absence of the wafer Wa can be eliminated.

[0085] In step T2, initialization is performed sequentially according to the function of each unit in the processing device 1. Therefore, each unit can be properly initialized.

[0086] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Processing equipment 31 Chuck 40 Transport unit 90 Rough grinding unit 100 Medium grinding unit 110 Finish grinding unit 130 Control section W, Wa, Wb wafers

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for processing a substrate, A holder for holding the substrate; a grinding unit configured to grind a processing surface of the substrate held by the holding unit; a transport unit configured to transport the substrate relative to the holder; a rotary table that moves the holding unit between a transfer position of the substrate with respect to the transport unit and a processing position of the substrate in the grinding unit; a control unit that controls the holding unit, the grinding unit, the conveying unit, and the rotary table, The control unit is After the processing device is stopped during operation and then restarted, initialization of the holding unit and initialization of the grinding unit are performed. Initializing the rotary table; The processing apparatus controls the grinding unit, the holding unit, and the rotary table so that initialization of the grinding unit, initialization of the holding unit, and initialization of the rotary table are performed in this order.

2. a detection unit for detecting the substrate held by the holding unit, The control unit is storing the presence or absence of the substrate in the holder when the processing device is stopped; detecting the substrate in the holder; The processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: controlling the holding unit and the detection unit to confirm the presence or absence of a substrate in the holding unit based on the presence or absence of a substrate stored in the control unit and the presence or absence of a substrate detected after the restart.

3. The control unit is determining that a substrate is being held in the holder when the presence / absence of a substrate stored in the control unit is stored as being present and when the presence / absence of a substrate detected after the restart is detected as being present; The processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: controlling the holding unit, the grinding unit, and the detection unit so as to perform grinding or recovery by the grinding unit after the restart on the substrate held by the holding unit.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit determines that a substrate is not being held in the holding unit when the presence or absence of a substrate stored in the control unit is stored as no substrate is present and when the presence or absence of a substrate detected after the restart is detected as no substrate is present.

5. A method for processing a substrate using a processing apparatus, comprising: The processing device includes: A holder for holding the substrate; a grinding unit configured to grind a processing surface of the substrate held by the holding unit; a transport unit configured to transport the substrate relative to the holder; a rotary table that moves the holding unit between a transfer position of the substrate with respect to the transport unit and a processing position of the substrate in the grinding unit, The processing method includes: After the processing device is stopped during operation and then restarted, initialization of the holding unit and initialization of the grinding unit are performed. and initializing the rotary table. A processing method, comprising: initializing the grinding unit, initializing the holding unit, and initializing the rotary table in this order.

6. the processing device has a detection unit that detects the substrate held by the holding unit, The processing method includes: storing the presence or absence of the substrate in the holder when the processing device is stopped; detecting the substrate in the holder; The processing method according to claim 5 , further comprising: confirming the presence or absence of the substrate in the holder based on the stored presence or absence of the substrate and the presence or absence of the substrate detected after the restart.

7. determining that a substrate is held in the holder when the stored substrate presence / absence information indicates that a substrate is present and when the detected substrate presence / absence information after the restart indicates that a substrate is present; The processing method according to claim 6 , further comprising: performing grinding or recovery by said grinding unit after said restarting, on the substrate held by said holding unit.

8. The processing method according to claim 6, wherein if the stored substrate presence / absence is stored as no substrate is present and if the detected substrate presence / absence after the restart is detected as no substrate is present, it is determined that no substrate is being held in the holding portion.

9. A readable computer storage medium storing a program that runs on a computer of a control unit that controls a processing device so as to cause the processing device to execute the processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

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