Disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing disk-shaped substrate

Abstract

A technique is provided that can prevent a disk-shaped substrate from coming off a storage hole of a carrier due to a processing liquid remaining in the storage hole. [Solution] The manufacturing apparatus for disk-shaped substrates comprises a lower base plate 12 on which a carrier 52 having a storage hole 52A into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded is placed, an upper base plate arranged above the lower base plate 12 so that it can be brought close to or separated from the lower base plate 12, a processing liquid supply section which supplies processing liquid for grinding or polishing processing between the lower base plate 12 and the upper base plate, and a processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 which discharges processing liquid remaining in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, in a manufacturing process of a disk-shaped substrate used as a substrate for a magnetic disk, a grinding process is performed using a grinding device to grind the disk-shaped substrate, and a polishing process is performed using a polishing device to polish the surface of the disk-shaped substrate. After the grinding process or the polishing process, the grinding fluid or polishing fluid remaining on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate during each process is removed from the surface of the disk-shaped substrate by a cleaning process for post-processing in the manufacturing process.

[0003] In the polishing apparatus of Patent Document 1, a series of processes including polishing, cleaning, and drying are repeatedly performed using a transfer device. Specifically, a disk-shaped substrate transferred from a cassette case by a loader unit, which is a transfer device arranged in front of the polishing apparatus, is loaded into a storage hole of a carrier placed on the upper surface of the polishing pad of the lower platen. Next, the loaded disk-shaped substrate is polished by the upper platen and the lower platen, at least one of which rotates, while a polishing liquid is supplied to the disk-shaped substrate while the disk-shaped substrate is in contact with the polishing pad of the upper platen and the polishing pad of the lower platen.

[0004] After polishing, a cleaning liquid is supplied to the disk-shaped substrate placed in the storage hole of the carrier to remove the polishing liquid remaining on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate. The disk-shaped substrate that has been subjected to the removal process is transferred from the storage hole of the carrier to the cleaning and drying section by an unloader section, which is a transfer device arranged at the rear of the polishing device. Then, the next disk-shaped substrate transferred by the loader section is loaded into the storage hole of the carrier above the polishing pad of the lower platen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-283457 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a polishing apparatus, after a polished disk-shaped substrate is transferred to a cleaning and drying section, cleaning liquid may remain in the storage hole of the carrier. If cleaning liquid remains in the storage hole of the carrier, the thin and light disk-shaped substrate is likely to float on the remaining cleaning liquid. When the disk-shaped substrate floating on the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the polishing pad of the upper platen adjacent to the lower platen for the next polishing process, the disk-shaped substrate is likely to come off from the storage hole.

[0007] If the detached disk-shaped substrate overlaps the carrier outside the storage hole, the thickness of the carrier will cause the disk-shaped substrate to contact the polishing pad at a position higher than the specified position, which may cause problems such as damage to the disk-shaped substrate. Furthermore, in grinding devices that use grinding fluid, when a carrier having a storage hole similar to that of a polishing device is used, the disk-shaped substrate is also likely to fall out of the storage hole due to processing fluid such as cleaning fluid remaining in the carrier's storage hole.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above, and provides a technique that can prevent a disk-shaped substrate from becoming detached from a storage hole of a carrier due to processing liquid remaining in the storage hole. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Specific means for achieving the above object are as follows: <1> a lower surface plate on which a carrier having a storage hole into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded is placed; an upper surface plate disposed above the lower surface plate so as to be capable of approaching or being separated from the lower surface plate; a processing liquid supplying section for supplying a processing liquid related to a grinding process or a polishing process between the lower surface plate and the upper surface plate; a treatment liquid discharge mechanism that discharges the treatment liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate comprising:

[0010] <2> A rotation mechanism that rotates the carrier; a control unit connected to the rotation mechanism and configured to rotate the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, the control unit and the rotation mechanism constitute the treatment liquid discharge mechanism. <1> The manufacturing apparatus for the disk-shaped substrate according to claim 1 .

[0011] <3> an air injection mechanism that injects air toward the carrier; a control unit connected to the air injection mechanism and configured to inject air toward the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, the control unit and the air injection mechanism constitute the treatment liquid discharge mechanism. <1> The manufacturing apparatus for the disk-shaped substrate according to claim 1 .

[0012] <4> the air jetting mechanism has an air supply system that supplies separation air for separating the disk-shaped substrate; <3> The manufacturing apparatus for the disk-shaped substrate according to claim 1 .

[0013] <5> The apparatus further includes a transfer device for transferring the disk-shaped substrate, The transfer device has an air nozzle as the air injection mechanism. <3> The manufacturing apparatus for the disk-shaped substrate according to claim 1 .

[0014] <6> the treatment liquid discharge mechanism includes a suction mechanism having a suction port that opens opposite the storage hole of the carrier, the suction mechanism sucks the processing liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, thereby discharging the processing liquid. <1> The manufacturing apparatus for the disk-shaped substrate according to claim 1 .

[0015] <7> a step of sandwiching the disk-shaped substrate between a lower surface plate and an upper surface plate, the lower surface plate having a carrier having a storage hole into which the disk-shaped substrate is loaded, and polishing or grinding the disk-shaped substrate while supplying a processing liquid; a step of discharging the processing liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded; A method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the disk-shaped substrate from becoming dislodged from the storage hole of the carrier due to the processing liquid remaining in the storage hole. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a configuration of a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus according to a modified example of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. When an embodiment is described with reference to the drawings in the present disclosure, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. In addition, the size of the members in each drawing is conceptual, and the relative relationship between the sizes of the members is not limited to this.

[0019] In the following description of the drawings, similar parts are given similar symbols. However, the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, and the ratio of thickness of each device and each member are different from the actual ones. Therefore, the specific thickness and dimensions should be determined by taking into consideration the following explanation. In addition, there are parts in which the relationship and ratio of dimensions differ between the drawings. In addition, unless otherwise specified in the specification, the number of each component of the present disclosure is not limited to one, and there may be more than one.

[0020] In the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not essential unless otherwise specified. The same applies to the numerical values ​​and their ranges, and do not limit the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, a numerical range indicated using "~" includes the numerical values ​​before and after "~" as the minimum and maximum values, respectively. In the numerical ranges described in the present disclosure in stages, the upper or lower limit value described in one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit value of another numerical range described in stages. In addition, in the numerical ranges described in the present disclosure, the upper or lower limit value of the numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples.

[0021] In the present disclosure, when components are included, each component may contain multiple types of corresponding substances. When multiple types of substances corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the content or amount of each component means the total content or amount of the multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified. In the present disclosure, the particles corresponding to each component may include multiple types of particles. When multiple types of particles corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the particle size of each component means the value for a mixture of the multiple types of particles present in the composition, unless otherwise specified. In the present disclosure, the terms "layer" and "film" include cases where the layer or film is formed over the entire area when the area in which the layer or film is present is observed, as well as cases where the layer or film is formed over only a portion of the area.

[0022] -First embodiment- <Disc-shaped substrate manufacturing equipment> A disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Note that Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 disclose common configurations between the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure, and therefore Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 will be used in the description of each embodiment. Configurations in the first embodiment that differ from the second embodiment will be described later mainly with reference to Fig. 2.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disk-shaped substrates may be configured to include one or more other devices necessary for manufacturing disk-shaped substrates. Specifically, it may include a grinding device for grinding disk-shaped substrates in a stage preceding the polishing device, a batch transfer device for unprocessed or processed disk-shaped substrates, a standby device for waiting for unprocessed or processed disk-shaped substrates, and the like. FIG. 1 illustrates a loader unit 90 as a batch transfer device in a stage preceding the processing unit 10 of the polishing device, and an unloader unit 98 as a batch transfer device in a stage following the processing unit 10. The processing unit 10 in the first embodiment is a polishing device, but in the present disclosure, the processing unit may be a grinding device.

[0024] In addition, independently of or in combination with these, a storage rack for storing unprocessed or processed disk-shaped substrates, a cleaning device for cleaning the disk-shaped substrates, a drying device for drying the disk-shaped substrates, etc. are included. Fig. 1 illustrates a supply section 92 having a cassette case C as a storage rack in the front stage of the processing section 10 of the polishing apparatus, and a discharge section 96 having a cassette case C as a storage rack in the rear stage of the processing section 10. Fig. 1 also illustrates a cleaning and drying section 94 having the functions of both the cleaning device and the drying device in the rear stage of the processing section 10.

[0025] (Disc-shaped substrate) The disk-shaped substrate of the first embodiment is, for example, an aluminum substrate or an aluminum alloy substrate, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a glass substrate or the like may be adopted. Hereinafter, the aluminum substrate, the aluminum alloy substrate, the glass substrate, and the like are collectively referred to as "substrate". 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. In this case, the surface to be polished can be the plating layer. The aluminum substrate is advantageous in that it is easy to process and can suppress the manufacturing cost.

[0026] On the other hand, a glass reinforced layer may be formed on the surface of the glass substrate. In this case, the surface to be polished may be the glass reinforced layer. The formation of the glass reinforced layer is not essential for the glass substrate. The present disclosure is also applicable to polishing the surface of a pure glass substrate on which no glass reinforced layer is formed. Since the glass substrate is superior in strength, surface flatness, heat resistance, etc. to the aluminum substrate, it is easy to achieve miniaturization and high density of the disk-shaped substrate.

[0027] The disk-shaped substrate of the first embodiment is for a magnetic recording medium, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The disk-shaped substrate of the present disclosure may be for other information recording disks, such as optical disks.

[0028] During polishing, the disk-shaped substrate is loaded inside storage hole 52A of carrier 52. In the polishing device of processing section 10, the disk-shaped substrate rotates by itself around the axis of the disk-shaped substrate, i.e., rotates on its own axis, and also rotates around sun gear 16 around the axis of sun gear 16, i.e., revolves around the sun gear 16. 2, the first embodiment exemplifies a case in which the number of disk-shaped substrates stored in one carrier 52 is three, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the number of stored disk-shaped substrates may be one or any multiple. Similarly, the first embodiment exemplifies a case in which the number of carriers 52 placed on the lower surface plate 12 is four, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the number of carriers placed may be one or any multiple.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the processing unit 10 includes a lower platen 12, an upper platen 14, a polishing liquid supply unit 30, a first air supply system 41, a second air supply system 42, and a cleaning liquid supply unit 80.

[0030] (Lower surface plate) As shown in Fig. 3, the lower surface plate 12 has a disk-shaped lower base 12A and a disk-shaped lower polishing pad 12B provided on the lower base 12A in Fig. 3. A known polishing material such as a polishing cloth can be used as the lower polishing pad 12B. In this disclosure, the term "lower surface plate" may be used as a general term including the lower polishing pad. A carrier 52 for storing a disk-shaped substrate is placed on the upper side of the lower polishing pad 12B of the lower surface plate 12. As shown in FIG. 1, a sun gear 16 that meshes with the gears on the periphery of the four carriers 52 is disposed in the center of the lower surface plate 12. The lower surface plate 12 can be rotated by the rotation of the sun gear 16. An internal gear 18 that meshes with the gears on the periphery of the four carriers 52 is disposed around the lower surface plate 12. As shown in FIG. 3, a discharge path D for discharging the polishing liquid is formed between the lower surface plate 12 and the internal gear 18.

[0031] (Upper surface plate) As shown in Fig. 3, the upper surface plate 14 has a disk-shaped upper base 14A and a disk-shaped upper polishing pad 14B provided under the upper base 14A in Fig. 3. As the upper polishing pad 14B, a known polishing material such as a polishing cloth can be used, similar to the lower polishing pad 12B. In this disclosure, the term "upper surface plate" may be used as a general term including the upper polishing pad. The upper surface plate 14 is rotatably disposed above the lower surface plate 12 in a state facing the lower surface plate 12. In the second embodiment, both the lower surface plate 12 and the upper surface plate 14 are provided so as to be freely raised and lowered by being connected to a hydraulic drive device, an electric drive device, or the like. Therefore, the upper surface plate 14 can be moved close to or away from the lower surface plate 12. In the present disclosure, the upper surface plate 14 may be disposed so as to be close to or away from the lower surface plate 12 by at least one of the lower surface plate 12 and the upper surface plate 14 being freely raised and lowered. The upper surface plate 14 has a first nozzle hole 21 and a second nozzle hole 22. The first nozzle hole 21 is formed in a portion facing the disk-shaped substrate, penetrating the upper base 14A and the upper polishing pad 14B. The second nozzle hole 22 is formed in a portion facing the carrier 52, penetrating the upper base 14A and the upper polishing pad 14B.

[0032] 2, the first embodiment illustrates a state in which two first nozzle holes 21 are formed in a portion facing one disk-shaped substrate and six second nozzle holes 22 are formed in a portion facing the carrier 52, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the respective numbers of the first nozzle holes 21 and second nozzle holes 22 can be changed as appropriate.

[0033] 2, for the purpose of explanation, the first nozzle holes 21 formed in a portion of the upper surface plate facing the disk-shaped substrate inside the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52, and the second nozzle holes 22 formed in a portion facing the region having the thickness of the carrier 52 are illustrated by dashed lines. In the first embodiment, a state in which two first nozzle holes 21 and two second nozzle holes 22 are arranged on a single straight line in a plan view is illustrated, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The arrangement pattern of the first nozzle holes 21 and the second nozzle holes 22 can be changed as appropriate.

[0034] (polishing liquid supply section) The polishing liquid supply unit 30 has a polishing liquid tank 30A in which the polishing liquid is stored, and a polishing liquid pipe 30B connected between the polishing liquid tank 30A and the upper platen 14. The polishing liquid supply unit 30 supplies the polishing liquid between the lower platen 12 and the upper platen 14. Specifically, for example, the polishing liquid can be dropped onto the upper surface of the upper base 14A of the upper platen 14 in FIG. 3 and moved on the surface from the upper surface side to the lower side of the upper platen 14, thereby being supplied between the lower platen 12 and the upper platen 14. A through hole penetrating the upper base 14A and the upper polishing pad 14B may be formed as a path for the polishing liquid to flow. The polishing liquid supply unit 30 of this embodiment corresponds to the processing liquid supply unit of the present disclosure.

[0035] (Cleaning solution) In the polishing process, in the processing section 10, the disk-shaped substrate sandwiched between the upper surface plate 14 and the lower surface plate 12 is polished while being supplied with a polishing liquid. After the polishing process, in order to wash away the polishing liquid remaining on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate, a cleaning liquid W is supplied to the disk-shaped substrate placed in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 as shown in FIG.

[0036] (Cleaning liquid supply unit) 3, the cleaning liquid supply unit 80 includes a cleaning liquid tank 80A in which the cleaning liquid W is stored, and a cleaning liquid pipe 80B inside which the cleaning liquid W flows. The cleaning liquid supply unit 80 supplies the cleaning liquid W between the lower surface plate 12 and the upper surface plate 14. Specifically, for example, the cleaning liquid W can be dropped onto the upper surface of the upper base 14A of the upper surface plate 14 in FIG. 3 and moved on the surface from the upper surface side toward the lower side of the upper surface plate 14, thereby being supplied between the lower surface plate 12 and the upper surface plate 14.

[0037] (First air supply system) 3, the first air supply system 41 has a first air supply source 41A and a first pipe 41B. A first drive unit P1 such as a pump is disposed between the first air supply source 41A and the control unit 44. The first air supply source 41A stores first separation air 71 for separating the disk-shaped substrate from the upper surface plate 14. The first pipe 41B is connected between the first air supply source 41A and the first nozzle hole 21. The first air supply source 41A includes a storage device such as a tank capable of storing the first separation air.

[0038] (Second air supply system) The second air supply system 42 has a second air supply source 42A and a second pipe 42B. Between the second air supply source 42A and the control unit 44, a second drive unit P2 such as a pump is disposed. The second air supply source 42A stores a second separation air for separating the carrier 52 from the upper platen 14. The second separation air is not illustrated in FIG. 3. The second pipe 42B is connected between the second air supply source 42A and the second nozzle hole 22. The other configuration of the second air supply source 42A is similar to that of the first air supply source 41A, so that a duplicated description will be omitted. The second air supply system 42 is provided independently of the first air supply system 41. In the first embodiment, the first air supply source 41A of the first air supply system 41 and the second air supply source 42A of the second air supply system 42 are independent of each other, but this is not limited to this in the present disclosure, and a common supply source may be used in two or more supply systems.

[0039] (Removal air) The first separation air 71 and the second separation air in the first embodiment are air, but the separation air in the present disclosure may be a gas other than air. The type of the first separation air and the type of the second separation air may be the same or different from each other.

[0040] The first air supply source 41A of the first air supply system 41 and the second air supply source 42A of the second air supply system 42 have different supply sources. This allows the first peeling air 71 to be selectively sprayed toward the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52. Here, the fact that the respective supply systems are independent of each other includes both a situation in which the respective supply paths are not connected and a situation in which the respective supply sources are different from each other.

[0041] (Control unit) 3, the control unit 44 causes the polishing apparatus to execute one or more processes included in the polishing process. In the present disclosure, the one or more processes included in the polishing process may be provided to the control unit 44 in the form of, for example, a program.

[0042] The control unit 44 is connected to the first drive unit P1 of the first air supply system 41 and the second drive unit P2 of the second air supply system . After the polishing process, the control unit 44 controls the first driving unit P1 to spray the first peeling air 71 from the first nozzle hole 21 toward the disk-shaped substrate. This allows the disk-shaped substrate to be peeled off from the upper surface plate 14. After the polishing process, the control unit 44 controls the second driving unit P2 to spray the second peeling air from the second nozzle hole 22 toward the carrier 52. This allows the carrier 52 to be peeled off from the upper surface plate 14.

[0043] In the present disclosure, the number of control units can be set arbitrarily to one or more, and for example, one control unit may be connected to each of the first air supply system 41 and the second air supply system 42. Regardless of the number of control units provided in the processing unit 10, the first air supply system 41 and the second air supply system 42 can be configured independently of each other.

[0044] (Processing liquid discharge mechanism) 2, the manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the first embodiment includes a processing liquid discharge mechanism A1. The processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 discharges the cleaning liquid W remaining inside the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52. The processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 according to the first embodiment is composed of a control unit 44 and a rotation mechanism.

[0045] (Rotation mechanism) The lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18 of the processing unit 10 correspond to the rotation mechanism of the present disclosure that rotates the carrier 52. In the present disclosure, at least one of the lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18 may constitute the rotation mechanism that rotates the carrier 52. The control unit 44 is connected to each of the lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18. In the present disclosure, the control unit may be connected to at least one of the lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18.

[0046] <Method of manufacturing disk-shaped substrate> Next, a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate using the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the first embodiment includes the following steps: (A) a step of disposing a carrier 52 having a storage hole 52A into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded, between a lower surface plate 12 and an upper surface plate 14; (B) a step of sandwiching a disk-shaped substrate between a lower surface plate 12 and an upper surface plate 14 and polishing the disk-shaped substrate while supplying a polishing liquid between the lower surface plate 12 and the upper surface plate 14; (C) supplying a cleaning liquid W for cleaning the polishing liquid on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate; (D) a step of discharging the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded therein from the storage hole 52A by the processing liquid discharge mechanism A1; Includes. In the first embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which the control unit 44 is operated using a program for implementing the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, thereby implementing the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate including steps (A) to (D). In the present disclosure, the operator of the processing unit 10 may operate the control unit 44 to execute the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate includes a discharge process for discharging the cleaning liquid W from the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 in a series of polishing processes. In the present disclosure, the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate may include one or more other commonly known processes required for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate depending on the type of the disk-shaped substrate.

[0048] For example, in the case of an aluminum substrate, the method for producing a disk-shaped substrate includes the following steps. Blank substrate preparation step: An aluminum substrate of desired dimensions is prepared. The aluminum substrate of desired dimensions is obtained, for example, by rolling an aluminum alloy ingot to obtain an aluminum alloy plate material with a thickness of about 2 mm or less, and punching the obtained aluminum alloy plate material into a disk shape. Cutting process: The prepared aluminum substrate is subjected to chamfering on the inner and outer circumferences and cutting on both main surfaces. Grinding process: In order to reduce the surface roughness and waviness of the aluminum substrate after cutting, both main surfaces of the aluminum substrate are ground with a grindstone. Plating process: After grinding, the surface of the aluminum substrate is plated with electroless nickel plating (NiP) or other plating in order to impart surface hardness and reduce surface defects. Polishing process: Both main surfaces of the aluminum substrate on which the plating film has been formed are polished.

[0049] In the case of a glass substrate, the method for producing a disk-shaped substrate includes, for example, the following steps. Blank substrate preparation process: A glass blank substrate of desired dimensions is prepared. The glass blank substrate of desired dimensions is prepared, for example, by press molding a glass blank that is a material for a plate-shaped glass substrate for a magnetic recording medium having a pair of main surfaces. The glass blank thus prepared is formed into an annular shape by forming a circular hole in the center of the glass blank. Next, a glass substrate having a chamfered surface is obtained by shaping the glass blank. A grinding process and a polishing process are performed on the inner and outer peripheral end surfaces of the shaping-processed glass substrate. Grinding process: The main surfaces of the glass substrate after edge polishing are 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.

[0050] The discharge process according to the first embodiment will be described in detail below together with the polishing process that precedes the discharge process. [Polishing process] In the polishing process, with the lower platen 12 and the upper platen 14 in contact with the disk-shaped substrate, the disk-shaped substrate is rotated while a polishing liquid is supplied between the lower platen 12 and the upper platen 14, so that the surface of the disk-shaped substrate is polished by the lower platen 12 and the upper platen 14. The polishing liquid used when polishing an aluminum substrate is not particularly limited as long as it is a commonly used one, and examples of the polishing liquid include slurries containing aluminum oxide, colloidal silica, etc. The polishing liquid used when polishing a glass substrate is not particularly limited as long as it is a commonly used one, and examples of the polishing liquid include slurries containing cerium oxide, zirconia, colloidal silica, etc.

[0051] After the disk-shaped substrate is polished, in the second embodiment, first peeling air 71 is supplied between the upper surface plate 14 and the disk-shaped substrate by the first air supply system 41 from the outside through the first nozzle hole 21 provided in the upper surface plate 14, independently of the second air supply system 42. Also, second peeling air is supplied between the upper surface plate 14 and the carrier 52 by the second air supply system 42 from the outside through the second nozzle hole 22 provided in the upper surface plate 14, independently of the first air supply system 41. As a result, the disk-shaped substrate is peeled off from the upper surface plate 14 even if the upper surface plate 14 rises.

[0052] The timing at which the first air supply system 41 starts applying a driving force to the first peeling air 71 in order to supply the first peeling air 71 may be before or after the upper platen 14 starts to rise. The timing at which the application of the driving force to the first peeling air 71 is stopped may be before or after the upper platen 14 has completed rising to a preset height.

[0053] The timing at which the second air supply system 42 starts applying a driving force to the second peeling air in order to supply the second peeling air may be before or after the upper platen 14 starts to rise. The timing at which the application of the driving force to the second peeling air is stopped may be before or after the upper platen 14 has completed rising to a predetermined height. This disclosure does not exclude the supply of the first peeling air 71 and the second peeling air without the process of raising the upper platen 14.

[0054] By supplying the first peeling air 71 and the second peeling air independently of each other, the polishing liquid that adsorbs the polished disk-shaped substrate and the carrier 52 to the upper surface plate 14 is discharged through the discharge path D between the lower surface plate 12 and the internal gear 18. As a result, both the disk-shaped substrate and the carrier 52 are peeled off from the upper surface plate 14. After the polishing process, in order to clean the polishing liquid remaining on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate, a cleaning liquid W is supplied to the disk-shaped substrate arranged in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52. The cleaning liquid W that overflows from the storage hole 52A is discharged through the discharge path D, similar to the polishing liquid. Thereafter, the plurality of disk-shaped substrates after cleaning are taken out from the inside of the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 by the unloader unit 98 in FIG. 1, and are transferred all at once from the processing unit 10 to a post-process. As a result, the carrier 52 without the disk-shaped substrate loaded inside the storage hole 52A is left on the lower polishing pad 12B of the lower surface plate 12.

[0055] [Residual cleaning solution discharge treatment] The control unit 44 rotates the carrier 52 in which no disk-shaped substrate is loaded inside the storage hole 52A by controlling the lower surface plate 12, the sun gear 16, and the internal gear 18. The rotation speed of the carrier 52 for discharging the cleaning liquid W to the outside of the storage hole 52A is preset to be faster than the rotation speed set during normal polishing.

[0056] The processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 rotates the carrier 52 to discharge the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 to the outside of the storage hole 52A. Then, when a plurality of disk-shaped substrates to be subjected to the next polishing process are transferred collectively to the processing unit 10 by the loader unit 90, each disk-shaped substrate is loaded into the storage hole 52A from which the cleaning liquid W has been discharged to the outside.

[0057] In the present disclosure, the polishing process and the residual cleaning liquid discharge process may be performed multiple times independently. When the polishing process is performed multiple times, the type of polishing liquid used in each polishing process may be different from each other. In addition, for example, a chemical strengthening process for the disk-shaped substrate may be included between multiple polishing processes in order to improve the impact resistance of the disk-shaped substrate. Then, the transferred disk-shaped substrate is subjected to predetermined processes such as cleaning, forming a magnetic film, and cooling, thereby manufacturing a magnetic recording medium having the desired specifications.

[0058] In the first embodiment, the processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 discharges the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 to the outside of the storage hole 52A. This makes it possible to prevent the disk-shaped substrate to be loaded next into the storage hole 52A from falling out of the storage hole 52A due to the remaining cleaning liquid W. This makes it unnecessary to stop the operation of the apparatus and to return the fallen disk-shaped substrate to its original storage hole 52A every time the disk-shaped substrate falls out of the storage hole 52A during the series of processes for manufacturing the disk-shaped substrate. In addition, the series of processes is less likely to stagnate.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the control unit 44 can discharge the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A to the outside of the storage hole 52A simply by rotating the carrier 52 using the lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18. The lower surface plate 12, sun gear 16, and internal gear 18 are components of the processing unit 10 that are generally included in the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disk-shaped substrates, and therefore, the burden of separately preparing devices that constitute the processing liquid discharge mechanism A1, except for the control unit 44, is small.

[0060] -Second embodiment- <Disc-shaped substrate manufacturing equipment> The disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment differs mainly from the processing liquid discharge mechanism A1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the processing liquid discharge mechanism A2. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the processing liquid discharge mechanism A2 will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 3, in the second embodiment, the control unit 44 and the first air supply system 41 configure a treatment liquid discharge mechanism A2. The first air supply system 41 in the second embodiment injects first peeling air 71 toward the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded in the storage hole 52A. The first air supply system 41 in the second embodiment corresponds to the air injection mechanism of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the treatment liquid can be discharged by using only the air supply as the treatment liquid discharge mechanism A2 of the second embodiment, or by using only the rotation mechanism as the treatment liquid discharge mechanism A1 of the first embodiment. In the present disclosure, an air injection mechanism different from the first air supply system 41 may be used as the treatment liquid discharge mechanism A2. In the present disclosure, an auxiliary device or auxiliary facility for injecting air toward the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 other than the first air supply system 41 may be included in the air injection mechanism.

[0062] The control unit 44 controls the first driving unit P1 to spray the first peeling air 71 from the first nozzle hole 21 toward the storage hole 52A in a state where no disk-shaped substrate is loaded. The cleaning liquid W remaining inside the storage hole 52A is blown outward by the spraying of the first peeling air 71. The other configurations of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disk-shaped substrates according to the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

[0063] <Method of manufacturing disk-shaped substrate> Next, a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate using the manufacturing apparatus for a disk-shaped substrate according to the second embodiment will be described. The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the second embodiment includes the steps (A), (B), (C), and (D) similar to those of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the steps (A) to (C) other than the step (D) in which the residual cleaning liquid discharge process is performed are the same as those of the first embodiment, so that the following will specifically describe the residual cleaning liquid discharge process (D), and will not repeat the explanation of steps (A) to (C).

[0064] [Residual cleaning solution discharge treatment] In the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disk-shaped substrates, after the polishing process, the upper surface plate 14 approaches the carrier 52 having the storage hole 52A in which the cleaning liquid W remains after the disk-shaped substrate is removed to a height at which a predetermined gap is formed. The first air supply system 41 sprays the first peeling air 71 through the first nozzle hole 21 provided in the upper surface plate 14 to the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 in which no disk-shaped substrate is loaded between the upper surface plate 14 and the disk-shaped substrate. The cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A is discharged to the outside of the storage hole 52A by the force of the sprayed air.

[0065] In the present disclosure, the first peeling air 71 may be sprayed while the upper platen 14 remains stationary and not approaching the carrier 52, as long as the cleaning liquid W is discharged to the outside of the storage hole 52A. The cleaning liquid W discharged from the storage hole 52A is discharged through the discharge path D. Then, a plurality of disk-shaped substrates to be subjected to the next polishing process are transferred collectively to the processing section 10 by the loader section 90, and each disk-shaped substrate is loaded into the corresponding storage hole 52A after the cleaning liquid W has been discharged to the outside. The process following the residual cleaning liquid discharge process in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0066] In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the processing liquid discharge mechanism A2 discharges the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 to the outside of the storage hole 52A. This makes it possible to prevent the disk-shaped substrate to be loaded next into the storage hole 52A from coming off the storage hole 52A due to the remaining cleaning liquid W.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the control unit 44 controls the first air supply system 41, so that the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A can be discharged to the outside of the storage hole 52A simply by spraying the first peeling air 71 toward the storage hole 52A. Since the first air supply system 41 is a component of the processing unit 10 that is generally provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disc-shaped substrates, the burden of separately preparing devices that constitute the processing liquid discharge mechanism A2, except for the control unit 44, is small. Other effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0068] <Modification: Processing liquid discharge mechanism> The manufacturing apparatus for disk-shaped substrates according to a modified example of the second embodiment has an air injection mechanism different from the first air supply system 41. As shown in Fig. 4, the air injection mechanism of the modified example has an air nozzle 91, a third air supply system 43, and a third drive unit P3. The air nozzle 91 is attached to a mounting plate 53 of a loader unit 90 of the transfer device. In the present disclosure, the transfer device may be the unloader unit 98 in Fig. 1, or may be both the loader unit 90 and the unloader unit 98. The air nozzle and the transfer device constitute a processing liquid discharge mechanism of the modified example.

[0069] (Transfer device) A mounting shaft 55, which is the rotation axis of the mounting plate 53, is attached to the upper surface of the disk-shaped mounting plate 53 in Fig. 4, and five gripping parts 54 for gripping the disk-shaped substrate during transfer are attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate 53 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the mounting plate 53. Although not shown, the gripping parts 54 extend in the vertical direction in Fig. 4 and have a pair of claws that face each other in the horizontal direction. The gripping parts 54 are attached to the mounting plate 53 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction in Fig. 4. With the pair of claws of the gripping portion 54 inserted into the central through-hole of the disk-shaped substrate, the pair of claws move away from each other in the horizontal direction to grip the disk-shaped substrate. With the pair of claws of the gripping portion 54 inserted into the central through-hole of the disk-shaped substrate, the pair of claws move closer to each other in the horizontal direction to release the grip of the disk-shaped substrate. For ease of viewing, in Fig. 4, only the upper portions of the two gripping portions 54 are partially shown, and the other three gripping portions are not shown.

[0070] As shown in Fig. 4, five air nozzles 91 are attached to the outer periphery of the mounting plate 53 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. In a modified example, the number of air nozzles 91 is five, but in the present disclosure, the number of air nozzles is arbitrary. Each of the five air nozzles 91 is disposed between adjacent gripping portions 54 in the circumferential direction with the nozzle hole at the lower end of the main body pipe portion 91A facing the surrounding portion of the storage hole 52A on the periphery of the carrier 52. The air nozzle 91 located on the right side of the five air nozzles 91 in Fig. 4 has a main body pipe portion 91A extending along the up-down direction in Fig. 4 and a branch pipe portion 91B extending approximately horizontally from the outer periphery of the main body pipe portion 91A. Branch pipe portion 91B extends from the outside to the inside in the radial direction of disk-shaped carrier 52 and bends from the center of carrier 52 toward the lower side in Fig. 4. A nozzle hole at the lower end of branch pipe portion 91B in Fig. 4 faces the surrounding portion of storage hole 52A at the center of carrier 52. Six nozzle holes, consisting of the nozzle holes of the main body pipe portions 91A of the five air nozzles 91 and the nozzle hole of the branch pipe portion 91B of one air nozzle 91, are formed facing the surrounding area of ​​the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52. In the present disclosure, the number of nozzle holes in the main body pipe portion and the number of nozzle holes in the branch pipe portions are arbitrary. In the present disclosure, it is not excluded that an air nozzle is formed by one or more main body pipe portions without providing a branch pipe portion.

[0071] The five air nozzles 91 are connected via a third pipe 43B to a third air supply source 43A that stores air 73 to be supplied to the air nozzles 91. The third air supply source 43A and the third pipe 43B constitute a third air supply system 43. The first peeling air 71 of the first air supply system 41 or the second peeling air of the second air supply system 42 may be used as the air 73 of the third air supply system 43. By using both, the air supply system can be configured to be compact overall. A third drive unit P3 such as a pump is connected to the third air supply source 43A. A control unit 44 is connected to the third drive unit P3. The control unit 44 controls the third drive unit P3 to cause the air nozzle 91 to spray air 73 toward the area surrounding the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded therein. Other configurations in the modified example are similar to those of the same members in the second embodiment, and therefore will not be described again.

[0072] In the modified example, an air nozzle 91 is used when the loader unit 90 transfers the disk-shaped substrate to the processing unit 10 before polishing. With the gripper unit 54 gripping the disk-shaped substrate, air 73 is directly sprayed from each of the six nozzle holes of the air nozzle 91 to the surrounding area of ​​the storage hole 52A of the carrier 52 in a state where no disk-shaped substrate is loaded. The force of the sprayed air 73 can cause the cleaning liquid W remaining in the storage hole 52A to be discharged to the outside of the storage hole 52A. After the cleaning liquid W is discharged, the gripper unit 54 releases the grip of the disk-shaped substrate, so that the disk-shaped substrate is loaded into the storage hole 52A. Other functions and effects of the modified example are similar to those of the second embodiment.

[0073] -Third embodiment- <Disc-shaped substrate manufacturing equipment> The disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus of the third embodiment differs from the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first and second embodiments in that it further includes a suction mechanism having a suction port opening opposite to the storage hole of the carrier as a treatment liquid discharge mechanism. The other configurations of the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus of the third embodiment are similar to those of the first and second embodiments, so that repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0074] The suction mechanism may be, for example, a cylindrical suction member having a suction port at its lower end located on the side of the storage hole of the carrier placed on the lower platen. A vacuum pipe connected to a vacuum pump or the like is inserted into the suction member, and a reduced pressure state is created by the vacuum pipe, so that the cleaning liquid remaining inside the storage hole at the position where the suction port faces can be sucked. The device to which the suction member is attached may be a loader section or an unloader section, both of which are transfer devices, or may be other devices. The cylindrical suction member may be disposed, for example, in the gap between a pair of claws of the gripping section of the transfer device. By disposing the cylindrical suction member in the gap between the pair of claws of the gripping section, the suction mechanism can be configured more compactly than, for example, a case in which the cylindrical suction member is disposed side by side on one side of the pair of claws of the gripping section.

[0075] <Method of manufacturing disk-shaped substrate> Next, a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate using a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described. When a suction member is provided in the gripping part of the loader part, the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the third embodiment includes a step (Aa) corresponding to the step (A) in the first embodiment, and steps (B) and (C) similar to those in the first embodiment. Specifically, in the step (Aa) in the third embodiment, a process corresponding to the residual cleaning liquid discharge step (D) in the first embodiment is performed after the disk-shaped substrates are transferred en bloc from the previous stage to the processing part and before the disk-shaped substrates are loaded into the storage holes of the carrier.

[0076] In the third embodiment, when the suction member is provided in the gripping part of the unloader part, a process corresponding to the residual cleaning liquid discharge step of (D) in the first embodiment is performed when the disk-shaped substrates are removed from the storage holes of the carrier after a step similar to (C) and then transferred en bloc from the processing part to the subsequent stage. In either case, when the suction member is provided in the gripping part of the loader part or the gripping part of the unloader part, the suction mechanism discharges the cleaning liquid by sucking up the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage holes of the carrier when no disk-shaped substrates are loaded in the storage holes.

[0077] [Residual cleaning solution discharge treatment] In the third embodiment, the step (Aa) in the case where the suction member is provided on the gripping part of the loader part will be described as an example. The step (Aa) of the third embodiment includes a step (A) corresponding to the residual cleaning liquid discharge process during the step (A) of the first embodiment. (a) A process of discharging the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded, by using the processing liquid discharge mechanism. Contains:

[0078] In step (Aa), first, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 for disk-shaped substrates, the suction port of the suction mechanism is made to face the storage hole of the carrier placed on the lower surface plate while the gripping part is gripping the disk-shaped substrate. Next, the suction mechanism is driven to suck the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole. The cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole can be discharged to the outside of the storage hole by suction. After the cleaning liquid is discharged, the suction port of the suction mechanism is moved away from the storage hole of the carrier, and the gripping part is released from gripping the disk-shaped substrate, thereby loading the disk-shaped substrate into the storage hole. Hereinafter, steps (B) and (C) similar to those of the first embodiment are performed. Duplicate explanations of steps (B) and (C) will be omitted.

[0079] (Polishing pad cleaning process) Here, in the polishing process, a cleaning process for cleaning the mounting surface of the lower polishing pad of the lower platen for the disk-shaped substrate may be performed separately from the cleaning process for the surface of the disk-shaped substrate. Specifically, a cleaning liquid such as water is sprayed onto the mounting surface of the lower polishing pad. In the third embodiment, after the cleaning process of the polishing pad, the suction mechanism of the processing liquid discharge mechanism sucks up the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier, so that not only the cleaning liquid for cleaning the disk-shaped substrate but also the cleaning liquid for cleaning the polishing pad can be discharged to the outside of the storage hole. The configurations other than the suction mechanism of the third embodiment are the same as the configurations of the members with the same names in the first and second embodiments, so that a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0080] In the third embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the processing liquid discharge mechanism discharges the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier to the outside of the storage hole, thereby preventing the disk-shaped substrate to be loaded next into the storage hole from coming off the storage hole due to the remaining cleaning liquid.

[0081] In the third embodiment, the suction mechanism serving as the treatment liquid discharge mechanism discharges the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole, whether the suction member is provided in the gripping part of the loader part or in the gripping part of the unloader part. The suction mechanism can remove the remaining cleaning liquid to a location away from the processing part, eliminating the need to use the discharge path (see discharge path D in FIG. 3) formed in the processing part. Other effects of the third embodiment are similar to those of the first and second embodiments.

[0082] <Other embodiments> Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the above disclosed embodiments, the descriptions and drawings forming a part of this disclosure should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0083] For example, in the above embodiment, the carrier 52 is rotated and revolved around the internal gear 18 and the sun gear 16 to polish multiple disk-shaped substrates at once, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, for example, a polishing plate may be brought into contact with the surfaces of the disk-shaped substrates from above while holding the multiple disk-shaped substrates in a state where they protrude upward. Then, the upper polishing plate may be rotated to polish multiple disk-shaped substrates at once. The polishing plate may rotate and revolve around the carrier 52 without rotating the disk-shaped substrates.

[0084] (Grinding Equipment) In the above embodiment, the processing unit 10 is described as a polishing device, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the processing unit may be a grinding device. In the first embodiment, a method for manufacturing a polished disk-shaped substrate using a polishing device as the processing unit is exemplified as a method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, but in the present disclosure, the method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate may be a method for manufacturing a ground disk-shaped substrate using a grinding device as the manufacturing device.

[0085] When the processing unit of the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus is a grinding device, grindstones are applied to the lower polishing pad 12B on the lower surface plate 12 and the upper polishing pad 14B on the upper surface plate 14 of the processing unit 10 in Fig. 3. In this case, the terms "upper surface plate" and "lower surface plate" may be used as generic terms including grindstones. In addition, in the grinding process in the grinding device, for example, coolant is supplied as the grinding liquid instead of the polishing liquid. Therefore, the polishing liquid tank 30A, the polishing liquid pipe 30B, etc. in the first embodiment can be appropriately read as a coolant tank, a coolant pipe, etc., respectively. Note that the processing liquid in the grinding process is not limited to coolant, and other liquids may be used as long as they are supplied between the upper and lower plates.

[0086] When the processing unit is a grinding device, the grinding fluid remaining on the surface of the disk-shaped substrate is removed by the cleaning fluid. Then, as in the first to third embodiments, the cleaning fluid W remaining in the storage hole 52A of 52 when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded is discharged by the processing fluid discharge mechanism. This makes it possible to prevent the disk-shaped substrate to be loaded next in the storage hole 52A from coming off the storage hole 52A due to the remaining cleaning fluid W.

[0087] (Manufacturing method) The method for producing a ground disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure includes steps similar to the steps (A), (B), (C), and (D) in the method for producing a ground disk-shaped substrate according to the first and second embodiments, and specifically includes the following steps in a grinding device: (A1) a step of disposing a carrier for accommodating a disk-shaped substrate between a lower surface plate and an upper surface plate; (B1) a step of processing the disk-shaped substrate by sandwiching the disk-shaped substrate between a lower surface plate and an upper surface plate and supplying a grinding fluid between the lower surface plate and the upper surface plate; (C1) a step of supplying a cleaning fluid for cleaning the grinding fluid; (D1) a step of discharging cleaning liquid remaining in a storage hole of a carrier when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded thereon by a grinding processing liquid discharge mechanism; It may include.

[0088] The method for producing a ground disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure includes the following steps, which correspond to step (A) including the treatment (a) in the method for producing a polished disk-shaped substrate according to the third embodiment: (A1a) a step of disposing a carrier for accommodating a disk-shaped substrate between a lower platen and an upper platen, the step including a process of discharging a cleaning liquid remaining in an accommodation hole of the carrier when no disk-shaped substrate is loaded thereon, by a treatment liquid discharge mechanism; and the above steps (B1) and (C1).

[0089] The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure may include, for example, the steps (A1), (B1), (C1), and (D1) in the method for manufacturing a ground disk-shaped substrate described above as processing steps in a grinding apparatus, and the steps (A), (B), (C), and (D) in the first and second embodiments as processing steps in a polishing apparatus. The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to the present disclosure may include, for example, the steps (A1a), (B1), and (C1) in the method for manufacturing a ground disk-shaped substrate described above as processing steps in a grinding apparatus, and the steps (A), (B), and (C) in the third embodiment as processing steps in a polishing apparatus. This allows for an efficient production of a ground and polished disk-shaped substrate while obtaining over time both the advantages of the method for manufacturing a ground disk-shaped substrate and the advantages of the method for manufacturing a polished disk-shaped substrate.

[0090] The present disclosure may be formed, for example, by partially combining the respective configurations included in the above-mentioned multiple embodiments. For example, when rough polishing and finish polishing are combined in the polishing process, the respective cleaning liquids can be discharged by rotating the carrier as in the first embodiment after the rough polishing, and by spraying air as in the second embodiment after the finish polishing. In this way, the cleaning liquid can be discharged multiple times during one polishing or grinding process, thereby improving the cleaning liquid removal effect. A partial combination of the respective configurations included in the multiple embodiments can also be adopted when the processing step in the grinding device and the processing step in the polishing device are continuous. In each embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier is discharged to the outside of the storage hole by the processing liquid discharge mechanism, but the object to be discharged in the present disclosure is not limited to the cleaning liquid. The processing liquid of the present disclosure may be any processing liquid such as polishing liquid, grinding liquid, cleaning water, coolant, etc., used in or related to polishing processing.

[0091] The present disclosure includes various embodiments not described above, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is defined by the invention-specifying matters in the claims that are appropriate from the above description. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 Disk-shaped substrate manufacturing device 10 Processing section 12 Lower surface plate (rotating mechanism) 14 Upper surface plate 16 Sun gear (rotating mechanism) 18 Internal gear (rotating mechanism) 30 polishing liquid supply unit (processing liquid supply unit) 41 first air supply system (air injection mechanism) 44 Control section 52 Carrier 52A Storage hole 73 Air 90 Loader section (transfer device) 91 Air nozzle 98 Unloader section (transfer device) A1 Processing liquid discharge mechanism A2 Processing liquid discharge mechanism W Cleaning liquid (processing liquid)

Claims

1. A carrier having a storage hole into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded, a lower surface plate on which the carrier is placed, an upper surface plate disposed above the lower surface plate so as to be capable of approaching or being separated from the lower surface plate; a processing liquid supplying section for supplying a processing liquid related to a grinding process or a polishing process between the lower surface plate and the upper surface plate; a treatment liquid discharge mechanism that discharges the treatment liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising: A rotation mechanism that rotates the carrier; a control unit connected to the rotation mechanism and configured to rotate the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, the control unit and the rotation mechanism constitute the treatment liquid discharge mechanism. Manufacturing equipment for disc-shaped substrates.

2. A carrier having a storage hole into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded, a lower surface plate on which the carrier is placed, an upper surface plate disposed above the lower surface plate so as to be capable of approaching or being separated from the lower surface plate; a processing liquid supplying section for supplying a processing liquid related to a grinding process or a polishing process between the lower surface plate and the upper surface plate; a treatment liquid discharge mechanism that discharges the treatment liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising: an air injection mechanism that injects air toward the carrier; a control unit connected to the air injection mechanism and configured to inject air toward the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, the control unit and the air injection mechanism constitute the treatment liquid discharge mechanism. Manufacturing equipment for disc-shaped substrates.

3. the air jetting mechanism has an air supply system that supplies separation air for separating the disk-shaped substrate; The apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 2 .

4. The apparatus further includes a transfer device for transferring the disk-shaped substrate, The transfer device has an air nozzle as the air injection mechanism. The apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 2 .

5. A carrier having a storage hole into which a disk-shaped substrate is loaded, a lower surface plate on which the carrier is placed, an upper surface plate disposed above the lower surface plate so as to be capable of approaching or being separated from the lower surface plate; a processing liquid supplying section for supplying a processing liquid related to a grinding process or a polishing process between the lower surface plate and the upper surface plate; a treatment liquid discharge mechanism that discharges the treatment liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded; An apparatus for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising: the treatment liquid discharge mechanism includes a suction mechanism having a suction port that opens opposite the storage hole of the carrier, the suction mechanism sucks the processing liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded in the storage hole, thereby discharging the processing liquid. Manufacturing equipment for disc-shaped substrates.

6. a step of sandwiching the disk-shaped substrate between a lower surface plate and an upper surface plate, the lower surface plate having a carrier having a storage hole into which the disk-shaped substrate is loaded, and polishing or grinding the disk-shaped substrate while supplying a processing liquid; a step of ejecting the processing liquid remaining in the storage hole of the carrier by spraying air toward the carrier when the disk-shaped substrate is not loaded thereon; A method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising:

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