Processing equipment

Abstract

To prevent leakage of mist-like grinding water from a processing chamber without using a bellows cover.SOLUTION: A processing device includes: a chuck table having a holding surface which suctions and holds a workpiece; a processing unit which has a spindle disposed along a vertical direction, a spindle housing which rotatably holds the spindle, and a discoid mount part fixed to a lower end part of the spindle protruding to an area below the spindle housing and which processes the workpiece suctioned and held by the holding surface with a processing tool attached to the lower surface side of the mount part; a processing chamber cover including a top plate having an opening into which a lower end part of the spindle housing is inserted, the processing chamber cover covering the processing chamber in which the chuck table and the mount part are disposed; and a fluid supply unit having a nozzle which supplies a fluid to a gap between the spindle housing and the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device for processing a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] One aspect of processing workpieces such as semiconductor wafers is grinding of the workpiece. When grinding a workpiece, a grinding device is used. The grinding device has a disk-shaped chuck table that holds the workpiece by suction. A grinding unit is disposed above the chuck table. The grinding unit has a cylindrical spindle housing.

[0003] The spindle housing is disposed, for example, such that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the height direction of the grinding device. The spindle housing rotatably accommodates a part of the cylindrical spindle, and the upper surface side of the disk-shaped wheel mount is fixed to the lower end of the spindle. An annular grinding wheel is attached to the lower surface side of the wheel mount.

[0004] In order to limit the scattering of mist-like grinding water containing grinding debris to a predetermined area when grinding the workpiece, the chuck table, wheel mount, and grinding wheel are placed in a processing chamber covered with a processing chamber cover. The processing chamber cover has a top plate and side plates arranged to surround the outer periphery of the top plate.

[0005] The top plate has an opening with a diameter larger than that of the grinding wheel. When the grinding unit is raised and lowered along the height direction of the grinding device by a processing feed mechanism connected to the grinding unit, the grinding wheel enters and leaves the processing chamber through the opening.

[0006] When grinding a workpiece, mist-like grinding water containing grinding debris is generated. In order to prevent this mist-like grinding water from leaking out of the machining chamber from the opening, it is conceivable to provide a bellows cover (see, for example, Patent Document 1) between the bottom end of the spindle housing and the top plate, which can expand and contract in accordance with the movement of the spindle housing.

[0007] However, the grinding chips contained in the grinding water, along with the mist of grinding water, adhere to the inside of the bellows cover. Therefore, when the bellows cover is retracted to replace the grinding wheel, etc., the grinding chips adhering to the inside of the bellows cover may fall and scatter into the machining chamber.

[0008] If the scattered grinding debris adheres to the holding surface of the chuck table, defects such as cracking of the workpiece during grinding may occur. In addition to the above-mentioned chuck table, the processing chamber is also equipped with a grinding water supply nozzle for supplying grinding water such as pure water during grinding, a thickness measurement mechanism for measuring the thickness of the workpiece during grinding, and the like.

[0009] If the scattered grinding debris adheres to the grinding water supply nozzle, it causes a malfunction in which the grinding water is not supplied to the targeted position, and if the scattered grinding debris adheres to the thickness measurement mechanism, it causes a malfunction in which the thickness of the workpiece cannot be measured accurately.

[0010] Furthermore, there is a risk that the bellows cover may be torn due to friction during expansion and contraction, or by being pierced by scattered pieces of the workpiece. If the bellows cover is torn, mist-like grinding water containing grinding debris will leak out of the processing chamber, contaminating the inside of the grinding device located outside the processing chamber. For example, if grinding debris adheres to the transport mechanism for the workpiece, problems such as cracking of the workpiece during transport will occur. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-80823 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to prevent leakage of mist-like grinding water from the machining chamber without using the above-mentioned bellows cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing device for processing a workpiece, the processing device comprising: a chuck table having a holding surface for suction-holding the workpiece, a spindle arranged along a vertical direction, a spindle housing for rotatably holding the spindle, and a disk-shaped mount portion fixed to a lower end of the spindle protruding downward from the spindle housing, the processing unit processing the workpiece held by suction on the holding surface with a processing tool attached to the underside of the mount portion, and a top plate having an opening into which the lower end of the spindle housing is inserted, the processing unit including a processing chamber cover covering a processing chamber in which the chuck table, the mount portion and the processing tool are arranged, and a processing unit provided in a gap between the spindle housing and the opening. air One or more supplies 1. a fluid supply unit having a nozzle; a ring fixed to the machining chamber cover so as to surround an outer periphery of the spindle housing; Equipped with The ring has an inner circumferential surface that is inclined inward in the radial direction of the ring as it progresses from the top end of the ring to the bottom surface of the ring, and the inner circumferential surface defines an inverted truncated cone-shaped space. The one or more first nozzles supply air from above the ring to between the ring and the spindle housing, and the air supplied from the one or more first nozzles is supplied to the processing chamber through the gap between the ring and the spindle housing. A processing apparatus is provided.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a processing device for processing a workpiece includes a chuck table having a holding surface for suction-holding the workpiece, a spindle arranged along the vertical direction, a spindle housing for rotatably holding the spindle, and a disk-shaped mount portion fixed to a lower end of the spindle protruding downward from the spindle housing, and includes a processing unit for processing the workpiece held by suction on the holding surface with a processing tool attached to the underside of the mount portion, a processing chamber cover including a top plate having an opening into which the lower end of the spindle housing is inserted, and covering a processing chamber in which the chuck table, the mount portion, and the processing tool are arranged, and a fluid supply unit having one or more nozzles for supplying a fluid to a gap between the spindle housing and the opening. A ring fixed to the machining chamber cover so as to surround the outer periphery of the spindle housing. And, The one or more nozzles have a second nozzle that supplies water as the fluid, and at least the ring and the spindle housing form a water tank that temporarily stores the water supplied from the second nozzle, and the gap is sealed by the water injected from the water tank into the processing chamber. Processing equipment is provided . Effect of the Invention

[0017] A processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a fluid supply unit having one or more nozzles that supply fluid to a gap between a spindle housing and an opening into which the spindle housing is inserted. By supplying fluid to the gap from one or more nozzles, it is possible to prevent mist-like grinding water from leaking outside the processing chamber without using a bellows cover. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a grinding device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the grinding device. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view of a grinding device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] An embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a grinding device (processing device) 2 according to a first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a partially sectional side view of the grinding device 2. The X-axis direction (front-back direction), Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction (up-down direction) shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are perpendicular to each other.

[0020] The grinding device 2 is of a manual type in which the workpiece 11 is loaded and unloaded by an operator. However, the grinding device 2 may be of a fully automatic type in which the workpiece 11 is loaded and unloaded, as well as grinding and cleaning are automatically performed.

[0021] The grinding device 2 has a base 4 that supports the components of the grinding device 2. A rectangular opening 4a with its longitudinal portion aligned along the X-axis direction is formed on the upper surface of the base 4. A ball screw type X-axis movement mechanism 6 is provided below the opening 4a.

[0022] In addition, the position of the X-axis movement mechanism 6 is shown in Fig. 1. The X-axis movement mechanism 6 and the like will now be described with reference to Fig. 2. The X-axis movement mechanism 6 has a pair of guide rails 8 arranged approximately parallel to the X-axis direction. One of the guide rails 8 is shown in Fig. 2.

[0023] An X-axis moving plate 10 is slidably attached on the pair of guide rails 8. A nut portion 12 is provided on the lower surface side of the X-axis moving plate 10. A ball screw 14 is rotatably connected to the nut portion 12, the ball screw 14 being disposed between the pair of guide rails 8 and approximately parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0024] A driving source 16 such as a stepping motor is connected to one end of the ball screw 14. When the driving source 16 is operated, the X-axis moving plate 10 moves along the X-axis direction. A rotation driving source (not shown) such as a motor is provided on the upper portion of the X-axis moving plate 10.

[0025] A rotating body having a driven pulley 18 at its lower end is disposed above the X-axis moving plate 10. The upper end of the rotating body is connected to the lower surface side of a disk-shaped chuck table 22 via a through hole (not shown) in the table base 20.

[0026] An endless belt (not shown) is stretched between the driven pulley 18 and a drive pulley (not shown) connected to a rotation drive source, and when the rotation drive source is operated, the chuck table 22 rotates around a predetermined rotation axis 18a.

[0027] The chuck table 22 is rotatably supported by the table base 20 via a bearing (not shown). The table base 20 is supported on the surface of the X-axis moving plate 10 by a tilt adjustment mechanism (not shown).

[0028] The tilt adjustment mechanism has one fixed shaft (not shown) and two movable shafts 18b, each of which can change its length along the Z-axis direction, and is capable of adjusting the tilt of the table base 20 and the chuck table 22.

[0029] The chuck table 22 has a disk-shaped frame 24 made of ceramics or the like. A disk-shaped recess is formed on the upper surface side of the frame 24. A plurality of flow paths (not shown) are formed radially on the bottom surface of the recess of the frame 24.

[0030] Further, a central flow passage (not shown) is formed in the frame 24 so as to penetrate the center of the bottom surface of the frame 24. One end of the central flow passage is connected to the above-mentioned multiple flow passages arranged radially, and the other end of the central flow passage is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as a vacuum pump.

[0031] A circular porous plate 26 made of porous ceramics is fixed in the recess of the frame 24. The porous plate 26 has a substantially flat bottom surface and a conical upper surface with the center portion slightly protruding compared to the outer periphery. Negative pressure is transmitted to the upper surface of the porous plate 26 from a suction source.

[0032] The upper surface of the porous plate 26 and the upper surface of the frame 24 are substantially flush with each other, forming a holding surface 22a that suction-holds the workpiece 11. A portion of the holding surface 22a is adjusted by the inclination adjustment mechanism described above so as to be substantially parallel to the XY plane.

[0033] The chuck table 22 moves between a carry-in / carry-out area A1 located in front of the opening 4a (one side in the X-axis direction) and a grinding area A2 located behind the opening 4a (the other side in the X-axis direction). As shown in Fig. 1, a disk-shaped workpiece 11 is placed on the chuck table 22 arranged in the carry-in / carry-out area A1.

[0034] The workpiece 11 is, for example, a disk-shaped silicon wafer with a plurality of devices (not shown) formed on the surface 11a side. However, the workpiece 11 may be formed of a compound such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN), or may be formed of other materials.

[0035] A resin protective tape 13 is attached to the front surface 11a of the workpiece 11. When the front surface 11a is suction-held by the holding surface 22a via the protective tape 13, the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is exposed upward.

[0036] A rectangular table cover 28 is provided around the chuck table 22 to expose the holding surface 22a. Dust-proof and drip-proof covers 30 that are extendable and contractible in the X-axis direction are provided on both sides of the table cover 28 in the X-axis direction.

[0037] A square pillar-shaped column 32 is provided on the rear side of the opening 4a. A grinding feed mechanism (processing feed mechanism) 34 is provided on the front side of the column 32. The grinding feed mechanism 34 has a pair of rails 36 fixed to the front surface of the column 32.

[0038] A Z-axis moving plate 40 is slidably attached to each rail 36 via a slider 38 (see FIG. 2). A nut portion 42 is provided on the rear side of the Z-axis moving plate 40. A ball screw 44 is provided between the pair of rails 36 along the Z-axis direction and is rotatably connected to the nut portion 42.

[0039] A driving source 46 such as a stepping motor is connected to the upper end of the ball screw 44. When the ball screw 44 is rotated by the driving source 46, the Z-axis moving plate 40 moves along the rail 36 in the Z-axis direction.

[0040] A grinding unit (processing unit) 48 is fixed to the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate 40 in a manner that allows it to move in the Z-axis direction by the grinding feed mechanism 34. The grinding unit 48 has a cylindrical holding member 50 fixed to the front surface of the Z-axis moving plate 40.

[0041] A cylindrical spindle housing 52 arranged substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction is disposed inside the holding member 50. A part of a columnar spindle 54 (see FIG. 2) arranged along the Z-axis direction is rotatably held inside the spindle housing 52.

[0042] A rotation drive source 54a such as a motor is provided at the upper end of the spindle 54. The lower end of the spindle 54 protrudes downward beyond the lower end of the spindle housing 52, and a disk-shaped wheel mount (mount portion) 56 is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 54.

[0043] An annular grinding wheel (machining tool) 58 is attached by a fixing member (not shown) such as a screw to the underside of the wheel mount 56. The grinding wheel 58 has an annular wheel base 58a made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and a plurality of grinding stones 58b fixed to the underside of the wheel base 58a.

[0044] The grinding wheels 58b are arranged in a ring shape along the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the wheel base 58a with a gap between adjacent grinding wheels 58b. The grinding wheels 58b are formed by mixing abrasive grains such as diamond and cBN (cubic boron nitride) with a binder such as metal, ceramics, or resin, and then molding and firing the mixture.

[0045] A grinding water supply nozzle (not shown) for supplying grinding water such as pure water is provided below the grinding unit 48. A grinding water supply source (not shown) is connected to the grinding water supply nozzle via a predetermined conduit (not shown).

[0046] During grinding, grinding water is supplied from the grinding water supply nozzle to the grinding wheel 58b, causing mist-like grinding water containing grinding debris to scatter around. In order to reduce the range of scattering of this mist-like grinding water, a rectangular parallelepiped processing chamber cover 60 is provided in the grinding area A2.

[0047] 3 is a perspective view of the machining chamber cover 60 etc. The machining chamber cover 60 has a rectangular top plate 62. The top plate 62 is formed with an opening 62a having a diameter capable of inserting the spindle housing 52. In this embodiment, the diameter of the opening 62a is larger than the diameter of the spindle housing 52 and smaller than the diameter of the grinding wheel 58 (see FIG. 2).

[0048] However, the diameter of the spindle housing 52 may be approximately the same as the diameter of the grinding wheel 58. In one example, the diameters of the spindle housing 52 and the grinding wheel 58 are approximately the same (e.g., 313 mm), and the outer diameter of the multiple grinding stones 58b is a predetermined diameter (e.g., 300 mm) smaller than the diameter of the grinding wheel 58. In this case, the diameter of the opening 62a is larger than the diameter of the spindle housing 52.

[0049] A front plate 64, side plates 66a, 66b, and a back plate 68 are connected to the outer periphery of the top plate 62 in a manner that protrudes downward from the top plate 62. The side plates 66a, 66b and the front plate 64 are connected to each other, and the side plates 66a, 66b and the back plate 68 are also connected to each other.

[0050] The front plate 64 is formed with a rectangular cutout 64a to allow the chuck table 22 to enter and exit. The upper end of the cutout 64a is located higher than the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11, the front surface 11a of which is held by the holding surface 22a.

[0051] The space defined by the processing chamber cover 60, the table cover 28, etc., becomes a processing chamber 60a (see FIG. 2). In the processing chamber 60a covered by the processing chamber cover 60, the wheel mount 56, the grinding wheel 58, the chuck table 22, etc. are arranged.

[0052] The machining chamber 60a can be opened when replacing the grinding wheel 58 or when performing maintenance on the grinding device 2. For example, the machining chamber cover 60 is configured to be disassembled, and during maintenance, the machining chamber 60a can be opened by disassembling the machining chamber cover 60.

[0053] A resin ring 70 having an inverted truncated cone-shaped space in the center is fixed around the opening 62a on the upper surface of the top plate 62. For convenience, the ring 70 is omitted in FIG.

[0054] The inner diameter of the bottom surface 70a of the ring 70 is approximately equal to the diameter of the opening 62a. The diameter of the top end 70b of the ring 70 is larger than the inner diameter of the bottom surface 70a. In other words, the inner peripheral surface of the ring 70 is an inclined surface 70c that is inclined radially inward from the top end 70b to the bottom surface 70a. The height from the bottom surface 70a to the top end 70b of the ring 70 is, for example, 20 mm.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 2, when the spindle housing 52 is inserted into the opening 62a, an annular gap 72 is defined between the edge of the opening 62a and the outer circumferential side surface of the lower end portion 52a of the spindle housing 52.

[0056] Furthermore, by the ring 70 surrounding the outer periphery of the spindle housing 52, a predetermined space is formed by the inclined surface 70c of the ring 70 and the outer periphery side surface of the lower end portion 52a of the spindle housing 52.

[0057] The lower end 52a of the spindle housing 52 refers to a predetermined area on the lower end side of the spindle housing 52, and includes, for example, an area located lower than the middle position of the spindle housing 52 in the longitudinal direction.

[0058] The distance between the upper end 70b of the ring 70 and the outer peripheral side surface of the lower end portion 52a of the spindle housing 52 is, for example, 16 mm, and the distance between the inner peripheral edge of the bottom surface 70a of the ring 70 and the outer peripheral side surface is, for example, 2 mm.

[0059] A plurality of nozzles (first nozzles) 74 for injecting (supplying) air (fluid) 74a toward the gap 72 are provided above the gap 72. The plurality of nozzles 74 are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the radial direction of the ring 70. A conduit 76 is connected to each nozzle 74.

[0060] Further, a first solenoid valve (not shown) is provided in the conduit 76. The multiple nozzles 74, the conduit 76, the first solenoid valve, etc. constitute an air supply unit (fluid supply unit) 78. An air supply source 78a is connected to the conduit 76.

[0061] The air supply source 78a includes, for example, a compressor (not shown) for compressing air, an air tank (not shown) for storing the compressed air, and a filter (not shown) for removing dust from the air when the compressed air is supplied from the air tank.

[0062] The operation of the air supply unit 78 is controlled by a control unit 80 (see FIG. 1). For example, the control unit 80 causes each nozzle 74 to spray air 74a adjusted to the same temperature as room temperature (e.g., about 25° C.) from the start of operation of the spindle 54 until a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation of the spindle 54 is stopped.

[0063] The flow rate of the air 74a injected from all the nozzles 74 between the ring 70 and the lower end 52a of the spindle housing 52 is set to a predetermined value, for example, not less than 10 L / min and not more than 20 L / min.

[0064] This allows a flow of air 74a to be formed in the machining chamber 60a, flowing downward through the gap 72 from between the ring 70 and the lower end 52a, thereby preventing mist-like grinding water from leaking outside the machining chamber 60a without the need for a conventional bellows cover.

[0065] As long as the air 74a can be supplied to the entire gap 72, a single nozzle 74 may be disposed instead of the multiple nozzles 74. The control unit 80 controls the operation of the air supply unit 78, as well as the chuck table 22, the rotary drive source, the X-axis moving mechanism 6, the grinding feed mechanism 34, the grinding water supply nozzle, and the like.

[0066] The control unit 80 is composed of a computer including, for example, a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary memory device such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive, or a solid state drive.

[0067] The auxiliary storage device stores software including a predetermined program. The functions of the control unit 80 are realized by operating the processor and the like in accordance with this software.

[0068] Next, an example of a grinding procedure will be described. First, the workpiece 11 is placed on the chuck table 22 arranged in the carry-in / carry-out area A1, and the front surface 11a side is suction-held by the holding surface 22a. Then, the chuck table 22 is moved to the grinding area A2, and grinding of the back surface 11b side is started.

[0069] During grinding, the chuck table 22 is rotated around the rotation axis 18a. In addition, the spindle 54 is rotated while grinding water is supplied from the grinding water supply nozzle, and the grinding unit 48 is fed downward at a predetermined grinding feed speed by the grinding feed mechanism 34 (in-feed grinding).

[0070] When the grinding wheel 58b comes into contact with the back surface 11b, the back surface 11b is ground (processed). During grinding, mist-like grinding water containing grinding debris fills the machining chamber 60a. The mist-like grinding water filling the machining chamber 60a is sucked to a certain extent by a suction device (not shown) through a predetermined suction duct (not shown) attached to the machining chamber cover 60.

[0071] However, even if the machining chamber 60a is suctioned by the suction device, the mist of grinding water cannot be completely sucked out, and therefore there is a possibility that the mist of grinding water may leak out of the machining chamber 60a through the gap 72.

[0072] In contrast, in this embodiment, a flow of air 74a is formed that moves downward through the gap 72, so that it is possible to prevent the mist-like grinding water from leaking out of the machining chamber 60a. In particular, by forming the space in the center of the ring 70 into an inverted truncated cone shape, the air 74a sprayed from each nozzle 74 can be supplied to the gap 72 more reliably than in the case where the ring 70 is not provided.

[0073] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a grinding device 2 according to the second embodiment. The grinding device 2 of the second embodiment has a plurality of nozzles (second nozzles) 84 each of which sprays (supplies) pure water (fluid) 84a, instead of the plurality of nozzles 74 each of which sprays air 74a.

[0074] The multiple nozzles 84 are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the radial direction of the ring 70. A conduit 86 is connected to each nozzle 84. A second solenoid valve (not shown) is provided in the conduit 86.

[0075] The multiple nozzles 84, the conduit 86, the second solenoid valve, etc. constitute a pure water supply unit (fluid supply unit) 88. A pure water supply source 88a is connected to the pure water supply unit 88. The pure water supply source 88a is, for example, a constant temperature water supply device.

[0076] The constant temperature water supply device includes a tank (not shown) for storing pure water, a pump (not shown) for supplying the pure water from the tank to the conduit 86, a cooler for cooling the pure water, and a heater for heating the pure water.

[0077] Since both the pure water supply source 88a and the grinding water supply source (not shown) supply the same pure water 84a, one of the pure water supply source 88a and the grinding water supply source (not shown) may be connected to the grinding device 2. Combining the supply sources of the pure water 84a into one contributes to saving space for the devices arranged in the clean room.

[0078] The operation of the pure water supply unit 88 is controlled by the control unit 80. For example, the control unit 80 causes each nozzle 74 to spray pure water 84a adjusted to the same temperature as the grinding water (e.g., 23° C.) from the start of operation of the spindle 54 until a predetermined time has elapsed after the operation of the spindle 54 is stopped.

[0079] The flow rate of the pure water 84a sprayed from all the nozzles 84 between the ring 70 and the lower end 52a of the spindle housing 52 is set to a predetermined value, for example, not less than 2 L / min and not more than 3 L / min.

[0080] In this embodiment, the inclined surface 70c of the ring 70 and the outer circumferential side surface of the lower end portion 52a of the spindle housing 52 form a water tank 90 for temporarily storing the pure water 84a sprayed from the nozzle 84.

[0081] Since the gap 72 is sealed by the pure water 84a injected from the water tank 90 into the machining chamber 60a, it is possible to prevent the mist-like grinding water from leaking outside the machining chamber 60a without using a conventional bellows cover.

[0082] In the second embodiment, as long as the gap 72 can be sealed with the pure water 84a, a single nozzle 84 may be disposed instead of the multiple nozzles 84. Also, the ring 70 may have a cylindrical space in the center instead of the inverted truncated cone space. In this case, the inner peripheral surface of the ring 70 is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the bottom surface 70a, rather than the inclined surface 70c.

[0083] (First Modification) Next, a modification applicable to the first and second embodiments will be described. The grinding device 2 may be provided with one or more nozzles 74, conduits 76, a first solenoid valve, and an air supply source 78a, and one or more nozzles 84, conduits 86, a second solenoid valve, and a pure water supply source 88a.

[0084] This allows the air 74a and the pure water 84a to be used appropriately when grinding the workpiece 11. For example, air 74a is sprayed from the nozzle 74 during warm-up when the amount of mist-like grinding water in the processing chamber 60a is relatively small, and during a waiting time from the end of the operation of the spindle 54 until a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0085] Generally, using pure water 84a is more expensive than using air 74a, so by using only air 74a during the above-mentioned warm-up and waiting times, the consumption of pure water 84a can be reduced, thereby reducing the running costs of the grinding device 2.

[0086] On the other hand, since the amount of mist-like grinding water in the machining chamber 60a is relatively large from after the warm-up to the end of the operation of the spindle 54, the pure water 84a, which has a higher sealing performance than the air 74a, is used. This can reliably prevent the mist-like grinding water from leaking out of the machining chamber 60a compared to the case where only the air 74a is used.

[0087] (Second Modification) Instead of fixing the ring 70 around the opening 62a on the upper surface of the top plate 62, the ring 70 may be fixed around the opening 62a on the lower surface of the top plate 62. In this case, however, the diameter of the opening 62a is made approximately the same as the diameter of the upper end 70b of the ring 70.

[0088] The distance between the inner peripheral edge of the bottom surface 70a of the ring 70 and the outer peripheral side surface of the lower end portion 52a of the spindle housing 52 is, for example, 2 mm. In addition, the structures, methods, etc. according to the above-mentioned embodiments can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0089] For example, air 74a or pure water 84a can be supplied to the gap 72 in a grinding device (not shown) that performs creep feed grinding, or in a polishing device (not shown) in which a polishing pad (machining tool) is attached to the wheel mount 56 and the workpiece 11 is polished.

[0090] This makes it possible to prevent mist-like grinding water, mist-like polishing liquid, or dust generated during dry polishing from leaking out of the processing chamber 60a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 2: grinding device (processing device), 4: base, 4a: opening 6: X-axis movement mechanism, 8: guide rail 10: X-axis moving plate, 12: nut part, 14: ball screw, 16: driving source 11: Workpiece, 11a: Front surface, 11b: Back surface, 13: Protective tape 18: driven pulley, 18a: rotating shaft, 18b: movable shaft, 20: table base 22: chuck table, 22a: holding surface, 24: frame, 26: porous plate 28: Table cover, 30: Dust-proof / water-resistant cover 32: column, 34: grinding feed mechanism, 36: rail, 38: slider, 40: Z-axis moving plate 42: Nut portion, 44: Ball screw, 46: Drive source 48: Grinding unit (processing unit), 50: Holding member 52: spindle housing, 52a: lower end 54: spindle, 54a: rotation drive source, 56: wheel mount (mounting part) 58: Grinding wheel (machining tool), 58a: Wheel base, 58b: Grinding stone 60: processing chamber cover, 60a: processing chamber, 62: top plate, 62a: opening 64: front panel, 64a: notch, 66a, 66b: side panels, 68: back panel 70: ring, 70a: bottom surface, 70b: top end, 70c: inclined surface, 72: gap 74: nozzle (first nozzle), 74a: air (fluid), 76: conduit 78: air supply unit (fluid supply unit), 78a: air supply source 80: Control unit 84: nozzle (second nozzle), 84a: pure water (fluid), 86: conduit 88: pure water supply unit (fluid supply unit), 88a: pure water supply source, 90: water tank A1: Loading / unloading area, A2: Grinding area

Claims

1. A processing device for processing a workpiece, comprising: a chuck table having a holding surface for suction-holding the workpiece; a processing unit including a spindle arranged along a vertical direction, a spindle housing for rotatably holding the spindle, and a disk-shaped mount portion fixed to a lower end of the spindle protruding downward from the spindle housing, the processing unit processing the workpiece held by suction on the holding surface with a processing tool attached to the underside of the mount portion; a machining chamber cover including a top plate having an opening into which a lower end portion of the spindle housing is inserted, the machining chamber cover covering the machining chamber in which the chuck table, the mount portion, and the machining tool are disposed; a fluid supply unit having one or more first nozzles for supplying air to a gap between the spindle housing and the opening; a ring fixed to the machining chamber cover so as to surround an outer periphery of the spindle housing; Equipped with the ring has an inner circumferential surface that is inclined inwardly in a radial direction of the ring from an upper end of the ring to a bottom surface of the ring, the inner circumferential surface defining an inverted truncated cone-shaped space; The one or more first nozzles supply air from above the ring to between the ring and the spindle housing, and the air supplied from the one or more first nozzles is supplied from between the ring and the spindle housing through the gap to the processing chamber.

2. A processing device for processing a workpiece, comprising: a chuck table having a holding surface for suction-holding the workpiece; a processing unit including a spindle arranged along a vertical direction, a spindle housing for rotatably holding the spindle, and a disk-shaped mount portion fixed to a lower end of the spindle protruding downward from the spindle housing, the processing unit processing the workpiece held by suction on the holding surface with a processing tool attached to the underside of the mount portion; a machining chamber cover including a top plate having an opening into which a lower end portion of the spindle housing is inserted, the machining chamber cover covering the machining chamber in which the chuck table, the mount portion, and the machining tool are disposed; a fluid supply unit having one or more nozzles for supplying fluid to a gap between the spindle housing and the opening; a ring fixed to the processing chamber cover so as to surround an outer periphery of the spindle housing; the one or more nozzles include a second nozzle that provides water as the fluid; At least the ring and the spindle housing constitute a water tank for temporarily storing the water supplied from the second nozzle; The processing apparatus is characterized in that the gap is sealed by the water injected from the water tank into the processing chamber.

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