Rod-shaped substrate cleaning device

Abstract

To efficiently clean a rod-like substrate at low cost.SOLUTION: A rod-like substrate cleaning device 8 for cleaning a rod-like substrate comprises: a cleaning tank 146 that has, at an upper end thereof, an opening larger than a planar shape of a storage tray which stores both end parts of the rod-like substrate in a pair of storage grooves respectively, and thus, can store the rod-like substrate in the state that a surface other than both end parts is exposed, and in which cleaning fluid can be stored; and a conveyance unit 106 which conveys the storage tray, causes the storage tray to enter the cleaning tank 146 from the opening of the cleaning tank 146 in which the cleaning liquid is stored, and immerses the storage tray in the cleaning liquid. Preferably, the conveyance unit 106 has a gripping part which grips the storage tray by a pair of claw parts which relatively moves along a lengthwise direction of the storage tray. Further, preferably, the conveyance unit comprises a falling prevention part which presses the storage tray from above, prevents falling of the rod-like substrate stored in the storage tray from the storage tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device capable of cleaning a rod-shaped substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] A substrate called an AlTiC substrate is used in the manufacture of magnetic heads used to read information recorded on magnetic disks used in recording media such as hard disk drives (HDDs). The AlTiC substrate is made of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) and titanium carbide (TiC), then polishing the surface to form the material.

[0003] For example, a rectangular AlTiC substrate is provided with a plurality of parallel dividing lines, a thin film layer is formed on the surface of the AlTiC substrate in each area partitioned by the dividing lines, and the AlTiC substrate is cut along the dividing lines to obtain rod-shaped substrates. The cut surfaces of the resulting rod-shaped substrates are rough, so polishing of the sides of the rod-shaped substrates is required. Thus, a cutting and polishing device has been developed that can cut a rectangular substrate into rod-shaped substrates and polish the sides of the resulting rod-shaped substrates (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-36939 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The rod-shaped substrates obtained using this cutting and polishing apparatus need to be cleaned. Conventionally, an operator would attach the rod-shaped substrates one by one to an adhesive tape and clean each rod-shaped substrate. At this time, one side of each rod-shaped substrate is attached to the adhesive tape, and the other side of each rod-shaped substrate is cleaned. Therefore, in order to clean the one side of each rod-shaped substrate, it was necessary to peel each rod-shaped substrate from the adhesive tape after cleaning the other side of each rod-shaped substrate, and then apply a new adhesive tape to the other side of each rod-shaped substrate.

[0006] That is, cleaning of the rod-shaped substrate requires manpower, a large number of adhesive tapes, and a large number of steps, which means that cleaning of the rod-shaped substrate requires huge financial and time costs.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus capable of cleaning rod-shaped substrates efficiently at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device for cleaning a rod-shaped substrate includes a cleaning tank having an opening at an upper end that is larger than a planar shape of a storage tray that can store the rod-shaped substrate in a state in which both ends of the rod-shaped substrate are stored in a pair of storage grooves, respectively, with the surface other than the both ends exposed, and a transport unit that transports the storage tray, enters the storage tray into the cleaning tank through the opening of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored, and immerses the storage tray in the cleaning liquid. The transport unit includes a gripping section including a front gripping section and a rear gripping section each having a claw section, and a drop prevention section that holds the storage tray from above to prevent the rod-shaped substrates stored in the storage tray from falling off the storage tray, and the gripping section has a function of gripping the storage tray with the claw section of the front gripping section and the claw section of the rear gripping section that move relatively along the length direction of the storage tray being transported, and when the storage tray is gripped and fixed by the gripping section, the upper surface of the storage tray comes into contact with the lower surface of the drop prevention section, and the storage groove of the storage tray is blocked from above by the drop prevention section. A rod-shaped substrate cleaning device characterized by Place Provided.

[0011] Preferably, the cleaning tank is provided with an ultrasonic wave applying unit capable of applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a drying unit for drying the rod-shaped substrate cleaned with the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a storage unit for storing the rod-shaped substrate in the storage tray, The accommodation unit has a suction holder having a suction port formed on a side surface thereof, and can hold the rod-shaped substrate by suction when the rod-shaped substrate is brought into contact with the suction port of the suction holder. Effect of the Invention

[0014] A rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a storage tray capable of storing rod-shaped substrates to be cleaned, a cleaning tank capable of storing a cleaning liquid, and a transport unit for transporting the storage tray and immersing it in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank. The storage tray has a pair of storage grooves capable of storing both ends of the rod-shaped substrate, respectively, and can store the rod-shaped substrate in a state where the surface other than the both ends is exposed.

[0015] In this rod-shaped substrate cleaning device, rod-shaped substrates are stored in a storage tray, and the rod-shaped substrates together with the storage tray are immersed in a cleaning liquid by a transport unit. Since both side surfaces of the rod-shaped substrate are exposed, both side surfaces can be simultaneously brought into contact with the cleaning liquid, and both side surfaces can be simultaneously cleaned with the cleaning liquid. Therefore, both side surfaces of the rod-shaped substrate can be cleaned in a single cleaning process, and there is no need for the work of attaching the rod-shaped substrate to an adhesive tape or the work of peeling the rod-shaped substrate from the adhesive tape. In other words, the rod-shaped substrate can be cleaned easily and in a short time.

[0016] Furthermore, this rod-shaped substrate cleaning device does not require either of the two pieces of adhesive tape that were previously attached to both sides of a rod-shaped substrate, and since the storage trays for storing rod-shaped substrates can be reused, there is no need to prepare a large number of storage trays.

[0017] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus capable of cleaning a rod-shaped substrate efficiently at low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic internal configuration of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device and a rod-shaped substrate accommodating device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a containing unit. [Diagram 5] Figure 5(A) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the holding portion of the rotational movement unit and the suction holding portion of the storage unit, Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the manner in which a rod-shaped substrate held by the holding portion of the rotational movement unit is suction-held by the suction holding portion of the storage unit, and Figure 5(C) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the rod-shaped substrate being transported by the storage unit. [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a state in which an accommodating tray is placed on an accommodating tray placement stand of the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device; FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate being transported to a storage tray by a storage unit and stored in the storage tray; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a typical gripping portion of a transport unit and a storage tray for storing a plurality of rod-shaped substrates; FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(A) is a side view that shows a schematic view of a state in which a receiving tray is gripped by a gripper of a transport unit, and FIG. 9(B) is a side view that shows a schematic view of the gripper gripping the receiving tray. [Figure 10] 11 is a side view showing a schematic view of the transport unit inserting the containing tray into the cleaning tank; FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate accommodated in a container tray being cleaned in a cleaning tank. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a rod-shaped substrate accommodated in a container tray being rinsed; [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a typical state in which rod-shaped substrates stored in a storage tray are dried. 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. First, a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus incorporating a rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 that manufactures rod-shaped substrates.

[0020] The rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is composed of, for example, a rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, a rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6, and a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 cuts out rod-shaped substrates from a substrate. The rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6 accommodates a plurality of rod-shaped substrates in an accommodating tray. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 cleans the plurality of rod-shaped substrates accommodated in the accommodating tray. When the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is used, rod-shaped substrates are ultimately obtained.

[0021] The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6, and the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 each include a base 10, 14, 18 that supports each component, and an exterior cover 12, 16, 20 that accommodates each component. A touch panel display (not shown) is provided on one surface of the exterior cover 12, 16, 20, which is used to input commands to the control unit of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 and to display various information.

[0022] Furthermore, an inlet 22, which serves as a path for carrying in substrates that are raw materials for rod-shaped substrates, is provided on the front surface of the exterior cover 12 of the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4. An inlet 24, which serves as a path for carrying in empty storage trays, is provided on the front surface of the exterior cover 16 of the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6. A maintenance door 26 and a storage tray removal section 28, which serves as a path for carrying out storage trays, are provided on the front surface of the exterior cover 20 of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8.

[0023] 2 is a plan view showing a schematic internal configuration of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2. First, the rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 will be described. The rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 includes a chuck table 30 for holding the substrate 1 that is to be processed, and a processing unit 32 that processes the substrate 1 held on the chuck table 30. The processing unit 32 cuts the substrate 1 and polishes the cut surface.

[0024] The substrate 1 is, for example, an AlTiC substrate, which is the material of a magnetic head used to read information recorded on a magnetic disk used in a recording medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD). The AlTiC substrate is formed by sintering alumina and titanium carbide and polishing the surface. The substrate 1 is partitioned by a plurality of parallel division lines, and thin film layers constituting elements are formed in each area partitioned by the division lines on the surface of the substrate 1. However, the substrate 1 processed by the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is not limited to this.

[0025] The processing unit 32 includes a spindle 36 having a composite tool 38 fixed to its tip, and a spindle housing 34 that rotatably houses the base end side of the spindle 36. A rotation drive source such as a motor that rotates the spindle 36 is provided inside the spindle housing 34. The composite tool 38 includes a cutting blade 38a that cuts the substrate 1, and a polishing pad 38b that polishes the cut surface.

[0026] The cutting blade 38a is an annular member having a grinding wheel on its outer periphery. The grinding wheel is made of a binder made of a material such as metal, ceramics, or resin, and abrasive grains such as diamond dispersed and fixed in the binder. The polishing pad 38b is an annular or disk-shaped member made of a material such as resin, and may have abrasive grains dispersed and fixed therein.

[0027] 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the chuck table 30. A rotation drive source (not shown) is connected to the bottom of the chuck table 30. When this rotation drive source is operated, the chuck table 30 can be rotated around a rotation axis that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface (Z direction).

[0028] A suction holding portion (not shown) for suction-holding the substrate 1 is provided at an end of the upper surface of the chuck table 30, and the substrate 1 held by the suction holding portion is shown in Fig. 4. The width of the suction holding portion is approximately the same as the length of the substrate 1 along the planned division line.

[0029] The suction holding part is made of a porous material having a substantially flat upper surface. A suction path leading to the suction holding part is formed inside the chuck table 30. When a suction source connected to the suction path is operated to apply negative pressure to the substrate 1 via the suction path and the porous material, the substrate 1 is suction-held.

[0030] The chuck table 30 includes a moving body 40 that pushes and moves the substrate 1 via a moving jig 40a, and a driving unit 42 that moves the moving body 40 along the upper surface of the chuck table 30 (Y direction in FIG. 4). A groove 40b that movably houses a support part fixed to the bottom surface of the moving body 40 is provided on the upper surface of the chuck table 30. The driving unit 42 is, for example, a motor that serves as a drive source for moving the support part housed in the groove 40b along the groove 40b, and constitutes a ball screw type moving mechanism.

[0031] When the drive unit 42 is operated with the suction holding unit releasing the suction holding of the substrate 1, the movable body 40 moves along the groove portion 40b and pushes the substrate 1 via the movable jig 40a, thereby moving the substrate 1 toward the outside of the upper surface of the chuck table 30.

[0032] A rotational movement unit 44 that holds and moves a rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from a substrate 1 is provided at a position adjacent to the suction holding portion of the chuck table 30. The rotational movement unit 44 includes a shaft portion 46 that protrudes in the Z direction from the upper surface of the chuck table 30, a motor 50 provided inside the chuck table 30, and an L-shaped arm portion 48 having one end inserted through the shaft portion 46.

[0033] A holder 52 is provided at the tip of arm 48, which suction-holds rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from substrate 1. The lower end of shaft 46 is connected to motor 50, and operating motor 50 can rotate arm 48 around shaft 46. In other words, operating motor 50 can rotate holder 52.

[0034] The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 suction-holds the substrate 1 placed on the suction-holding portion of the chuck table 30. At this time, the position of the substrate 1 is adjusted in advance by pushing and moving the substrate 1 with the movable body 40 via the movable jig 40a so that the end of the substrate 1 opposite to the movable body 40 slightly protrudes outside the upper surface of the chuck table 30 (in the Y direction in FIG. 4).

[0035] Then, the composite tool 38 (see FIG. 2) is rotated, and the rotating polishing pad 38b (see FIG. 2) is brought into contact with the side surface of the substrate 1 opposite the movable body 40, and the side surface of the substrate 1 is polished by the polishing pad 38b. Thereafter, the cutting blade 38a of the rotating composite tool 38 is caused to cut into the substrate 1 along the intended division line, and the substrate 1 is cut.

[0036] Then, motor 50 is operated to move holding portion 52 of rotational movement unit 44 around shaft portion 46 to contact the side surface of rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from substrate 1, and rod-shaped substrate 3 is sucked and held by holding portion 52. Next, motor 50 is operated to rotate arm portion 48 270 degrees around shaft portion 46, and rod-shaped substrate 3 is moved as shown in Fig. 4. The cut surface of rod-shaped substrate 3 is then exposed in the X direction in Fig. 4.

[0037] Then, the chuck table 30 is rotated 90 degrees, and the cut surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is brought into contact with the polishing pad 38b of the rotating composite tool 38 so that the cut surface faces the Y direction, thereby polishing the cut surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3. This results in a rod-shaped substrate 3 with both side surfaces polished. The obtained rod-shaped substrate 3 is transported to the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6, as will be described next, and stored in a storage tray 96 (see FIG. 7, etc.), which will be described later. In the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, substrates 1 are similarly cut out one after another, and rod-shaped substrates 3 are produced one after another.

[0038] It should be noted that when cutting the substrate 1 and polishing the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3, processing waste is generated. Processing waste adheres to the surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the obtained rod-shaped substrate 3. In the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2, the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 is stored in a storage tray 96 and transported to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 for cleaning.

[0039] Next, the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6 will be described. Fig. 3 includes a perspective view showing the components of the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6. The rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6 includes a disk-shaped turntable 82 provided on a base 14. A rotation drive source (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the center of the bottom surface of the turntable 82, and the turntable 82 is rotatable around a rotation axis passing through the center. A pair of storage tray placement stages 84 are provided on the upper surface of the turntable 82, which are provided at positions symmetrical to each other with the center in between.

[0040] When the turntable 82 is rotated, one of the accommodating tray mounting tables 84 is positioned at a rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a close to the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, and the other accommodating tray mounting table 84 is positioned at an accommodating tray carry-out position 82b close to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. When the turntable 82 is rotated 180 degrees, one of the accommodating tray mounting tables 84 is positioned at the accommodating tray carry-out position 82b, and the other accommodating tray mounting table 84 is positioned at the rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a.

[0041] The rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is provided with a gate-shaped support structure 56 that stands upright from the upper surfaces of the bases 10, 14, 18 and spans over the bases 10, 14, 18. The support structure 56 has a front surface 56a that is perpendicular to the upper surfaces of the bases 10, 14, 18, and a storage unit 54 for transporting the rod-shaped substrates 3 from the rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 to the rod-shaped substrate storage apparatus 6 is provided on this front surface 56a.

[0042] A pair of guide rails 58 extending in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the turntable 82 (X direction) are provided on the front surface 56a of the support structure 56, and a moving plate 60 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 58. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface side (rear surface side) of the moving plate 60, and a ball screw 62 approximately parallel to the guide rails 58 is screwed into the nut portion.

[0043] A pulse motor 64 is connected to one end of the ball screw 62. When the ball screw 62 is rotated by the pulse motor 64, the moving plate 60 moves along the guide rail 58.

[0044] A pair of guide rails 66 are provided on the front surface side (front side) of the moving plate 60 along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the turntable 82 (Z direction), and a lifting plate 68 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 66. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface side (rear surface side) of the lifting plate 68, and a ball screw 70 provided along a direction generally parallel to the guide rails 66 is screwed into the nut portion.

[0045] A pulse motor 72 is connected to one end of the ball screw 70, and by rotating the ball screw 70 by this pulse motor 72, the lift plate 68 moves up and down along the guide rail 66. An arm 74 supporting a suction-holding part 76 at its tip is fixed to the surface side (front side) of the lift plate 68. When the movable plate 60 and the lift plate 68 are moved, the suction-holding part 76 moves.

[0046] 5(A), 5(B), and 5(C) include cross-sectional views that typically show the suction-holding unit 76. A suction port 80 for suction-holding the rod-shaped substrate 3 is provided on the lower side of the suction-holding unit 76 facing the chuck table 30, and a suction path 78, one end of which reaches the suction port 80, is provided inside the suction-holding unit 76. The other end of the suction path 78 is connected to a suction source (not shown).

[0047] Next, a description will be given of the pair of accommodating tray placement stages 84 provided on the upper surface of the turntable 82, and the accommodating tray 96 placed on the accommodating tray placement stages 84. Fig. 6 is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of how the accommodating tray 96 is placed on the accommodating tray placement stage 84.

[0048] The storage tray 96 is a jig for storing a plurality of rod-shaped substrates 3. The storage tray 96 is composed of a frame 98 made of a material such as stainless steel (SUS) or hard resin. An opening 100 is formed in the center of the frame 98, penetrating vertically. The opening 100 has a width smaller than the length of the rod-shaped substrates 3 to be stored, and a length corresponding to the number of rod-shaped substrates 3 to be stored.

[0049] A plurality of storage grooves 102 are formed on both sides of an opening 100 in the upper surface of the frame body 98 in the width direction (Y direction in FIG. 6). The storage grooves 102 are similarly arranged on both sides of the frame body 98, and are exposed toward the upper surface of the frame body 98 and the opening 100. The width of the storage grooves 102 exceeds the thickness of the rod-shaped substrate 3.

[0050] The rod-shaped substrate 3 is accommodated in the accommodation tray 96 by accommodating one end in one of a pair of accommodation grooves 102 facing each other across the opening 100 and the other end in the other of the pair of accommodation grooves 102. At this time, the surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 other than both ends is exposed in the opening 100.

[0051] It is preferable that the number of storage grooves 102 provided on each side of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96 is about 50. That is, it is preferable that the storage tray 96 can store 50 rod-shaped substrates 3. However, the number of rod-shaped substrates 3 that can be stored in the storage tray 96 is not limited to this. For ease of explanation, the numbers of storage grooves 102 formed in the storage tray 96 and the numbers of rod-shaped substrates 3 stored in the storage tray 96 may not be the same in each drawing.

[0052] The storage tray mounting base 84 is composed of a base 86 in which a recess 88 is formed along the length direction (X direction in FIG. 6) of the storage tray 96, and a pair of comb-shaped portions 90 along the length direction (X direction) and fixed to both side surfaces of the recess 88. The base 86 and comb-shaped portions 90 of the storage tray mounting base 84 are formed of a material such as stainless steel (SUS) or hard resin.

[0053] The recess 88 has a width corresponding to the width of the opening 100 of the storage tray 96. Each of the pair of comb blade portions 90 has a plurality of comb blades 92 aligned along the X direction, with a valley portion 94 being formed between each of the comb blades 92. Each of the comb blades 92 faces upward.

[0054] The upper surface of each of the base portions 86 outside the recessed portions 88 serves as a mounting surface 86a on which the storage tray 96 is placed. A positioning pin 86b is provided in the center of each of the mounting surfaces 86a to determine the position of the storage tray 96 placed on the mounting surface 86a. Positioning holes 104 through which the positioning pins 86b pass are formed in the outer periphery of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96. The arrangement of the positioning pins 86b coincides with the arrangement of the positioning holes 104.

[0055] A user of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 carries an empty storage tray 96 for storing the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 into the rod-shaped substrate accommodating apparatus 6 through the carry-in entrance 24 (see FIG. 1) of the exterior cover 16 of the rod-shaped substrate accommodating apparatus 6, and places it on the storage tray mounting base 84. Thereafter, in order to accommodate the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 and having its cut surface polished, in the storage tray 96, the turntable 82 is rotated to move the storage tray mounting base 84 to the rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a.

[0056] 7 includes a perspective view showing a schematic view of the storage tray placement base 84 on which the storage tray 96 is placed. When placing the storage tray 96 on the storage tray placement base 84, the storage tray 96 is placed on the placement surface 86a while the positioning pins 86b are passed through the positioning holes 104 of the frame body 98. At this time, the upper ends of the comb blade portions 90 are passed through the openings 100 of the frame body 98. Then, the comb blades 92 of the comb blade portion 90 protrude upward from the upper surface of the frame body 98.

[0057] When the storage tray 96 is placed at a predetermined position on the placement surface 86a of the storage tray placement stand 84, each valley portion 94 of the comb blade portion 90 is adjacent to each storage groove 102 of the storage tray 96. That is, the positions of each storage groove 102 and each valley portion 94 are determined in advance so that they are adjacent to each other when the storage tray 96 is placed on the storage tray placement stand 84. Also, the height position of the bottom of the valley portion 94 is determined in advance so that the height position of the bottom of the valley portion 94 is lower than the height position of the bottom of the storage groove 102 when the storage tray 96 is placed on the storage tray placement stand 84.

[0058] The operation of storing the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 in the storage tray 96 is performed by the storage unit 54. At this time, the chuck table 30 of the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 is rotated so that the side of the rod-shaped substrate 3 held by the holding part 52 of the rotational movement unit 44 faces the suction holding part 76 of the storage unit 54 as shown in FIG.

[0059] Figures 5(A), 5(B), and 5(C) show the process of sucking and holding the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the suction holding section 76 of the storage unit 54 and transporting it out of the holding section 52 of the rotational movement unit 44. Figure 5(A) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic representation of the holding section of the rotational movement unit and the suction holding section of the storage unit, and Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic representation of the rod-shaped substrate held in the holding section of the rotational movement unit being sucked and held in the suction holding section of the storage unit. Figure 5(C) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic representation of the rod-shaped substrate being transported by the storage unit.

[0060] First, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the suction holder 76 is moved so that the suction port 80 faces the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3. Then, as shown in Fig. 5(B), the suction holder 76 is further moved so that the suction holder 76 comes into contact with the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3, and a suction source connected to the suction path 78 is operated to apply a negative pressure from the suction port 80 to the rod-shaped substrate 3.

[0061] Then, as shown in Fig. 5(C), the holding part 52 of the rotational movement unit 44 releases the rod-shaped substrate 3 from its holding, and the suction holding part 76 is moved in a direction away from the arm part 48 of the rotational movement unit 44. This makes it possible to move the rod-shaped substrate 3. Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the rod-shaped substrate 3 being sucked and transported by the suction holding part 76 of the accommodation unit 54.

[0062] When the rod-shaped substrate 3 is accommodated in the pair of accommodation grooves 102 of the accommodation tray 96, both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 are positioned above the pair of accommodation grooves 102. Then, the suction holding part 76 is lowered so that both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 enter the valleys 94 between the comb teeth 92 of the comb tooth part 90. Note that, since a recess 88 is formed in the accommodation tray mounting base 84, the lower end of the suction holding part 76 does not collide with the accommodation tray mounting base 84 at this time.

[0063] When the suction hold of the rod-shaped substrate 3 by the suction hold portion 76 is released in this state, the rod-shaped substrate 3 falls and both ends move below the valley portions 94. The both ends are then guided by the valley portions 94 and land on the bottom of the storage grooves 102, completing the storage of the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the storage tray 96.

[0064] Here, it is preferable that the width of the upper part of the valley portion 94 is made wider than the width of the storage groove 102, the width of the bottom part of the valley portion 94 is made approximately the same as the width of the storage groove 102, and the intermediate part between the upper part and the bottom part of the valley portion 94 is made tapered. In this case, the end part of the rod-shaped substrate 3 falls along this tapered intermediate part, so that the end part of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is well guided toward the storage groove 102 and is smoothly stored in the storage groove 102.

[0065] It is also possible to move the suction holding part 76 that suction-holds the rod-shaped substrate 3 and directly carry both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 into the storage groove 102 without using the comb-shaped portion 90 of the storage tray mounting base 84. In this case, however, it is necessary to perform alignment of the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the horizontal direction (X direction) with extremely high precision. Otherwise, the rod-shaped substrate 3 being suction-held and transported by the suction holding part 76 will collide with the frame 98 of the storage tray 96, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 will be damaged.

[0066] On the other hand, when the comb blade portion 90 is used to store the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the storage tray 96, the suction hold by the suction holding portion 76 can be released before the rod-shaped substrate 3 comes into contact with the frame 98 of the storage tray 96, thereby preventing damage to the rod-shaped substrate 3. Furthermore, there is no need to precisely align the position of the rod-shaped substrate 3 with the storage groove 102 in the storage unit 54, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be quickly and easily stored in the storage groove 102.

[0067] A plurality of rod-shaped substrates 3 are successively accommodated in the accommodation tray 96. Then, after a predetermined number of rod-shaped substrates 3 have been accommodated in the accommodation tray 96, the plurality of accommodated rod-shaped substrates 3 are cleaned together with the accommodation tray 96 in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. Here, it is not necessary for all of the accommodation grooves 102 of the accommodation tray 96 to accommodate rod-shaped substrates 3.

[0068] When the accommodating tray 96 is transported to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8, the turntable 82 is rotated to move the accommodating tray placement platform 84 on which the accommodating tray 96 is placed to the accommodating tray carry-out position 82b. Next, a transport unit 106 that transports the accommodating tray 96 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 will be described.

[0069] 3, the transport unit 106 has a ball screw type moving mechanism similar to that of the storage unit 54. That is, a pair of guide rails 108 extending in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the turntable 82 (X direction) are provided on the front surface 56a of the support structure 56, and a moving plate 110 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 108.

[0070] The pair of guide rails 108 extend in the X direction from above the accommodation tray unloading position 82b of the turntable 82 of the rod-shaped substrate accommodation device 6 to above a cleaning tank 146 (described later) of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface (rear surface) of the moving plate 110, and a ball screw 112 that is approximately parallel to the guide rails 108 is screwed into the nut portion.

[0071] A pulse motor 114 is connected to one end of the ball screw 112. When the ball screw 112 is rotated by the pulse motor 114, the moving plate 110 moves along the guide rail .

[0072] A pair of guide rails 116 are provided on the front surface side (front side) of the moving plate 110 along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the turntable 82 (Z direction), and a lifting plate 118 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 116. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface side (rear surface side) of the lifting plate 118, and a ball screw 120 approximately parallel to the guide rails 116 is screwed into the nut portion.

[0073] A pulse motor 122 is connected to one end of the ball screw 120, and by rotating the ball screw 120 by this pulse motor 122, the lift plate 118 moves up and down along the guide rail 116. A connection part 118a from which a gripping part 124 capable of gripping the storage tray 96 is suspended is fixed to the surface side (front side) of the lift plate 118.

[0074] Here, a structure of the gripper 124 of the transport unit 106 will be described. Fig. 8 includes an enlarged perspective view showing the gripper 124. The gripper 124 includes a pair of front grippers 132 and a pair of rear grippers 138.

[0075] Each of the pair of front gripping portions 132 has an arm portion 134 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96, and a claw portion 136 provided at the lower part of the tip of the arm portion 134. The arm portion 134 is longer than the length of the storage tray 96 in the X direction. The claw portion 136 is hooked onto the front side (front side in the X direction) of the storage tray 96. The base end side of each of the arm portions 134 of the pair of front gripping portions 132 is fixed to the respective lower ends of a pair of hanging parts 126 extending downward in the vertical direction (Z direction) from the connection portion 118a.

[0076] Further, the pair of rear gripping portions 138 each have a claw portion 140 that engages with the rear side (rear side in the X direction) of storage tray 96, and are fixed to the respective lower ends of a pair of hanging portions 128 that extend downward in the vertical direction (Z direction) from connecting portion 118a. A moving mechanism such as a piston mechanism (not shown) that moves each of hanging portions 126, 128 along the extension direction of arm portion 134 (front-rear direction, X direction) is fixed to connecting portion 118a.

[0077] The movement mechanism moves drooping portion 126 forward (forward in the X direction) and moves drooping portion 128 in the opposite direction (rearward in the X direction) to increase the distance between claw portions 136, 140. The movement mechanism also moves drooping portion 128 forward (forward in the X direction) and moves drooping portion 126 in the opposite direction (rearward in the X direction) to decrease the distance between claw portions 136, 140.

[0078] The gripping part 124 further includes a frame-like fall prevention part 142 having a planar shape corresponding to the planar shape of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96. One end of the fall prevention part 142 is fixed to the lower end of the hanging part 130 extending downward in the vertical direction (Z direction) from the connection part 118a. The fall prevention part 142 has a function of pressing the storage tray 96 from above when the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripping part 124 as described below, thereby preventing the rod-shaped substrates 3 accommodated in the storage tray 96 from falling off the storage tray 96.

[0079] Next, a process of transporting the accommodation tray 96 by the transport unit 106 from the rod-shaped substrate accommodation device 6 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 will be described. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a typical example of the accommodation tray 96 placed on the accommodation tray placement table 84 located at the accommodation tray unloading position 82b on the turntable 82, and the gripper 124 of the transport unit 106.

[0080] First, the gripping portion 124 is moved above the receiving tray placement platform 84. Furthermore, the front gripping portion 132 and the rear gripping portion 138 are moved in opposite directions along the front-rear direction (X direction) to widen the gap between the claw portion 136 of the front gripping portion 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripping portion 138. Thereafter, the gripping portion 124 is lowered along the Z direction so that the lower ends of the claw portions 136, 140 are lower than the lower end of the receiving tray 96. FIG. 9(A) is a side view diagrammatically showing the lowered gripping portion 124 and the receiving tray 96.

[0081] It is preferable that the drop prevention portion 142 has an escape groove 144 so that the drop prevention portion 142 does not collide with the positioning pin 86b provided on the mounting surface 86a of the accommodating tray mounting base 84 when the gripping portion 124 is brought close to the accommodating tray mounting base 84. It is preferable that the shape of the positioning hole 104 of the accommodating tray 96 corresponds closely to the shape of the positioning pin 86b, unlike the escape groove 144, since the shape of the positioning hole 104 of the accommodating tray 96 contributes to the accuracy of alignment between the accommodating tray mounting base 84 and the accommodating tray 96.

[0082] Next, the front gripping portion 132 and the rear gripping portion 138 are moved in opposite directions along the front-rear direction (X direction) to narrow the gap between the claw portion 136 of the front gripping portion 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripping portion 138. Then, the storage tray 96 is gripped along the front-rear direction (X direction) by both the claw portions 136, 140. Fig. 9(B) is a side view showing the storage tray 96 gripped by the gripping portion 124 of the transport unit 106.

[0083] Here, it is preferable that the claws 136, 140 are inclined toward each other in the front-rear direction (X direction) toward the lower end. Also, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the storage tray 96 has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the claws 136, 140 at the end in the length direction (X direction).

[0084] If both claw portions 136, 140 and the end of the bottom surface of the storage tray 96 are inclined, when both claw portions 136, 140 are brought close to each other and the storage tray 96 is gripped by both claw portions 136, 140, the storage tray 96 rises along the incline. Then, the upper surface of the storage tray 96 comes into contact with the lower surface of the drop prevention portion 142. As a result, the storage tray 96 is gripped and fixed by the gripping portion 124.

[0085] That is, the gripping section 124 of the transport unit 106 has a function of gripping the storage tray 96 with a pair of claws 136, 140 that move relatively along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96. When the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripping section 124, the upper part of the storage groove 102 of the storage tray 96 is blocked by the fall prevention section 142, so that each rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96 does not jump out of the storage groove 102.

[0086] Thereafter, the transport unit 106 moves the grippers 124 to transport the storage tray 96 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. Then, in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the storage tray 96 is carried into the cleaning tank 146 while still being gripped by the grippers 124, and each rod-shaped substrate 3 is cleaned in this state.

[0087] Next, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 will be described. Fig. 3 includes a perspective view that shows a schematic configuration of a portion of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8, and Fig. 10 includes a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic configuration of a portion of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 includes a cleaning tank 146 that has an opening 146a at its upper end that is larger than the planar shape of a storage tray 96 that can store a rod-shaped substrate 3, and that can store a cleaning liquid 150.

[0088] An openable / closable water supply port 146b and an openable / closable drain port 146c are provided on the inner wall or bottom surface of the cleaning tank 146. A cleaning liquid 150 is supplied to the cleaning tank 146 through the water supply port 146b. Furthermore, the cleaning liquid 150 used in the cleaning tank 146 is drained from the drain port 146c. For example, the cleaning liquid 150 used in the cleaning tank 146 is pure water.

[0089] An ultrasonic wave applying unit 148 capable of applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid 150 stored in the cleaning tank 146 may be provided on the inner wall of the cleaning tank 146. The ultrasonic wave applying unit 148 has an ultrasonic vibrator therein, and by operating the ultrasonic vibrator, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid 150, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of the rod-shaped substrate 3.

[0090] 10 , when the rod-shaped substrates 3 accommodated in the accommodation tray 96 are cleaned by the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the gripping part 124 that grips the accommodation tray 96 is lowered into the cleaning tank 146. At this time, a cleaning liquid 150 may be stored in the cleaning tank 146, and the accommodation tray 96 may be immersed in the cleaning liquid 150. Alternatively, the accommodation tray 96 may be moved into an empty cleaning tank 146, and then the cleaning liquid 150 may be supplied to the cleaning tank 146, thereby immersing the accommodation tray 96 in the cleaning liquid 150.

[0091] In this way, the transport unit 106 also functions as a transport unit of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, and immerses the storage tray 96 in the cleaning liquid 150. When the storage tray 96 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 150, the exposed surfaces of the rod-shaped substrates 3 are cleaned, except for both ends stored in the storage grooves 102.

[0092] At this time, in order to effectively clean the rod-shaped substrate 3, it is preferable to operate the ultrasonic wave applying unit 148 to apply ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid 150. In order to improve the cleaning effect of the rod-shaped substrate 3, the cleaning tank 146 may be provided with a screw-shaped stirring unit for stirring the cleaning liquid 150.

[0093] Furthermore, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 may include an agitation mechanism for intensively agitating the cleaning liquid 150 near the rod-shaped substrate 3 accommodated in the accommodation tray 96. Fig. 11 includes a perspective view showing a movable unit 152 having a function as the agitation mechanism. The movable unit 152 is supported by, for example, a support structure 56 (see Fig. 3), and is movable along the width direction (Y direction) of the accommodation tray 96. In addition, it is preferable that the support structure 56 is capable of ascending and descending along the Z direction.

[0094] The movable unit 152 includes a support 154 along the Z direction that supports each component. An agitator 156 is fixed to the lower part of the support 154. The agitator 156 has a vertical plate part 156a that extends along the X direction and stands upright along the Z direction, and a horizontal plate part 156b that is fixed to the lower end of the vertical plate part 156a, extends along the X direction, and is laid down along the Y axis direction. The vertical plate part 156a and the horizontal plate part 156b are both plate-shaped members that are long in the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96.

[0095] While the storage tray 96 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 150 stored in the cleaning tank 146, the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth in the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96, and the agitator 156 is moved back and forth above the storage tray 96. Then, the movement of the agitator 156 agitates the cleaning liquid 150 around each rod-shaped substrate 3, and the rod-shaped substrates 3 are effectively cleaned with the cleaning liquid 150.

[0096] 11, the cleaning liquid 150 is omitted. While the rod-shaped substrate 3 is being cleaned with the cleaning liquid 150, new cleaning liquid 150 may continue to be supplied to the cleaning tank 146 from the water supply port 146b, and old cleaning liquid 150 may continue to be drained from the drain port 146c. In this case, contaminants such as processing debris adhering to the rod-shaped substrate 3 are washed away in the cleaning liquid 150 and then gradually removed from the cleaning tank 146, so that the cleanliness of the cleaning liquid 150 is maintained at a predetermined level.

[0097] After the rod-shaped substrates 3 are washed with the cleaning liquid 150, the cleaning liquid 150 is drained from the drain port 146c of the cleaning tank 146. Then, each rod-shaped substrate 3 is rinsed by pouring a rinsing liquid onto the rod-shaped substrates 3. For example, a rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96 may be provided at a position higher than the stirring part 156 of the support 154 of the movable unit 152.

[0098] 12 is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of the rod-shaped substrate 3 accommodated in the accommodation tray 96 being rinsed with the rinsing liquid supplied from the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158. The rinsing liquid is, for example, pure water. However, the rinsing liquid is omitted in FIG. 12.

[0099] The rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 is provided with a plurality of rinsing liquid supply ports (not shown) facing downward. A rinsing liquid supply path (not shown) is provided inside the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 and the support 154. The rinsing liquid is supplied to the rinsing liquid supply port through the rinsing liquid supply path, and the rinsing liquid is sprayed from the rinsing liquid supply port.

[0100] When rinsing the rod-shaped substrate 3, the relative heights of the movable unit 152 and the gripping part 124 are adjusted. Then, the storage tray 96 gripped by the gripping part 124 is positioned at a predetermined height position that is lower than the height position of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 and higher than the vertical plate part 156a of the agitating part 156.

[0101] Thereafter, while the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth along the width direction (Y direction) of the accommodation tray 96, the rinsing liquid is ejected from the rinsing liquid supply port of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158, and the rinsing liquid is applied to the rod-shaped substrate 3 accommodated in the accommodation tray 96. Then, the rod-shaped substrate 3 is rinsed with the rinsing liquid. Therefore, even if a small amount of contaminants dispersed in the cleaning liquid 150 in the cleaning tank 146 adheres to the rod-shaped substrate 3, the contaminants are washed away by the rinsing liquid.

[0102] The rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply nozzle 158 to the rod-shaped substrate 3 and dropped onto the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 146 may be drained from the drain outlet 146c. After the rod-shaped substrate 3 is rinsed with the rinse liquid, the rod-shaped substrate 3 is dried.

[0103] For example, a drying nozzle 160 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the accommodation tray 96 may be provided at a position adjacent to the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 of the support 154 of the movable unit 152 and at a position above the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the rod-shaped substrate 3 accommodated in the accommodation tray 96 is dried with gas supplied from a pair of drying nozzles 160.

[0104] The lower drying nozzle 160 is provided with a plurality of gas outlets (not shown) facing upward. On the other hand, the upper drying nozzle 160 is provided with a plurality of gas outlets (not shown) facing downward. A gas supply path (not shown) is provided inside the drying nozzle 160 and the support 154, and gas is supplied to the gas outlets through this gas supply path, and the gas is ejected from the gas outlets.

[0105] When drying the rod-shaped substrate 3 with the drying nozzles 160, the relative heights of the movable unit 152 and the gripping parts 124 are adjusted. Then, the storage tray 96 gripped by the gripping parts 124 is positioned at a height position between the pair of drying nozzles 160.

[0106] Thereafter, while the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth along the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96, gas is ejected from the gas ejection ports of each drying nozzle 160, and the gas is directed at the rod-shaped substrates 3 stored in the storage tray 96. Then, the moisture adhering to the rod-shaped substrates 3 is blown away by the gas.

[0107] Here, the gas ejected from the drying nozzle 160 is, for example, dry nitrogen gas or dry air, and may be heated by a heat source (not shown) or the like before being ejected from the drying nozzle 160. When the heated gas is applied to the rod-shaped substrate 3, the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be dried efficiently. In this manner, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 includes a drying unit including the drying nozzle 160, the support 154, and the heat source, and dries the rod-shaped substrate 3 by the drying unit.

[0108] The moisture blown off from the rod-shaped substrate 3 scatters in the internal space of the exterior covers 12, 16, and 20 of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2. If this moisture re-adheres to the components of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2, the components may become contaminated. Therefore, it is preferable that an openable and closable shutter mechanism (not shown) be provided between the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device 6 and the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 in the internal space of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2.

[0109] It is preferable that the shutter mechanism is always closed except when the accommodation trays 96 are transported from the rod-shaped substrate accommodation device 6 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. In this case, the range that the moisture blown off from the rod-shaped substrates 3 can reach is limited, so that contamination of the internal space of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 can be suppressed.

[0110] This completes all the cleaning steps for the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8. After cleaning of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is completed, the storage tray 96 is removed from the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8. Inside the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8, a storage tray recovery arm (not shown) is provided near the storage tray removal unit 28 shown in FIG.

[0111] The storage tray recovery arm has an arm portion whose tip portion can move between above the cleaning tank 146 and the storage tray removal unit 28. When removing the storage tray 96 from the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the tip portion of the arm portion is moved above the cleaning tank 146. Thereafter, the transport unit 106 positions the gripper 124 above the tip portion of the storage tray recovery arm, and moves the hanging parts 126, 128 so that the claw portion 136 of the front gripper 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripper 138 are separated from each other.

[0112] At this time, the holding of the storage tray 96 by the holding part 124 is released, and the storage tray 96 is placed on the tip of the storage tray recovery arm. Then, the tip of the storage tray recovery arm is moved from above the cleaning tank 146 to the storage tray removal part 28. Thereafter, the user of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 opens the lid of the storage tray removal part 28 and recovers the storage tray 96. In this way, a rod-shaped substrate 3 is obtained that has been manufactured by being cut out from the substrate 1, has both side surfaces polished, and has been cleaned with the cleaning liquid 150.

[0113] The obtained rod-shaped substrates 3 are transported in the state of being stored in the storage tray 96 even outside the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2, and are collected from the storage tray 96 in a predetermined area. After all the stored rod-shaped substrates 3 have been removed from the storage tray 96, the empty storage tray 96 can be reused. In other words, it is placed again on the storage tray placement table 84 on the upper surface of the turntable 82, and is used to store new rod-shaped substrates 3 cut out from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2.

[0114] Conventionally, rod-shaped substrates 3 formed by cutting out substrate 1 have been attached one by one to adhesive tape by an operator, and each rod-shaped substrate has been cleaned. At this time, one side surface of each rod-shaped substrate 3 has been attached to the adhesive tape, and the other side surface of each rod-shaped substrate 3 has been cleaned. Therefore, after cleaning the other side surface of each rod-shaped substrate 3, it has been necessary to peel each rod-shaped substrate 3 from the adhesive tape in order to clean the one side surface of each rod-shaped substrate 3, and then to apply new adhesive tape to the other side surface of each rod-shaped substrate 3.

[0115] In contrast to this, in the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 incorporating the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 according to this embodiment, the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be cleaned without using adhesive tape by using a storage tray 96. This eliminates the need for adhesive tape and the manpower and work time required to attach the rod-shaped substrate 3 to the adhesive tape. Therefore, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 according to this embodiment can clean the rod-shaped substrate 3 efficiently at low cost.

[0116] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 is incorporated into the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2, but the use of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0117] That is, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8 may be an independent apparatus. In this case, the rod-shaped substrate 3 to be cleaned is accommodated in a storage tray 96, and the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripper 124 of the transport unit 106, thereby carrying the rod-shaped substrate 3 into the rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 8.

[0118] In addition, the structures, methods, etc. according to the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1 Board 3 Rod-shaped substrate 2 Rod-shaped substrate manufacturing equipment 4 Rod-shaped substrate cutting device 6 Rod-shaped substrate storage device 8 Rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 10,14,18 Foundation 12,16,20 Exterior cover 22,24 Loading entrance 26 Maintenance Door 28 Storage tray removal section 30 Chuck table 32 Processing unit 34 Spindle housing 36 Spindle 38 Compound tools 38a cutting blade 38b Polishing pad 40 Mobile 40a Moving jig 40b Groove 42 Drive unit 44 Rotational movement unit 46 Shaft 48 Arm 50 Motor 52 Holding part 54 Containment Unit 56 Support structure 56a front 58,66,108,116 Guide rail 60,110 Moving plate 62,70,112,120 Ball screw 64,72,114,122 Pulse motor 68 Lifting plate 74 Arm 76 Suction holding part 78 Suction channel 80 Suction port 82 Turntable 82a Rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82b Storage tray ejection position 84 Storage tray placement stand 86 Base 86a Placement surface 86b Locating pin 88 Recess 90 Comb blade part 92 Comb blade 94 Valley 96 Storage Tray 98 Frame 100 aperture 102 Storage Groove 104 Positioning hole 106 Transport unit 118 Lifting Plate 118a Connection 124 Gripping part 126,128,130 Drooping part 132 Front grip part 134 Arm 136,140 Claw part 138 Rear grip part 142 Fall prevention part 144 Undercut 146 Cleaning tank 146a aperture 146b Water inlet 146c Drain 148 Ultrasonic application unit 150 Cleaning Solution 152 Mobile Unit 154 Support 156 Stirring section 156a Vertical plate section 156b Horizontal plate part 158 Rinse liquid supply nozzle 160 Drying nozzle

Claims

1. A rod-shaped substrate cleaning device for cleaning a rod-shaped substrate, comprising: a cleaning tank having an opening at an upper end thereof larger than a planar shape of a storage tray capable of storing the rod-shaped substrate with both ends of the rod-shaped substrate stored in a pair of storage grooves, respectively, with the surface of the rod-shaped substrate exposed except for the both ends; and a transport unit that transports the storage tray, and causes the storage tray to enter the cleaning tank through the opening of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored, thereby immersing the storage tray in the cleaning liquid; Equipped with The transport unit includes: A gripping portion including a front gripping portion and a rear gripping portion, each of which has a claw portion; a drop prevention part that holds the storage tray from above and prevents the rod-shaped substrates stored in the storage tray from falling off the storage tray, the gripping portion has a function of gripping the storage tray with a claw portion of the front gripping portion and a claw portion of the rear gripping portion, the claw portions being moved relatively along the length direction of the storage tray being transported, A rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that when the storage tray is gripped and fixed by the gripping part, the upper surface of the storage tray contacts the lower surface of the fall prevention part, and the storage groove of the storage tray is blocked from above by the fall prevention part.

2. 2. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cleaning tank is provided with an ultrasonic wave applying unit capable of applying ultrasonic waves to said cleaning liquid.

3. 2. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drying unit for drying the rod-shaped substrate cleaned with the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank.

4. a storage unit for storing the rod-shaped substrate in the storage tray; 2. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit has a suction holding section having a suction port formed on a side thereof, and the rod-shaped substrate can be held by suction by bringing the rod-shaped substrate into contact with the suction port of the suction holding section.

Images