Retention Table and Retention Method

Abstract

To provide a holding table capable of surely holding a frame unit even when the frame unit is carried into an inappropriate position.SOLUTION: A holding table used to hold a frame unit in which a plate-like workpiece and an annular frame surrounding the workpiece are integrated via a tape includes: a holding plate including a holding surface for holding the frame unit in an upper part of the holding table and rotating around a rotation shaft crossing the holding surface by power of a rotation driving source; a pressing mechanism provided in a peripheral part of the holding plate and pressing the frame unit held on the holding surface from above using centrifugal force generated when the holding plate is rotated by the rotation driving source; and a position adjusting mechanism adjusting a position of the frame unit with respect to the holding plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding table used when holding a frame unit in which a plate-like workpiece and an annular frame are integrated with each other via tape, and to a holding method for holding a frame unit using this holding table. [Background technology]

[0002] Device chips equipped with devices such as electronic circuits are essential components of electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers. Device chips are obtained, for example, by dividing the front surface of a wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon into a plurality of regions along division lines called streets, forming devices in each region, and then dividing the wafer along these division lines.

[0003] When dividing a plate-like workpiece, such as a wafer, into small pieces such as device chips, for example, a cutting device having an annular tool called a cutting blade attached to a spindle is used. The cutting blade is rotated at high speed and cuts into the workpiece along the intended division line while supplying liquid such as pure water, thereby cutting the workpiece into a number of small pieces (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Incidentally, when processing a workpiece with a processing device such as the above-mentioned cutting device, for example, the workpiece and an annular frame surrounding the workpiece are integrated with each other via tape to form a frame unit. Since the workpiece is supported by the frame via the tape, the workpiece can be easily handled before and after processing.

[0005] After being processed by a processing device, the workpiece is generally cleaned by a cleaning device. This makes it possible to remove debris generated during processing and prevent defects caused by the debris. The cleaning device includes, for example, a holding table that holds a frame unit, and a nozzle that sprays a cleaning fluid onto the workpiece of the frame unit held on the holding table (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and cleans the workpiece by spraying the cleaning fluid while rotating the holding table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-198363 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-85146 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Meanwhile, a pressing mechanism capable of pressing the frame of the frame unit from above is provided on the periphery of the above-mentioned holding table. This pressing mechanism has a structure like a lever (pendulum) supported at a position between a hook-shaped pressing part and a weight part heavier than the pressing part, and is configured so that when centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the holding table is applied, a downward force pressing the frame acts on the pressing part. Therefore, even when the holding table is rotated at high speed, the frame unit is appropriately held by this pressing mechanism.

[0008] However, if the frame unit is misaligned relative to the holding table when the frame unit is carried onto the holding table, the frame cannot be properly held by the above-mentioned holding mechanism. If the holding table is rotated at high speed in a state where the frame is not properly held by the holding mechanism, the frame unit may fall off the holding table, causing damage to the workpiece.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a holding table that can securely hold a frame unit even if the frame unit is brought into an inappropriate position, and a holding method for holding a frame unit using this holding table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a holding table used for holding a frame unit in which a plate-shaped workpiece and an annular frame surrounding the workpiece are integrated via a tape includes a holding plate having a holding surface at an upper portion thereof for holding the frame unit and rotating around a rotation axis intersecting the holding surface by the power of a rotary drive source, a pressing mechanism provided on the peripheral portion of the holding plate for pressing down the frame unit held on the holding surface from above by utilizing centrifugal force generated when the holding plate is rotated by the rotary drive source, and a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the frame unit relative to the holding plate, The mechanism includes a movable member provided on the peripheral edge of the holding plate so as to be movable between a first position corresponding to the position of the end of the frame unit that can be held by the holding mechanism and a second position farther from the central portion of the holding plate than the first position, and the movable member has an inclined surface that is inclined so that the height of the inside closer to the central portion is lower than the outside farther from the central portion, and an inner surface whose upper end is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface and is perpendicular to the holding surface or has a greater inclination relative to the holding surface than the inclined surface, and a holding table is provided in which the inclined surface and at least a portion of the inner surface are positioned above the holding surface.

[0011] Preferably, the position adjustment mechanism further includes a biasing member that applies a force to the movable member in a direction toward the first position. Preferably, the holding plate is provided with a flow passage having one end connected to the holding surface and the other end selectively connected to a suction source and an air supply source via a valve.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holding method for holding the frame unit using the above-mentioned holding table, the holding method including: a loading step of lowering the frame unit from above the holding plate and placing it on the holding surface; a waiting step of waiting for the movable member to return to the first position by the force applied by the biasing member after performing the loading step; and a suction step of sucking the frame unit onto the holding surface by applying negative pressure of the suction source through the flow path to the holding surface after performing the waiting step.

[0013] Preferably, in the waiting step, air is supplied from the air supply source through the flow path to the holding surface while waiting for the movable member to return to the first position by the force applied by the biasing member. Effect of the Invention

[0014] A position adjustment mechanism for a holding table according to one aspect of the present invention includes a movable member provided on the peripheral edge of the holding plate so as to be movable between a first position corresponding to the position of the end of the frame unit that can be held by the holding mechanism and a second position that is farther from the center of the holding plate than the first position.

[0015] The movable member has an inclined surface that is inclined so that the height of the inside closer to the center of the retaining plate is lower than the outside farther from the center, and an inner side surface whose upper end is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface and which is perpendicular to the retaining surface or has a greater inclination relative to the retaining surface than the inclined surface, and at least a portion of the inclined surface and the inner side surface are positioned above the retaining surface of the retaining plate.

[0016] Therefore, if the frame unit is brought into an inappropriate position when it is lowered from above the holding plate to be placed on the holding surface, the end of the frame unit comes into contact with the inclined surface of the movable member, and the movable member moves from the first position to the second position in accordance with the descent of the frame unit. Then, the frame unit is placed on the holding surface with the end of the frame unit in contact with the inner surface below the inclined surface.

[0017] Therefore, by simply returning this movable member to the first position by any method, the frame unit can be moved to a position where it can be appropriately held by the holding mechanism, and the frame unit can be appropriately held by the holding mechanism. In this way, according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding table can reliably hold the frame unit even if the frame unit is carried into an inappropriate position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view that illustrates a typical cleaning device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the holding table. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view that diagrammatically shows a part of the holding table in a state in which a frame unit is placed at an inappropriate position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another part of the holding table. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a state in which a frame unit is carried into an inappropriate position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a state after the frame unit is placed in an inappropriate position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view that typically shows a state in which air is supplied when the frame unit is placed in an inappropriate position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical example of a cleaning device 2 according to the present embodiment. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 shows the cleaning device 2 with some of its elements cut away. Fig. 1 also shows a plate-shaped workpiece 11 to be cleaned.

[0020] 1 is a wafer formed in a disk shape using a semiconductor such as silicon (Si), and has a circular front surface 11a and a circular back surface 11b opposite to the front surface 11a. The front surface 11a side of the workpiece 11 is partitioned into a plurality of small regions by a plurality of mutually intersecting division lines (streets) 13, and a device 15 such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) is formed in each small region.

[0021] A tape 17 large enough to cover the entire back surface 11b of the workpiece 11 is attached to the back surface 11b of the workpiece 11. An annular frame 19 surrounding the workpiece 11 is fixed to the peripheral portion of the tape 17. In this manner, the cleaning device 2 of this embodiment cleans the workpiece 11 in a state where the plate-shaped workpiece 11 and the annular frame 19 surrounding the workpiece 11 are integrated via the tape 17 to form a frame unit 21.

[0022] The cleaning device 2 includes a holding table 4 capable of holding a frame unit 21 including a workpiece 11. The holding table 4 includes a disk-shaped holding plate 6 formed of, for example, ceramics, metal, or the like. A circular upper surface (holding surface) 6a of the holding plate 6 is provided with a plurality of annular first grooves 6b arranged concentrically and a plurality of linear second grooves 6c connecting the plurality of first grooves 6b in the radial direction. The upper ends of the first grooves 6b and the second grooves 6c open to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a part of the holding table 4. In Fig. 2, some elements are expressed by symbols or functional blocks. As shown in Fig. 2, a flow path 6d is provided inside the holding plate 6, one end of which opens to the bottom of the first groove 6b or the bottom of the second groove 6c. That is, one end of this flow path 6d is connected to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 via the first groove 6b or the second groove 6c.

[0024] On the other hand, a suction source 14 such as an ejector is connected to the other end of the flow path 6d via a first valve 12, and an air supply source 18 is connected to the other end of the flow path 6d via a second valve 16. In other words, the other end of the flow path 6d is selectively connected to the suction source 14 and the air supply source 18 via the first valve 12 and the second valve 16.

[0025] Therefore, when the first valve 12 is opened with the second valve 16 closed, the negative pressure generated in the suction source 14 can be applied to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 through the flow path 6d, the first groove 6b, and the second groove 6c. In addition, when the second valve 16 is opened with the first valve 12 closed, the air flowing out from the air supply source 18 can be supplied to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 through the flow path 6d, the first groove 6b, and the second groove 6c.

[0026] Therefore, for example, when the frame unit 21 is placed on the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 and negative pressure from the suction source 14 is applied to this upper surface 6a, the frame unit 21 is sucked onto the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6. In this manner, the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 functions as a holding surface for sucking and holding the frame unit 21. In other words, the holding plate 6 has a holding surface on its upper portion for sucking and holding the frame unit 21.

[0027] 1, a rotary drive source 22 such as a motor is connected to the lower part of the holding plate 6 via a cylindrical spindle 20. The holding table 4 rotates around the axis (rotation axis) of the spindle 20 that intersects with the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 by the power generated by this rotary drive source 22. A plurality of air actuators 24 (three sets in this embodiment) are provided on the side of the rotary drive source 22, and when each air actuator 24 is operated, the rotary drive source 22 rises and falls together with the spindle 20, holding table 4, etc.

[0028] A plurality of (four sets in this embodiment) holding mechanisms 26 are provided at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the holding plate 6 on the peripheral portion of the holding plate 6, and can hold down the frame unit 21 held on the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 from above by utilizing the centrifugal force generated when the holding plate 6 is rotated. As shown in FIG. 2, each holding mechanism 26 has a support arm 28 protruding outward from the peripheral portion of the holding plate 6.

[0029] The base end (inner end) of the support arm 28 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the holding plate 6 by a screw or the like (not shown). A support shaft 28a is provided at the tip end (outer end) of the support arm 28, which is generally parallel to the upper surface 6a and generally perpendicular to a straight line connecting the center of the holding plate 6 and the tip end of the support arm 28 (i.e., the radial direction of the holding plate 6). A pressing member 30 is supported on the support shaft 28a in a freely rotatable manner.

[0030] The pressing member 30 includes a support portion 30a supported by the support shaft 28a, a hook-shaped pressing portion 30b located on one side of the support portion 30a, and a weight portion 30c located on the other side of the support portion 30a. The weight of the weight portion 30c is greater than the weight of the pressing portion 30b. Therefore, in a stationary state where the holding plate 6 is not rotating (a state where no centrifugal force is acting), the tip of the pressing portion 30b is positioned above the weight portion 30c.

[0031] The position, weight, shape, etc. of each part of the pressing member 30 are adjusted so that the tip of the pressing part 30b is positioned outside the weight part 30c (outside in the radial direction of the holding plate 6) when the holding plate 6 is in a stationary state without rotating. This prevents interference between the frame unit 21 and the pressing part 30b when the frame unit 21 is carried into an appropriate position on the holding table 4.

[0032] When the frame unit 21 is loaded into an appropriate position on the holding table 4 and the holding plate 6 is rotated at high speed, the centrifugal force caused by this rotation is applied to the pressing member 30. As described above, the weight of the weight portion 30c is greater than the weight of the pressing portion 30b. Therefore, when the holding plate 6 is rotated at high speed, the centrifugal force caused by this rotation causes the weight portion 30c to move outward and the pressing portion 30b to move inward.

[0033] 1, the tip of the pressing portion 30b comes into contact with the frame 19 of the frame unit 21 from above, pressing the frame unit 21 from above. Therefore, even when the holding plate 6 (holding table 4) is rotated at high speed, the frame unit 21 can be properly held by this pressing mechanism 26.

[0034] 1, a cleaning fluid supply nozzle 32 is disposed beside the holding table 4. The cleaning fluid supply nozzle 32 is connected to a rotary drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and while swinging above the holding table 4 by the power of this rotary drive source, sprays cleaning fluid toward the workpiece 11 held on the holding table 4. As the cleaning fluid, a liquid such as pure water or a mixed fluid (two fluids) in which a gas such as air is mixed with a liquid is used.

[0035] Similarly, an air supply nozzle 34 is disposed beside the holding table 4. The air supply nozzle 34 is also connected to a rotary drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and while swinging above the holding table 4 by the power of this rotary drive source, it sprays air toward the workpiece 11 held on the holding table 4. This makes it possible to dry the workpiece 11 after cleaning.

[0036] The holding table 4, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 32, and the air supply nozzle 34 are housed in the space inside the liquid receiving container 36. The liquid receiving container 36 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 36a and a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 36b provided along the outer periphery of the bottom wall 36a. In other words, the liquid receiving container 36 is configured as a bottomed cylinder having a circular opening 36c at its upper end.

[0037] A circular opening for passing the spindle 20 is formed in the center of the disk-shaped bottom wall 36a, and a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 36d having a smaller diameter and height than the outer peripheral wall 36b is provided to surround the opening. Therefore, for example, liquid in the fluid sprayed from the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 32 collides with the workpiece 11 on the holding table 4, scatters around, and accumulates in an area on the bottom wall 36a between the cylindrical outer peripheral wall 36b and the cylindrical inner peripheral wall 36d. A cylindrical cover 38 surrounding the spindle 20 is provided below the holding table 4.

[0038] A drainage port 36e penetrating the bottom wall 36a in the thickness direction is provided in a portion of the bottom wall 36a between the outer peripheral wall 36b and the inner peripheral wall 36d. A drain hose 40 is connected to the drainage port 36e, and liquid accumulated in the liquid receiving container 36 is drained to the outside of the cleaning device 2 through the drainage port 36e and the drain hose 40. Legs 42 are provided at the bottom of the liquid receiving container 36, and the height of the liquid receiving container 36 is adjusted to match the height of the holding table 4.

[0039] However, if the position of the frame unit 21 with respect to the holding plate 6 is misaligned when the frame unit 21 is carried into the holding table 4, the frame 19 of the frame unit 21 cannot be properly held by the pressing mechanism 26. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic view of a part of the holding table 4 in a state where the frame unit 21 is placed in an inappropriate position.

[0040] 3, if the frame unit 21 is placed in a position where the rotation of the pressing member 30 is hindered, the pressing member 30 cannot press down the frame 19 of the frame unit 21 from above. If the holding plate 6 (holding table 4) is rotated at high speed in this state, the frame unit 21 may fall off the holding table 4, causing damage to the workpiece 11.

[0041] 1, the holding table 4 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of (four sets in this embodiment) position adjustment mechanisms 44 capable of adjusting the position of the frame unit 21 relative to the holding plate 6, which are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the holding plate 6. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a portion of the holding table 4 including the position adjustment mechanisms 44.

[0042] 4, the position adjustment mechanism 44 includes a cylindrical support member 46 fixed to the peripheral portion of the holding plate 6 with screws or the like (not shown), and a movable member 48 supported by the support member 46. An opening is provided at the tip of the support member 46, connecting the inner space and the outer space of the support member 46, and the support member 46 is fixed to the peripheral portion of the holding plate 6 so that this opening faces radially outward of the holding plate 6.

[0043] The movable member 48 has a rod portion 50, at least a portion of one end of which is accommodated in the space inside the support member 46, and a contact portion 52 that is provided at the other end of the rod portion 50 and is arranged in the space outside the support member 46. A portion of the contact portion 52 protrudes above the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6.

[0044] Specifically, the contact portion 52 has an inclined surface 52a that is inclined so that the height of an inner portion close to the center of the holding plate 6 is lower than that of an outer portion far from the center of the holding plate 6, and an inner side surface 52b whose upper end is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface 52a and is perpendicular to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6. The inclined surface 52a and at least a part of the inner side surface 52b are disposed above the upper surface 6a.

[0045] The angle θ between the inclined surface 52a and the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 is, for example, 30° to 60°, typically 45°, and the width of the inclined surface 52a along the radial direction of the holding plate 6 is, for example, 3 mm to 10 mm, typically 5 mm. The distance between the inner side surface 52b and the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 (i.e., the amount of projection of the inner side surface 52b upward from the upper surface 6a) is, for example, 2 mm to 5 mm, typically 3 mm.

[0046] However, the inclined surface 52a and the inner surface 52b do not necessarily have to satisfy these values. The parameters of the inclined surface 52a and the inner surface 52b can be changed according to the amount of positional deviation expected when the frame unit 21 is carried onto the holding table 4, the thickness of the workpiece 11, and the like. Furthermore, the inner surface 52b does not necessarily have to be perpendicular to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6. For example, the inner surface 52b may be inclined at a predetermined angle φ (θ<φ<180°-θ) with respect to the upper surface 6a being larger than that of the inclined surface 52a.

[0047] The rod portion 50 is accommodated in the space inside the support member 46 in a manner that allows it to slide along the radial direction of the holding plate 6. Specifically, the rod portion 50 is accommodated in the space inside the support member 46 so that the movable member 48 can move between a first position where the inner surface 52b of the contact portion 52 contacts the tip portion of the support member 46 and a second position that is farther from the center portion of the holding plate 6 than the first position.

[0048] 4, when the frame unit 21 (frame 19) is carried into an appropriate position on the holding table 4, an end of the frame unit 21 comes into contact with the inner side surface 52b of the movable member 48 positioned at the first position. In other words, the first position is set so as to correspond to the position of the end of the frame unit 21 that can be held by the holding mechanism 26.

[0049] 4, the rod portion 50 is inserted into a compression coil spring (biasing member) 54 and is housed in the space inside the support member 46. A force is applied to the movable member 48 by the compression coil spring 54 in a direction toward the inside along the radial direction of the holding plate 6 (toward the first position).

[0050] Next, a description will be given of a holding method for holding the frame unit 21 using the above-mentioned holding table 4. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the frame unit 21 is carried into the holding table 4, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the frame unit 21 is placed on the holding table 4.

[0051] When the frame unit 21 is held using the holding table 4, first, the frame unit 21 is carried into the holding table 4. Specifically, the frame unit 21 is held by the transport pad 56 of the transport mechanism, and in a state in which the first valve 12 and the second valve 16 are closed, the transport pad 56 is lowered from above the holding plate 6 to place the frame unit 21 on the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 (placement step). That is, the frame unit 21 is lowered from above the holding plate 6 and placed on the upper surface 6a.

[0052] For example, if the position of the frame unit 21 relative to the holding table 4 is misaligned (if the frame unit 21 is brought into an inappropriate position on the holding table 4), when the frame unit 21 is lowered from above the holding plate 6, the end of the frame unit 21 will first come into contact with the inclined surface 52a of the position adjustment mechanism 44.

[0053] Thereafter, when the frame unit 21 is further lowered, the end of the frame unit 21 slides down on the inclined surface 52a, while the movable member 48 moves in the direction of the second position due to the force acting on the inclined surface 52a from the frame unit 21, as shown in Fig. 5. Note that this movement of the movable member 48 continues until the end of the frame unit 21 reaches the lower end of the inclined surface 52a.

[0054] When the frame unit 21 is further lowered after the end of the frame unit 21 reaches the lower end of the inclined surface 52a, the frame unit 21 is placed on the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 with the end of the frame unit 21 in contact with the inner surface 52b of the position adjustment mechanism 44, as shown in Fig. 6. As described above, a force in a direction toward the first position is applied to the movable member 48 by the compression coil spring 54. Therefore, when the frame unit 21 is released from the holding of the transport pad 56, the movable member 48 starts moving to the first position by the force of the compression coil spring 54.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, after the frame unit 21 is placed on the upper surface 6a, the movable member 48 is waited for to return to the first position by the force applied by the compression coil spring 54 (waiting step). When the movable member 48 finally returns to the first position, the end of the frame unit 21 is positioned at an appropriate position where it can be pressed by the pressing mechanism 26.

[0056] After waiting for the movable member 48 to return to the first position, as shown in Fig. 4, the first valve 12 is opened to apply the negative pressure of the suction source 14 to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 through the flow path 6d. As a result, the frame unit 21 is sucked by the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 (suction step).

[0057] As described above, the end of the frame unit 21 is positioned at an appropriate position where it can be held by the holding mechanism 26 by the movement of the movable member 48. Therefore, when the holding plate 6 (holding table 4) is rotated at high speed, the end of the frame unit 21 is appropriately held by the holding mechanism 26, as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, the frame unit 21 can be reliably held by the holding table 4.

[0058] As described above, the position adjustment mechanism 44 of the holding table 4 in this embodiment includes a movable member 48 provided on the peripheral portion of the holding plate 6 so as to be movable between a first position corresponding to the position of the end of the frame unit 21 that can be held by the holding mechanism 26, and a second position that is farther from the center of the holding plate 6 than the first position.

[0059] The movable member 48 has an inclined surface 52a that is inclined so that the height of the inside closer to the center of the holding plate 6 is lower than the outside farther from the center, and an inner surface 52b whose upper end is connected to the lower end of inclined surface 52a and which is perpendicular to the upper surface (holding surface) 6a of the holding plate 6 (or has a greater inclination with respect to the upper surface 6a than inclined surface 52a), and at least a portion of inclined surface 52a and inner surface 52b are positioned above the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6.

[0060] Therefore, if the frame unit 21 is brought into an inappropriate position when the frame unit 21 is lowered from above the holding plate 6 and placed on the upper surface 6a, the end of the frame unit 21 comes into contact with the inclined surface 52a of the movable member 48, and the movable member 48 moves from the first position to the second position in accordance with the descent of the frame unit 21. Then, the frame unit 21 is placed on the upper surface 6a with the end of the frame unit 21 coming into contact with the inner surface 52b below the inclined surface 52a.

[0061] Therefore, by simply returning this movable member 48 to the first position, the frame unit 21 can be moved to a position where it can be appropriately held by the holding mechanism 26, and the frame unit 21 can be appropriately held by the holding mechanism 26. In this way, according to the holding table 4 of this embodiment, the frame unit 21 can be reliably held even if the frame unit 21 is carried in to an inappropriate position.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. For example, after the frame unit 21 is placed on the upper surface 6a, when waiting for the movable member 48 to return to the first position, the second valve 16 may be opened to supply air from the air supply source 18 to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 through the flow path 6d (standby step).

[0063] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic state in which air is supplied in a state in which the frame unit 21 is placed on the holding table 4. When air is supplied to the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 through the flow path 6d, the frame unit 21 floats from the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 due to the pressure of the air, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0064] This allows the movable member 48 and the frame unit 21 to move smoothly. In other words, the time (standby time) required to wait for the movable member 48 to return to the first position is shortened. In addition, since the frictional force acting on the frame unit 21 from the upper surface 6a of the holding plate 6 is substantially zero, a compression coil spring 54 with a small elastic force can be used.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the compression coil spring 54 is used to apply force to the movable member 48, but other biasing members such as a leaf spring may be used to apply force to the movable member 48. This biasing member may be replaced with any actuator or the like. Furthermore, the position adjustment mechanism 44 does not necessarily have to include a biasing member or an actuator. In this case, for example, an operator may manually move the movable member 48 to the first position.

[0066] In addition, the structures, methods, and the like according to the above-described embodiments and modifications can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 2: Cleaning equipment 4: Holding table 6: Holding plate 6a:Top surface (holding surface) 6b: 1st groove 6c: 2nd groove 6d: Flow path 12: First valve 14: Suction source 16: Second valve 18: Air supply source 20: Spindle 22: Rotation drive source 24: Air actuator 26: Pressing mechanism 28: Support arm 28a: Support shaft 30: Holding member 30a: Support part 30b: Clamping part 30c: Weight part 32: Cleaning fluid supply nozzle 34: Air supply nozzle 36: Liquid receiving container 36a: Bottom wall 36b: Outer wall 36c: opening 36d: Inner wall 36e: Drainage port 38: Cover 40: Drain hose 42: Legs 44:Position adjustment mechanism 46: Support member 48: Movable parts 50: Rod section 52: Contact part 52a: Inclined surface 52b: Inner surface 54: Compression coil spring (biasing member) 56: Carrying pad 11: Workpiece 11a: Surface 11b: Back side 13: Planned division line (street) 15: Device 17: Tape 19: Frame 21: Frame unit

Claims

1. A holding table used when holding a frame unit in which a plate-shaped workpiece and an annular frame surrounding the workpiece are integrated via a tape, comprising: a holding surface for holding the frame unit provided at an upper portion, a holding plate that rotates around a rotation axis intersecting the holding surface by the power of a rotation drive source; a pressing mechanism provided at a peripheral edge portion of the holding plate, which presses the frame unit held on the holding surface from above by utilizing centrifugal force generated when the holding plate is rotated by the rotation drive source; a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the frame unit with respect to the holding plate. The position adjustment mechanism: includes a movable member provided at the peripheral edge portion of the holding plate so as to be movable between a first position corresponding to a position of an end portion of the frame unit that can be pressed by the pressing mechanism and a second position farther from a central portion of the holding plate than the first position; the movable member has an inclined surface inclined such that a height of an inner side closer to the central portion is lower than an outer side farther from the central portion, and an inner side surface having an upper end connected to a lower end of the inclined surface and perpendicular to the holding surface or having a greater inclination with respect to the holding surface than the inclined surface; a holding table in which at least a part of the inclined surface and the inner side surface is disposed above the holding surface.

2. The position adjustment mechanism: The holding table according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member that applies a force in a direction toward the first position to the movable member.

3. The holding plate is provided with: a flow path having one end connected to the holding surface and the other end selectively connected to a suction source and an air supply source via a valve. The holding table according to claim 2.

4. A holding method for holding the frame unit using the holding table according to claim 3, comprising: a placing step of lowering the frame unit from above the holding plate and placing it on the holding surface; a standby step of waiting for the movable member to return to the first position by the force applied by the biasing member after the placing step is performed; a suction step of sucking the frame unit on the holding surface by applying a negative pressure of the suction source to the holding surface through the flow path after the standby step is performed.

5. In the standby step, the holding method according to claim 4, wherein while supplying air from the air supply source to the holding surface through the flow path, waiting for the movable member to return to the first position by the force applied by the biasing member.

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