Conveying apparatus, polishing apparatus, and conveying method

Abstract

To provide a conveyance device that prevents a substrate from falling during the conveyance of a carrier and a substrate.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 46 is used for conveying a carrier 205 that is formed in a flat plate shape and provided with a through-hole 206 and a substrate 200 that is accommodated within the through-hole. The conveyance device 46 includes a first holding portion 52 that holds the outer periphery of the carrier from the thickness direction of the carrier and a second holding portion 53 that holds the substrate within the through-hole from the thickness direction. At least one of the first and second holding portions can be made to extend or contract in the thickness direction so that the carrier held by the first holding portion and the substrate held by the second holding portion are separated from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus, a polishing apparatus, and a transfer method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a conveying device is known that conveys a combined carrier and workpiece (substrate) onto a rotating surface plate of a polishing device (polishing unit) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conveying device, the workpiece is accommodated in an accommodation hole (through hole) of the carrier, thereby combining the carrier with the workpiece. The combined carrier and workpiece are transported by the suction head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4235313 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conveying device of Patent Document 1, the carrier and the workpiece are conveyed simultaneously at the same height, which causes problems such as the workpiece repeatedly coming into contact with and separating from the carrier due to bending of the carrier during conveying, or the workpiece and carrier overlapping in the thickness direction, causing the workpiece to fall off the conveying device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a transport device that prevents substrates from falling during transport of a carrier and substrate, a polishing apparatus equipped with this transport device, and a transport method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. (1) A first aspect of the present invention is a transport device that transports a carrier formed in a flat plate shape and having a through hole formed therein, and a substrate accommodated in the through hole, and includes a first holding portion that holds the outer periphery of the carrier in the thickness direction of the carrier, and a second holding portion that holds the substrate in the through hole in the thickness direction, and at least one of the first holding portion and the second holding portion can expand or contract in the thickness direction so that the carrier held in the first holding portion and the substrate held in the second holding portion are spaced apart from each other.

[0007] In this invention, for example, a carrier with a substrate accommodated in a through hole and the substrate are supported on a support surface along a horizontal plane. Then, using a transport device, a first holding unit holds the outer periphery of the carrier from above and below in the thickness direction, and a second holding unit holds the substrate in the through hole. When the transport device lifts the carrier and substrate from the support surface and transports the carrier and substrate, gravity acting on the carrier causes the central portion of the carrier to bend most downward when viewed in the thickness direction, causing the carrier to curve convexly downward. At this time, by expanding or contracting at least one of the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the thickness direction, the carrier held by the first holding unit and the substrate held by the second holding unit are separated from each other. This prevents the substrate from contacting the carrier or the carrier and substrate from overlapping in the thickness direction during transport. Therefore, the substrate can be prevented from falling off the transport device while the carrier and the substrate are being transported.

[0008] (2) In the conveying device described in (1), when the carrier is held by the first holding part and the substrate contained in the through hole is held by the second holding part, the length by which the first holding part extends to one side in the thickness direction may be longer than the length by which the second holding part extends to one side in the thickness direction, exceeding the thickness of the carrier. In this invention, for example, the transport device is positioned so that one side in the thickness direction is downward. In this case, when the carrier is held by the first holding part and the substrate accommodated in the through hole is held by the second holding part, the extension length of the first holding part to one side in the thickness direction is longer than the extension length of the second holding part to one side in the thickness direction by a distance greater than the thickness of the carrier. Therefore, from a state in which the carrier held by the first holding part and the substrate held by the second holding part are positioned at approximately the same height, the carrier can be positioned lower than the substrate by a distance greater than the thickness of the carrier. The center of the carrier is curved downward to be convex due to gravity acting on the carrier, thereby reliably preventing the substrate from coming into contact with the carrier during transport of the carrier and substrate.

[0009] (3) In the transport device described in (1) or (2), the first holding unit has a first body and a first moving unit that can move in the thickness direction relative to the first body and holds the outer periphery of the carrier, and the second holding unit has a second body and a second moving unit that can move in the thickness direction relative to the second body and holds the substrate, and may be provided with a connecting member that connects the first body and the second body to each other. In this invention, the connecting member that connects the first body and the second body to each other can improve the accuracy of the relative position in the thickness direction of the outer periphery of the carrier held by the first moving part and the substrate held by the second moving part.

[0010] (4) A second aspect of the present invention comprises a planetary gear type polishing unit that has a plurality of teeth on the outer periphery of the carrier, rotates on the support surface of a surface plate, has an internal gear and a sun gear that engage with the plurality of teeth of the carrier, and polishes the surface facing the thickness direction of the substrate, and the conveying device described above, wherein the conveying device is a polishing device that engages the plurality of teeth of the carrier with the plurality of teeth of the internal gear and the plurality of teeth of the sun gear.

[0011] In this invention, the carrier's teeth are fitted to the internal gear's teeth and the sun gear's teeth in the planetary gear type polishing unit by the conveying device, and the carrier is rotated by rotating at least one of the internal gear and the sun gear, allowing the thickness direction surface of the substrate housed in the carrier to be polished.

[0012] (5) A third aspect of the present invention is a transport method for transporting a carrier formed in a flat plate shape and having a through hole provided therein, and a substrate accommodated in the through hole, the method comprising: a holding step for holding the outer periphery of the carrier and the substrate so that the carrier and the substrate are spaced apart from each other; a flattening step for placing the carrier on a support surface to flatten the carrier and space the substrate above the carrier when the carrier is flattened; and a accommodating step for accommodating the substrate from above in the through hole of the carrier.

[0013] In this invention, the substrate is prevented from contacting the carrier and from overlapping with the carrier in the thickness direction during transport of the carrier and the substrate in the holding step, and when the carrier is placed on the support surface in the planarization step. After the holding step and the planarization step, the substrate is placed in the through hole of the carrier from above in the placement step. Therefore, the substrate can be prevented from falling during the transport of the carrier and the substrate.

[0014] (6) In the transfer method described in (5) above, in the holding step, the substrate may be held so as to be positioned above the carrier. In this invention, the substrate does not interfere with the placement of the carrier on the support surface during the planarization step, so the planarization step can be easily performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the transporting apparatus, polishing apparatus, and transporting method of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the substrate from falling during transport of the carrier and the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a polishing facility in which a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a polishing device of the polishing equipment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a holding portion in the polishing apparatus. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the states before and after the suction pad is crushed. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a carrier and a substrate are placed on a set table. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the polishing apparatus holding a carrier and a substrate. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a transport method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing the state of the carrier and the substrate being transported. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A polishing facility in which an embodiment of a polishing apparatus according to the present invention is used will be described below with reference to FIGS. The polishing equipment 1 shown in FIG. 1 is equipment for polishing the surface of a substrate 200 facing in the thickness direction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate 200 is formed in a flat plate shape that has a circular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the substrate 200. The substrate 200 is made of silicon. Note that FIG. 2 also shows a first holding unit 52 and a second holding unit 53 that hold the substrate 200 and a carrier 205 (described later). Hereinafter, the substrate 200 before being polished by the polishing equipment 1 will also be referred to as the substrate 200A. The substrate 200 after being polished by the polishing equipment 1 will also be referred to as the substrate 200B. For example, the thickness of the substrate 200A is 780 μm (micrometers). The thickness of the substrate 200B is 770 μm.

[0018] The carrier 205 is formed in a flat plate shape that has a circular shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the carrier 205. The carrier 205 is provided with a plurality of through holes 206 (three in this embodiment). The plurality of through holes 206 are formed at equal angular intervals around the central axis of the carrier 205. The plurality of through holes 206 penetrate the carrier 205 in the thickness direction. The diameter of the through holes 206 and the diameter of the substrate 200 are equal to each other. The substrate 200 is accommodated in the through holes 206. At this time, the thickness direction of the carrier 205 and the thickness direction of the substrate 200 coincide with each other. 2, a plurality of teeth 207 are provided on the outer periphery of the carrier 205. The plurality of teeth 207 are external teeth. A semicircular recess 208 is formed between adjacent teeth 207 in the circumferential direction of the carrier 205.

[0019] For example, the carrier 205 has an outer diameter of 720 mm and a thickness of 770 μm. The carrier 205 is made of stainless steel or the like. When the substrate 200 is accommodated in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 on a flat support surface or the like, the carrier 205 and the substrate 200 are not bent. At this time, the lower surface of the carrier 205 and the lower surface of the substrate 200 are substantially flush with each other, and the upper surface of the carrier 205 and the upper surface of the substrate 200 are substantially flush with each other. There is no limit to the number of through holes 206 provided in the carrier 205, and the number of through holes 206 may be one.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the polishing equipment 1 includes an input basket 10, an output basket 15, a set table 20, a first transport device 25, a polishing device 30 of this embodiment, and a control unit 80. The input basket 10, containing the substrate 200A, is carried into the polishing equipment 1 by a not-shown carrying-in device. The output basket 15, containing the substrate 200B, is carried out of the polishing equipment 1 by a not-shown carrying-out device.

[0021] The set table 20 is a platform on which the substrate 200 and the carrier 205 are placed. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper surface 21 of the set table 20 is along a horizontal plane. The upper surface 21 is flat. 1, the first transfer device 25 is, for example, a manipulator. The first transfer device 25 transfers the substrate 200 between the baskets 10 and 15 and the set table 20.

[0022] The polishing apparatus 30 includes a polishing section 31 and a second transfer apparatus (transfer apparatus) 46 of this embodiment. The polishing unit 31 of this embodiment is a planetary gear type. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the polishing unit 31 has a first surface plate (surface plate) 32, a sun gear 33, an internal gear 34, and a second surface plate (not shown). For example, the support surface 32a of the first base plate 32 is disposed along a horizontal plane. The support surface 32a is flat. The first base plate 32 rotates in a first direction about an axis O1 along the vertical direction.

[0023] The sun gear 33 is disposed coaxially with the axis O1 on the support surface 32a. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of teeth 37 are provided on the outer periphery of the sun gear 33. For example, the plurality of teeth 37 are cylindrical external teeth. The plurality of teeth 37 are disposed at intervals from one another in the circumferential direction of the sun gear 33. The sun gear 33 rotates on the support surface 32a. The plurality of teeth 37 are fitted with a plurality of teeth 207 of the carrier 205. The sun gear 33 is inscribed in the carrier 205. A plurality of teeth 39 are provided on the inner peripheral edge of the internal gear 34. The plurality of teeth 39 are cylindrical internal teeth. The plurality of teeth 39 are arranged at intervals from one another in the circumferential direction of the internal gear 34. The internal gear 34 rotates on the support surface 32a. The plurality of teeth 39 are engaged with a plurality of teeth 207 of the carrier 205. The internal gear 34 is circumscribed on the carrier 205.

[0024] The second base plate can be switched between a sandwiching state in which it sandwiches the sun gear 33 and the internal gear together with the first base plate 32, and a retracted state in which it is spaced apart from the sun gear 33 and the internal gear . The second surface plate in the sandwiching state is disposed coaxially with the axis O1 and rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction around the axis O1.

[0025] The second transfer device 46 transfers the carrier 205 and the plurality of substrates 200 together. The second transfer device 46 mates the plurality of teeth 207 of the carrier 205 with the plurality of teeth 39 of the internal gear 34 and the plurality of teeth 37 of the sun gear 33. As shown in FIG. 1 , the second transfer device 46 has a manipulator 47 and a holder 50. For example, the manipulator 47 has a plurality of links and joints (not shown). The plurality of links are arranged along a connecting axis O3. The joints rotatably connect the ends of the plurality of links that are adjacent to each other along the connecting axis O3. The link furthest from the first side along the connecting axis O3 among the multiple links is provided with the holding portion 50. The link furthest from the first side along the connecting axis O3 among the multiple links is supported on the installation surface F.

[0026] 1, the holding portion 50 is formed with multiple rotational symmetry (three-fold symmetry in this embodiment) with respect to the axis O5. Note that a first holding portion 52 and a plurality of second holding portions 53, which will be described later, are not arranged on the same straight line along the radial direction of the holding portion 50, but in FIG. 3, the first holding portion 52 and the plurality of second holding portions 53 are shown at different positions in the circumferential direction of the holding portion 50. The holder 50 is arranged so that the thickness direction of the carrier 205 and the substrate 200 held by the holder 50 is parallel to the vertical direction, with one side in the thickness direction facing downward. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding section 50 has a frame (connecting member) 51, a first holding section 52, a second holding section 53, an imaging section 54, and a suction section (not shown). The frame 51 has a top plate 57 , a first peripheral wall 58 , a second peripheral wall 59 , a first bottom plate 60 , and a second bottom plate 61 . The top plate 57 is formed in a disk shape and is supported by the manipulator 47 so as to be aligned along a horizontal plane.

[0027] The first peripheral wall 58 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed coaxially with the axis O5. The first peripheral wall 58 is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 57. The second peripheral wall 59 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed coaxially with the axis O5. The second peripheral wall 59 surrounds the first peripheral wall 58 from the outside and is fixed to the lower surface of the outer periphery of the top plate 57. The lower end of the first peripheral wall 58 protrudes downward further than the lower end of the second peripheral wall 59. The first bottom plate 60 is formed in a disk shape and is disposed within the first peripheral wall 58. The first bottom plate 60 is fixed to the middle portion of the first peripheral wall 58 in the up-down direction. The second bottom plate 61 is formed in an annular shape and is disposed between the first peripheral wall 58 and the second peripheral wall 59. The second bottom plate 61 is fixed to the lower end of the first peripheral wall 58 and the lower end of the second peripheral wall 59. The second bottom plate 61 has a plurality of communication holes 61a formed therein.

[0028] The first holding part 52 holds the outer periphery of the carrier 205 in the thickness direction. The outer periphery here means the range (0.4r) from the outer periphery of the circular object to be held toward the center, where r is the radius of the circular object to be held. The holder 50 has a plurality of first holders 52. The plurality of first holders 52 are arranged around the axis O5 at intervals. As shown in FIG. 3, each first holder 52 has a first main body 64 and a first moving part 65. The first moving part 65 has a suction pad 67 and a movable tube 68. The suction pad 67 is formed in a cone shape (conical surface shape) from an elastic material such as synthetic rubber, etc. The suction pad 67 is arranged so that the outer diameter gradually increases downward. The movable tube 68 extends upward (toward the other side in the thickness direction) from the suction pad 67. The space inside the movable tube 68 is connected to the recess of the suction pad 67. For example, a first engagement portion 68a is fixed to the outer circumferential surface at the upper end portion of the movable tube 68. A portion of the movable tube 68 below the first engagement portion 68a is disposed within the communication hole 61a of the second bottom plate 61.

[0029] The first main body 64 is tubular with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the movable tube 68. The first main body 64 is bent in an L-shape. A first end 64a of the first main body 64 extends in the vertical direction. For example, a second engagement portion 64b is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the first end 64a. The second engagement portion 64b is formed around the entire circumference of the first end 64a of the first main body 64. The second engagement portion 64b supports the first engagement portion 68a from below the first engagement portion 68a. The space between the second engagement portion 64b and the movable tube 68 is airtightly sealed. The movable tube 68 can move in the vertical direction relative to the second engagement portion 64b (the first end 64a of the first main body 64). The first main body 64 is fixed to the second bottom plate 61 of the frame 51 or the like. From the state shown in FIG. 2, the movable tube 68 cannot move downward relative to the first main body 64. On the other hand, from the state shown in FIG. 2, the movable tube 68 can move upward relative to the first main body 64.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the suction pad 67 of the first holding part 52 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the outer periphery of the carrier 205 . When the air in the recess of the suction pad 67 is sucked, the suction pad 67 is deformed as shown by the two-dot chain line L1, and the carrier 205 that was in contact with the suction pad 67 is held by the suction pad 67.

[0031] 5 shows a state in which the carrier 205 and the substrate 200 are placed on the upper surface 21 of the set table 20. The substrate 200 is accommodated in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205. The holder 50 is brought close to the carrier 205 and the substrate 200 in this state from above, and the suction pad 67 of the first holder 52 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the outer periphery of the carrier 205 . When the air in the recess of the suction pad 67 is sucked, the collapsed suction pad 67 of the first holding portion 52 holds the outer periphery of the carrier 205. At this time, the first engagement portion 68a of the movable tube 68 moves upward away from the second engagement portion 64b of the first main body 64. At this time, the position of the lower end of the crushed suction pad 67 relative to the frame 51 is referred to as the reference position P 521 Reference position P 521is preferably the average position in the circumferential direction of the suction pad 67 at the lower end of the crushed suction pad 67 relative to the frame 51.

[0032] 6, when the holding unit 50 is moved upward by the manipulator 47, the carrier 205 held by the first holding unit 52 moves upward away from the upper surface 21 of the set table 20. Due to gravity acting on the carrier 205, the suction pad 67, etc., the carrier 205, the suction pad 67, etc. move downward relative to the first main body 64 of the first holding unit 52. When the first engagement portion 68a of the movable tube 68 engages with the second engagement portion 64b of the first main body 64 from above the second engagement portion 64b, the carrier 205, the suction pad 67, etc. cannot move further downward relative to the first main body 64 (frame 51). The position of the lower end of the suction pad 67 relative to the frame 51 when it is crushed while holding the carrier 205 and is unable to move downward relative to the frame 51 is referred to as the lower end position P 522 The bottom position P 522 is the lower end position of the suction pad 67 of the first holding part 52 in the range of movement. In FIG. 6, the reference position P 521 is indicated by a two-dot chain line L4. In the following, the reference position P 521 and bottom position P 522 The vertical distance between the 52 The extension distance M 52 is the length that the first holding portion 52 extends downward (to one side in the thickness direction) from the state in which the first holding portion 52 holds the carrier 205. In this way, the first holding portion 52 can extend downward from the state in which it holds the carrier 205.

[0033] The second holding portion 53 holds the substrate 200 in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 from above and below. As shown in Fig. 3, the second transport device 46 has, as the second holding portion 53, second holding portion 53A, second holding portion 53B, and second holding portion 53C. The second holding portions 53A and 53B have an extension distance M 52Other than the above setting, the first holding portion 52 has the same configuration. The second holding part 53A has a second main body 71A, a second moving part 72A, an adsorption pad 74A, and a movable tube 75A, which have approximately the same configuration as the first main body 64, the first moving part 65, the adsorption pad 67, and the movable tube 68 of the first holding part 52. The second moving part 72A can move up and down relative to the second main body 71 A. The suction pad 74A of the second moving part 72A holds the substrate 200. The suction pad 74A of the second holding portion 53A is also at the reference position P 521 , bottom position P 522 , extension distance M 52 Similarly, the reference position P 53A1 , bottom position P 53A2 , extension distance M 53A are defined respectively (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Extension distance M 53A is the length that the second holding portion 53A extends downward from the state in which the second holding portion 53A holds the substrate 200.

[0034] The second holding part 53B has a second main body 71B, a second moving part 72B, an adsorption pad 74B, and a movable tube 75B, which have approximately the same configuration as the first main body 64, the first moving part 65, the adsorption pad 67, and the movable tube 68 of the first holding part 52. The second moving part 72B can move up and down relative to the second main body 71 B. The suction pad 74B of the second moving part 72B holds the substrate 200. The suction pad 74B of the second holding portion 53B is also at the reference position P 521 , bottom position P 522 , extension distance M 52 Similarly, the reference position P 53B1 , bottom position P 53B2 , extension distance M 53B are defined respectively (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Extension distance M 53B is the length that the second holding portion 53B extends downward from the state in which the second holding portion 53B holds the substrate 200.

[0035] The second holding portion 53C is formed by adjusting the shape of the first body 64 and the extension distance M 52 Other than the above setting, the first holding portion 52 has the same configuration. The second holding part 53C has a second moving part 72C, a suction pad 74C, and a movable tube 75C, which have substantially the same configurations as the first moving part 65, the suction pad 67, and the movable tube 68 of the first holding part 52. The second body 78C of the second holding portion 53C is a straight tubular body that extends in the vertical direction and is fixed to the first bottom plate 60 of the frame 51. As described above, the frame 51 connects the first main body 64 and the second main bodies 71A, 71B, 78C to each other. The suction pad 74C of the second holding portion 53C is also at the reference position P 521 , bottom position P 522 , extension distance M 52 Similarly, the reference position P 53C1 , bottom position P 53C2 , extension distance M 53C are defined respectively (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Extension distance M 53C is the length that the second holding portion 53C extends downward from the state in which the second holding portion 53C holds the substrate 200.

[0036] In this way, the second holding portions 53A, 53B, and 53C can each extend downward from the state in which they hold the substrate 200. The reference position P is on the two-dot chain line L4 shown in FIG. 53A1 ,P 53B1 ,P 53C1 will be placed. As shown in FIG. 2, the second holding portions 53A, 53B, and 53C are disposed at equal angles around the axis of each substrate 200. In this embodiment, the extension distance M 53A ,M 53B ,M 53C are equivalent to each other. 52 is the extension distance M 53A ,M 53B ,M 53CThe extension distance M is longer than the thickness (length in the thickness direction) of the carrier 205. 52 is the extension distance M 53A ,M 53B ,M 53C Preferably, the length is more than twice the thickness of the carrier 205 .

[0037] 3, the imaging unit 54 is fixed to the second peripheral wall 59 of the frame 51. The imaging unit 54 captures an image of an object placed below the imaging unit 54. The imaging unit 54 sends the captured image to the control unit 80. Although not shown, the suction unit has a suction pump and a plurality of on-off valves. The suction pump is connected to the first body 64 and the second bodies 71A, 71B, 71C by tubes (not shown), respectively. The suction pump can suck air from the recesses of the suction pads 67, 74A, 74B, 74C through the tubes, the first body 64, the second bodies 71A, 71B, 71C, and the movable tubes 68, 75A, 75B, 75C. The multiple on-off valves can independently open and close multiple tubes.

[0038] 1, a stocker 85 in which a plurality of carriers 205 are stacked is located near each of the second transport device 46 and the set table 20. None of the carriers 205 in the stocker 85 contain substrates 200. Although not shown, the control unit 80 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, etc. The memory stores a control program for operating the CPU, etc. The control unit 80 is connected to the first transfer device 25 and the polishing device 30 and controls the first transfer device 25 and the polishing device 30.

[0039] Next, a description will be given of a polishing method using the polishing equipment 1 configured as above. In this polishing method, the conveying method of this embodiment is used. The loading basket 10 containing the substrate 200A is transported in advance by the loading device. The control unit 80 controls the second transport device 46 to place the carrier 205 in the stocker 85 on the upper surface 21 of the set table 20. The second base plate of the polishing unit 31 is in a retracted state. The suction part of the second transfer device 46 is driven, and the multiple on-off valves are closed.

[0040] Next, the transfer method is performed. In the transfer method, the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A accommodated in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 are transferred from the set table 20 to the polishing apparatus 30. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the transfer method S. First, in a first accommodation step (step S1 shown in FIG. 7), the control unit 80 causes the first transport device 25 to accommodate the substrate 200A in the input basket 10 into the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 on the setting table 20. When the first storing step S1 is completed, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0041] Next, in a holding step (step S3), the second transfer device 46 holds the outer periphery of the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A so that the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are spaced apart from each other. 5, the control unit 80 causes the manipulator 47 to bring the holder 50 close to the carrier 205 and the substrate 200 on the set table 20 from above, so that the suction pad 67 of the first holder 52 contacts the upper surface of the outer periphery of the carrier 205. The suction pads 74A, 74B, and 74C of the second holders 53A, 53B, and 53C contact the upper surface of the substrate 200A. When the multiple on-off valves are opened, the air in the recesses of the suction pads 67, 74A, 74B, and 74C is sucked in, causing the suction pads 67, 74A, 74B, and 74C to be deformed and crushed. The crushed suction pad 67 of the first holding unit 52 holds the outer periphery of the carrier 205 from above, and the crushed suction pads 74A, 74B, and 74C of the second holding units 53A, 53B, and 53C hold the outer periphery of the substrate 200A from above.

[0042] Then, when the manipulator 47 moves the holder 50 upward, the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A held by the holders 52, 53A, 53B, and 53C move upward away from the upper surface 21 of the set table 20, as shown in FIG. At this time, the extension distance M 52 is the extension distance M 53A ,M 53B ,M 53C Therefore, even if the carrier 205 held by the first holding unit 52 is not curved, the carrier 205 moves downward beyond the thickness of the carrier 205 beyond the thickness of the carrier 205, and the upper surface of the carrier 205 is positioned at the position shown by the two-dot chain line L5. When the carrier 205 held by the first holding unit 52 and the substrate 200A held by the second holding units 53A, 53B, and 53C are spaced apart from each other,

[0043] Furthermore, the center portion of the carrier 205 (the center portion when viewed in the thickness direction of the carrier 205) is curved downwardly and convexly due to gravity acting on the carrier 205. In this case, it has been found from simulations that the maximum displacement of the curved carrier 205 (maximum deflection amount M1 shown in FIG. 6) is about 2 mm. By the carrier 205 being curved so as to be convex downward, the carrier 205 held by the first holding part 52 and the substrate 200A held by the second holding parts 53A, 53B, 53C are spaced further apart from each other. In this manner, in this embodiment, the substrate 200A is held so as to be positioned above the carrier 205 in the holding step S3.

[0044] While the second transport device 46 transports the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A, the center of the carrier 205 may vibrate in the up-down direction, as shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the carrier 205 curved so as to be convex upward is indicated by a two-dot chain line L7. Therefore, the extension distance M 52 is the extension distance M 53A ,M 53B ,M53C It is more preferable that the length be more than twice the maximum deflection amount M1. When the holding step S3 is completed, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0045] Next, in the planarization step (step S5), the carrier 205 is placed on the support surface 32a of the first base plate 32 and flattened. Then, when the carrier 205 is flattened, the substrate 200A is spaced above the carrier 205. Specifically, the control unit 80 causes the manipulator 47 to move the holding unit 50 above the support surface 32a. Then, by moving the holding unit 50 downward, the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A held by the holding units 52, 53A, 53B, and 53C of the holding unit 50 are lowered onto the support surface 32a. When the carrier 205 is placed on the support surface 32a, the carrier 205 becomes flat as shown by the two-dot chain line L5 in FIG.

[0046] When placing the carrier 205 on the support surface 32a, it is preferable that the control unit 80 uses images of the teeth 39 of the internal gear 34 and the teeth 37 of the sun gear 33 in the polishing unit 31 acquired by the imaging unit 54 to fit the multiple teeth 207 of the carrier 205 into the multiple teeth 39 of the internal gear 34 and the multiple teeth 37 of the sun gear 33. When the flattening step S5 is completed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0047] Next, in a second accommodating step (accommodating step) (step S7), the substrate 200A is accommodated from above in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 on the support surface 32a. Specifically, the control unit 80 moves the holding unit 50 downward using the manipulator 47, and accommodates the substrate 200A in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205. The multiple on-off valves of the second transfer device 46 are closed, and the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are released from the holding units 52, 53A, 53B, and 53C. The manipulator 47 moves the holding unit 50 away from the support surface 32a. When the second accommodation step S7 is completed, all steps of the transfer method S are completed, and the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are transferred from the set table 20 to the polishing apparatus 30.

[0048] The control unit 80 clamps the second base plate of the polishing unit 31, rotates the first base plate 32 and the second base plate in a predetermined direction around the axis O1, and rotates at least one of the sun gear 33 and the internal gear 34 around the axis O1. When the first surface plate 32, the second surface plate, etc. are rotated for a predetermined time, the first surface plate 32 and the second surface plate polish the surface of the substrate 200A facing the thickness direction, and the substrate 200A becomes the polished substrate 200B. The control unit 80 causes the second surface plate of the polishing unit 31 to be in a retracted state. The control unit 80 transfers the carrier 205 and the substrate 200B accommodated in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 from the polishing apparatus 30 onto the upper surface 21 of the set table 20 using a method similar to the above-described transfer method. The control unit 80 controls the first transport device 25 to place the substrate 200B on the set table 20 into the carrying-out basket 15. The carrying-out basket 15 containing the substrate 200B is then carried out of the polishing equipment 1 by an appropriate carrying-out device.

[0049] By repeating the above steps, the polishing equipment 1 polishes the substrates 200A continuously.

[0050] As described above, the second transport device 46 of this embodiment supports the carrier 205, which has the substrate 200A accommodated in the through-hole 206, and the substrate 200A on the upper surface 21 of the set table 20. Then, using the second transport device 46, the first holding unit 52 holds the outer periphery of the carrier 205 from above, and the second holding unit 53 holds the substrate 200A in the through-hole 206. When the second transport device 46 lifts the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A from above the upper surface 21 and transports them, gravity acts on the carrier 205, causing the central portion of the carrier 205 to bend downward most, and the carrier 205 to curve convexly downward. At this time, by extending both the first holding unit 52 and the second holding unit 53 downward, the carrier 205 held by the first holding unit 52 and the substrate 200A held by the second holding unit 53 are separated from each other. This prevents the substrate 200A from coming into contact with the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A from overlapping in the vertical direction while the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are being transported. Therefore, the substrate 200A can be prevented from falling off the second transfer device 46 while the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are being transferred.

[0051] The carrier 205 is held by the first holding portion 52, and the substrate 200A accommodated in the through-hole 206 is held by the second holding portion 53. The length of the downward extension of the first holding portion 52 is an extension distance M. 52 is the extension distance M, which is the length by which the second holding portion 53 extends downward. 53A ,M 53B ,M 53C The length of the carrier 205 is longer than the thickness of the carrier 205. Therefore, from a state in which the carrier 205 held by the first holding unit 52 and the substrate 200A held by the second holding unit 53 are arranged at approximately the same height, the carrier 205 can be arranged lower than the substrate 200A by more than the thickness of the carrier 205. The central portion of the carrier 205 is curved so as to be convex downward due to gravity acting on the carrier 205, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the substrate 200A from coming into contact with the carrier 205 during transportation of the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A.

[0052] The second transport device 46 has a frame 51. The frame 51 interconnects the first body 64 of the first holding unit 52 and the second bodies 71A, 71B, and 71C of the second holding unit 53, and this increases the accuracy of the relative positions in the vertical direction of the outer periphery of the carrier 205 held by the first moving unit 65 and the substrate 200A held by the second moving units 72A, 72B, and 72C. Furthermore, in the polishing apparatus 30 of this embodiment, the second transport device 46 engages the plurality of teeth 207 of the carrier 205 with the plurality of teeth 39 of the internal gear 34 and the plurality of teeth 37 of the sun gear 33 in the planetary gear type polishing unit 31. Then, by rotating at least one of the internal gear 34 and the sun gear 33, the carrier 205 is rotated, and the surfaces facing the up-down direction of the substrate 200A accommodated in the carrier 205 can be polished.

[0053] Furthermore, in the transfer method S of this embodiment, the substrate 200A is prevented from contacting the carrier 205 and from overlapping with the carrier 205 in the thickness direction while the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are being transferred in the holding step S3, and when the carrier 205 is placed on the support surface 32a of the first base plate 32 in the planarizing step S5. After the holding step S3 and the planarizing step S5, the substrate 200A is placed in the through-hole 206 of the carrier 205 from above in the second placing step S7. Therefore, the substrate 200A can be prevented from falling while the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A are being transported. In the holding step S3, the substrate 200A is held so as to be positioned above the carrier 205. Therefore, the substrate 200A does not interfere with placing the carrier 205 on the support surface 32a in the planarization step S5, and therefore the planarization step S5 can be easily performed.

[0054] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and configuration changes, combinations, deletions, etc. are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the transfer method of the embodiment, in the holding step, only the first holding part 52 may be extended downward from the state in which it holds the carrier 205, and the second holding parts 53A, 53B, and 53C may not be extended from the state in which they hold the substrate 200A. 52 However, if the length exceeds the thickness of the carrier 205, the substrate 200A can be positioned above the carrier 205.

[0055] Similarly, in the holding step, only the second holding part may be contracted upward while the holding part 50 is moved upward. In the holding step, the first holding part and the second holding part may be contracted upward while the holding part 50 is moved upward. These methods also allow the substrate 200A to be positioned above the carrier 205.

[0056] In the holding step, the substrate 200A may be held so as to be positioned lower than the carrier 205, or the carrier 205 and the substrate 200A may be held with their positions shifted along a horizontal plane. The support surface 32a of the first base plate 32 and the upper surface 21 of the set table 20 may each be inclined relative to the horizontal plane. The number of first holding units 52 and the number of second holding units 53 included in the second transfer device 46 are not limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 30 Polishing equipment 31 Polishing section 32 First surface plate (surface plate) 32a Support surface 33 Sun Gear 34 Internal gear 37,39,207 Teeth 46 Second conveying device (conveying device) 51 Frame (connecting member) 52 1st holding part 53,53A,53B,53C 2nd holding part 64 First Body 65 First Mobile Section 71A, 71B, 78C 2nd body 72A, 72B, 72C 2nd moving part 200 boards 205 Career 206 Through hole S Transport Method S3 holding process S5 Flattening process S7 Second storage process (storage process)

Claims

1. A transport device that transports a carrier formed in a flat plate shape and provided with a through hole, and a substrate accommodated in the through hole, comprising: a first holding portion that holds an outer periphery of the carrier in a thickness direction of the carrier; a second holding portion that holds the substrate in the through hole in the thickness direction; Equipped with A transport device in which at least one of the first holding part and the second holding part can expand or contract in the thickness direction so that the carrier held by the first holding part and the substrate held by the second holding part are spaced apart from each other.

2. From a state in which the carrier is held by the first holding part and the substrate accommodated in the through hole is held by the second holding part, The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the length by which the first holding portion extends to one side in the thickness direction is longer than the length by which the second holding portion extends to the one side in the thickness direction by more than the thickness of the carrier.

3. The first holding portion is A first body; a first moving part that is movable in the thickness direction relative to the first body and that holds an outer periphery of the carrier, The second holding portion is A second body; a second moving part that is movable in the thickness direction relative to the second body and that holds the substrate, The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a connecting member that connects the first body and the second body to each other.

4. The carrier has a plurality of teeth on its outer periphery, a planetary gear type polishing unit that rotates on a support surface of a surface plate, has an internal gear and a sun gear that engage with the plurality of teeth of the carrier, and polishes a surface facing in a thickness direction of the substrate; A conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; Equipped with The conveying device engages the plurality of teeth of the carrier with the plurality of teeth of the internal gear and the plurality of teeth of the sun gear.

5. A transport method for transporting a carrier formed in a flat plate shape and provided with a through hole, and a substrate accommodated in the through hole, comprising: a holding step of holding the outer periphery of the carrier and the substrate so that the carrier and the substrate are spaced apart from each other; a planarization step of placing the carrier on a support surface and planarizing the carrier, and spacing the substrate above the carrier when the carrier is planarized; a receiving step of receiving the substrate from above into the through-hole of the carrier; A transportation method.

6. The transport method according to claim 5 , wherein in the holding step, the substrate is held so as to be positioned above the carrier.

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