Processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a processing device which achieves high efficiency in cooling of a motor driver compared to conventional processing devices and enables reduction of a possibility of a short circuit which may be caused in a circuit board of the motor driver by cooling compared to conventional processing devices.SOLUTION: A processing device includes: a chuck table which holds a workpiece; a spindle 22 to which a cutting blade 21, a grind stone tool which processes the workpiece held by the chuck table, is attached; a spindle housing 25 which rotatably supports the spindle 22 and includes a cooling water passage 27 therein; and a motor driver unit 40 which controls a motor 24 which rotates the spindle 22. The motor driver unit 40 is water-cooled by a water passage 47 through which water discharged from the cooling water passage 27 of the spindle housing 25 passes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device that uses a spindle. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known devices that process workpieces by attaching a tool to a spindle and rotating it at high speed, such as grinding devices (grinders) that grind semiconductor substrates with a grinding wheel and cutting devices (dicers) that cut them with a cutting blade (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The spindle is rotated by a motor, and the rotation of the motor is precisely controlled by a motor driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-010950 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Motor driver circuit boards become very hot during use, so they are typically equipped with cooling fins or air-cooled using a cooling fan. However, cooling fans have the problem of low cooling efficiency. There is also the risk of dust carried by the cooling fan causing a short circuit on the circuit board.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a processing device that has a higher cooling efficiency for the motor driver than conventional devices and that reduces the risk of the motor driver's circuit board shorting out due to cooling compared to conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a processing apparatus of the present invention is a processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table for holding a semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer; a spindle on which a grinding tool for processing the semiconductor wafer or the optical device wafer held on the chuck table is attached; a spindle housing for rotatably supporting the spindle and having a cooling water passage therein; and a motor driver unit for controlling a motor for rotating the spindle, wherein the motor is disposed at a base end of the spindle and is housed in the spindle housing together with the base end of the spindle, and the cooling water passage formed in the spindle housing is formed over the entire length of the spindle housing in the axial direction, The cooling water passes through the cooling water passage, thereby water-cooling the spindle, the motor, and the spindle housing;The motor driver unit is provided in an apparatus main body that has installed therein a moving unit that moves the grinding tool relative to the chuck table, and includes a motor driver that supplies power to the motor, a cooling unit that water-cools the motor driver, and a housing that houses the motor driver and the cooling unit, wherein water discharged from the cooling water channel of the spindle housing passes through a water channel formed in the cooling unit, thereby water-cooling the motor driver. The motor driver unit houses the motor driver on one side of the housing that is divided by a vertical plane, and the cooling unit on the other side, the motor driver and the cooling unit being adjacent to and in contact with each other along the vertical plane, and the cooling unit may have an internal space formed therein, and a plurality of cooling fins may be provided in the internal space that extend horizontally and stand from the vertical plane that separates the motor driver and the cooling unit toward the internal space of the cooling unit to partially partition the internal space of the cooling unit, thereby forming a water channel that meanders throughout the internal space. Furthermore, the motor driver unit may house the motor driver on one side of the housing, divided by a plane along the vertical direction, and the cooling unit on the other side, with the motor driver and the cooling unit adjacent to and in contact with each other on the plane along the vertical direction, and the cooling unit may have an internal space formed therein, and a plurality of cooling pipes extending horizontally and a plurality of communicating pipes connecting one end or the other end of adjacent cooling pipes, thereby forming a waterway that snakes through the entire internal space using the plurality of cooling pipes and the plurality of communicating pipes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention provides a higher cooling efficiency for the motor driver than conventional methods, and also reduces the risk of short-circuiting of the circuit board of the motor driver due to cooling compared to conventional methods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cooling mechanism for the main parts of the processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a motor driver unit of the processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a cooling unit of the motor driver unit of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a cooling unit of a motor driver unit of a processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cooling mechanism for the main parts of the processing apparatus of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Modes (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configuration can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] A processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view explaining a cooling mechanism for a main part of the processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the motor driver unit 40 of the processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the cooling unit 42 of the motor driver unit 40 of FIG. 3. Note that FIG. 2 shows a simplified water channel 47 in the cooling unit 42 of the motor driver unit 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a chuck table 10, a processing unit 20, a moving unit 30, a motor driver unit 40, and a control unit 50.

[0011] In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200, which is the object to be processed by the processing apparatus 1, is, for example, a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or optical device wafer made of a base material such as silicon, sapphire, silicon carbide (SiC), or gallium arsenide. As shown in FIG. 1 , the workpiece 200 has a flat surface 201 on which devices 203 are formed in areas defined by a plurality of planned division lines 202 formed in a grid pattern. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 has an adhesive tape 205 attached to a back surface 204 behind the front surface 201, and an annular frame 206 attached to the outer edge of the adhesive tape 205. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, in the present invention, the workpiece 200 may be a rectangular package substrate, a ceramic plate, a glass plate, or the like, having a plurality of devices sealed with resin.

[0012] The chuck table 10 has a disk-shaped frame body with a recess formed therein and a disk-shaped suction portion fitted into the recess. The suction portion of the chuck table 10 is formed from a porous material such as porous ceramic and is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) via a vacuum suction path (not shown). The upper surface of the suction portion of the chuck table 10 is a holding surface 11 on which a workpiece 200 is placed and which suction-holds the placed workpiece 200. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 is placed with its front surface 201 facing upward, and the holding surface 11 suction-holds the placed workpiece 200 from its back surface 204 side via adhesive tape 205. The holding surface 11 and the upper surface of the frame body of the chuck table 10 are arranged on the same plane and are formed parallel to the horizontal XY plane. The chuck table 10 is movable in the X-axis direction, which is one horizontal direction, by the X-axis moving unit 31 of the moving unit 30, and is rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction, which is vertical and perpendicular to the holding surface 11, by a rotary drive source not shown.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2 , the processing unit 20 includes a spindle 22, a mount flange 23, a motor 24, and a spindle housing 25. The spindle 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cutting blade 21 is attached to the tip thereof. The cutting blade 21 is an example of a grinding tool according to the present invention. The mount flange 23 secures the cutting blade 21 to the tip of the spindle 22. In the first embodiment, the cutting blade 21 is a cutting wheel having an annular cutting edge with abrasive grains fixed with a bond material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cutting blade 21 may be an electroformed bond-type blade having a cutting edge with abrasive grains fixed to a plating layer, a saw-like metal saw having a cutting edge formed from a thin steel blade made of cemented carbide, or the like.

[0014] The motor 24 is disposed at the base end of the spindle 22 and rotates the spindle 22 around an axis that is parallel to a Y-axis direction that is another horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction. By rotating the spindle 22, the motor 24 rotates the cutting blade 21 attached to the tip of the spindle 22 around an axis that is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The cutting blade 21 attached to the tip of the spindle 22 is rotated by the spindle 22 around the axis that is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and cuts the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10.

[0015] Spindle housing 25 exposes the tip of spindle 22 and houses the portion of spindle 22 other than the tip, allowing spindle 22 to be inserted therethrough. Spindle housing 25 has an air supply passage 26 and a cooling water passage 27 formed therein. Air supply passage 26 supplies air from an air supply source 61 to the inner circumferential surface of spindle housing 25 that faces spindle 22. Air supplied to the inner circumferential surface of spindle housing 25 from air supply source 61 functions as an air bearing, thereby bearing spindle 22 and supporting spindle 22 rotatably around an axis parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0016] 2, a supply port 28 formed at one end of the cooling water passage 27 is connected to a cooling water supply pipe 101 of the temperature adjustment device 100, and a discharge port 29 formed at the other end is connected to a supply port 48 of a water passage 47 of a cooling unit 42 (described later) via a connecting pipe 71. In the processing apparatus 1, cooling water supplied from the temperature adjustment device 100 via the cooling water supply pipe 101 passes through the cooling water passage 27 of the spindle housing 25, whereby heat generated in the spindle 22 and motor 24 of the processing unit 20 and transferred to the spindle housing 25 is recovered by the cooling water, thereby water-cooling the spindle 22, motor 24, and spindle housing 25. In the first embodiment, the cooling water is, for example, pure water.

[0017] The spindle housing 25 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction by a Y-axis moving unit 32 of the moving unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10, and is also provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis moving unit 33 of the moving unit 30. The spindle 22 rotatably supported by the spindle housing 25 and the cutting blade 21 attached to the tip of the spindle 22 move together with the spindle housing 25. The processing device 1 sets the cutting blade 21 attached to the tip of the spindle 22 to a predetermined position relative to the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10 by the moving unit 30, and moves the cutting blade 21 relative to the workpiece 200 along the planned dividing line 202 while rotating the cutting blade 21, thereby cutting the workpiece 200 along the planned dividing line 202 with the cutting blade 21.

[0018] 3, the motor driver unit 40 includes a motor driver 41 and a cooling unit 42. The motor driver unit 40 houses the motor driver 41 on one side of the interior of the housing divided by a vertical plane, and houses the cooling unit 42 on the other side. Therefore, the motor driver 41 and the cooling unit 42 are adjacent to and in contact with each other on this vertical plane, and heat generated on the circuit board of the motor driver 41 and the like is transferred to the cooling unit 42 via this plane.

[0019] The motor driver 41 supplies driving power from a commercial power supply (not shown) to the motor 24. The motor driver 41 includes an encoder that reads the rotational position of the motor 24, and detects the rotational speed of the motor 24 based on the change over time in the rotational position of the motor 24 read by the encoder. The motor driver 41 controls the driving power supplied to the motor 24 to maintain the detected rotational speed of the motor 24 constant. A wiring connection portion 43 is formed on the side of the motor driver 41. The motor driver 41 is electrically connected to the motor 24 and the control unit 50 via the wiring connection portion 43 so as to be able to communicate information with them.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling unit 42 is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending cooling fins 46 inside. The plurality of cooling fins 46 are erected from a vertical surface separating the motor driver 41 and the cooling unit 42 toward the interior space of the cooling unit 42. The interior space of the cooling unit 42 is partially partitioned by the plurality of cooling fins 46, thereby forming a water channel 47 that meanders through the interior space and distributes throughout the entire interior space. As shown in FIG. 4, the water channel 47 formed inside the cooling unit 42 has a supply port 48 formed at a vertically lower end thereof through which cooling water is supplied into the water channel 47, and a discharge port 49 formed at a vertically upper end thereof through which cooling water is discharged from the water channel 47.

[0021] 2, the supply port 48 of the water channel 47 is connected to the discharge port 29 of the cooling water channel 27 via a connecting pipe 71, and the discharge port 49 is connected to a cooling water recovery pipe 102 of the temperature adjustment device 100. In the processing device 1, the cooling water discharged from the cooling water channel 27 is introduced into the water channel 47 of the cooling unit 42 via the connecting pipe 71, and as the cooling water passes through the water channel 47 of the cooling unit 42, the heat generated in the motor driver 41 and transferred to the cooling unit 42 is recovered by the cooling water, and the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40 is water-cooled.

[0022] 1 and 2, the processing apparatus 1 is connected to a temperature adjustment device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature adjustment device 100 includes a cooling water supply pipe 101, a cooling water recovery pipe 102, a water supply source 105, and a valve 106. The cooling water supply pipe 101 is connected to the supply port 28 of the cooling water channel 27. The cooling water recovery pipe 102 is connected to the discharge port 49 of the water channel 47 of the cooling unit 42. Inside the temperature adjustment device 100, a temperature adjustment unit (not shown) is provided between the cooling water supply pipe 101 and the cooling water recovery pipe 102. The temperature adjustment device 100 supplies cooling water from a cooling water supply pipe 101 to the cooling water passage 27 of the machining unit 20 and the water passage 47 of the cooling unit 42 in this order to water-cool the spindle 22, motor 24, and spindle housing 25 of the machining unit 20, and the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40. The temperature adjustment device 100 receives the cooling water (water) discharged from the water passage 47 through a cooling water recovery pipe 102, where it is temperature-adjusted (cooled) again in the temperature adjustment section, and returns it to the cooling water passage 27. The temperature adjustment device 100 adjusts the temperature of the cooling water returned from the cooling water recovery pipe 102 to, for example, 20 to 24 degrees, and supplies it to the machining unit 20 through the cooling water supply pipe 101. The cooling water discharged from the machining unit 20 is supplied to the motor driver unit 40 with its temperature increased by, for example, 1 to 3 degrees. When air-cooling is used, cooling water at a temperature not much different from the room temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, which serves as the cooling source, is supplied to the motor driver unit 40.

[0023] Valve 106 adjusts the amount of cooling water supplied from water supply source 105 to the cooling water flow path. Here, the cooling water flow path is made up of cooling water supply pipe 101, cooling water recovery pipe 102, and temperature adjustment unit of temperature adjustment device 100, cooling water path 27, connecting pipe 71, and water path 47. Temperature adjustment device 100 detects the amount of cooling water flowing in this flow path using a water amount detector (not shown), such as a level sensor, provided in this cooling water flow path, and if it determines that the amount of cooling water is insufficient, opens valve 106 to supply an appropriate amount of water from water supply source 105 to this cooling water flow path, thereby automatically maintaining the amount of cooling water flowing in this flow path at an appropriate amount.

[0024] In the example of embodiment 1 shown in Figure 2, the processing apparatus 1 has the outlet 49 of the water channel 47 of the motor driver 41 connected to the cooling water recovery pipe 102 of the temperature control device 100, and the cooling water that has passed through the water channel 47 is recovered by the cooling water recovery pipe 102 to the temperature control device 100, where it is re-cooled to a predetermined temperature and reused. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the outlet 49 of the water channel 47 of the motor driver 41 may be connected to a drainage channel that connects to a drain, and the cooling water that has passed through the water channel 47 may be discharged outside the processing apparatus 1 without being recovered by the temperature control device 100.

[0025] The control unit 50 controls the operation of each component of the machining device 1 to cause the machining device 1 to perform machining processing using the machining unit 20. The control unit 50 controls the motor driver 41 to cause the motor driver 41 to control the rotation speed of the motor 24. In the first embodiment, the control unit 50 includes a computer system. The computer system included in the control unit 50 includes an arithmetic processing device having a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device having memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 50 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with a computer program stored in the storage device of the control unit 50 and outputs control signals for controlling the machining device 1 to each component of the machining device 1 via the input / output interface device of the control unit 50.

[0026] 1, the processing apparatus 1 further includes a cassette mounting section 81, a cleaning unit 82, and a display unit 87. The cassette mounting section 81 is a mounting table for mounting a cassette 85, which is a container for accommodating a plurality of workpieces 200, and raises and lowers the mounted cassette 85 in the Z-axis direction. The cleaning unit 82 cleans the workpiece 200 after processing by the processing unit 20, and removes foreign matter such as processing chips adhering to the workpiece 200.

[0027] The display unit 87 is provided on a cover (not shown) of the processing device 1 with its display surface facing outward, and displays a screen for setting the processing conditions of the processing device 1, a screen showing the processing results, etc. so that the operator can see them. The display unit 87 is configured with a liquid crystal display device or the like. The display unit 87 is provided with an input unit 88 that the operator uses to input command information related to the processing conditions of the processing device 1 and the display of images. The input unit 88 provided on the display unit 87 is configured with at least one of a touch panel provided on the display unit 87, a keyboard, etc.

[0028] The processing apparatus 1 further includes a transport unit (not shown) that transports the workpiece 200 before processing from inside the cassette 85 onto the chuck table 10, transports the processed workpiece 200 from the chuck table 10 to the cleaning unit 82, and transports the cleaned workpiece 200 from the cleaning unit 82 into the cassette 85.

[0029] Next, this specification will describe an example of the operation of the processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. When the processing unit 20 processes the workpiece 200, the processing apparatus 1 water-cools the spindle 22, motor 24, and spindle housing 25 of the processing unit 20 by having the cooling water supplied from the temperature adjustment device 100 pass through the cooling water passage 27 of the spindle housing 25, and the cooling water discharged from the cooling water passage 27 further passes through the water passage 47 of the cooling unit 42, thereby further water-cooling the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40.

[0030] In the machining apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment having the above-described configuration, the spindle housing 25 that rotatably supports the spindle 22 has a cooling water passage 27 therein, the cooling unit 42 provided adjacent to the motor driver 41 that controls the motor 24 that rotates the spindle 22 has a water passage 47 therein, and the outlet 29 of the cooling water passage 27 is connected to the supply port 48 of the water passage 47 via the connecting pipe 71. Therefore, the machining apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment has an effect of realizing an efficient cooling mechanism without increasing costs by passing the cooling water used to cool the spindle 22, motor 24, and spindle housing 25 through the cooling water passage 27 through the connecting pipe 71 and reusing it for cooling the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40.

[0031] Furthermore, while conventionally, motor drivers have been air-cooled using cooling fins or cooling fans, the machining apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment water-cools the motor driver 41 by supplying cooling water into the water passage 47 of the cooling unit 42, thereby achieving the advantageous effect of improving the cooling efficiency of the motor driver 41 compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, conventionally, air-cooling the motor driver 41 posed a risk of the circuit board shorting out due to dust carried by the cooling fan, but the machining apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment water-cools the motor driver 41, thereby reducing the possibility of dust being carried to the circuit board compared to conventional methods, thereby achieving the advantageous effect of reducing the risk of the circuit board of the motor driver 41 shorting out due to cooling compared to conventional methods.

[0032] Furthermore, in a conventional processing apparatus, a new water channel can be formed in the area where the cooling fins for air-cooling the motor driver are provided by providing a housing (box) to cover this area to prevent water leakage, and a new connecting pipe can be provided to connect the outlet of the cooling water channel in the spindle housing to the supply port of the newly provided water channel. This allows the conventional processing apparatus to be improved into processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1, in which outlet 29 of cooling water channel 27 inside spindle housing 25 is connected via connecting pipe 71 to supply port 48 of water channel 47 inside cooling unit 42 that water-cools motor driver 41. In this way, processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 has the effect of being realized without incurring significant costs for facility improvements compared to conventional processing apparatuses.

[0033] [Embodiment 2] A processing device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a cooling unit 42-2 of a motor driver unit 40 of the processing device 1 according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 5, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0034] The processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that according to the first embodiment, except that the cooling unit 42 is replaced with a cooling unit 42-2. As shown in FIG. 5 , the cooling unit 42-2 is provided with a plurality of cooling fins 46 therein, similar to the cooling unit 42. The cooling unit 42-2 further includes a cooling pipe 44 extending horizontally along each of the plurality of horizontally extending spaces partitioned by the cooling fins 46. The cooling unit 42-2 also includes a communicating pipe 45 connecting the ends of adjacent cooling pipes 44 to each other. The plurality of cooling pipes 44 and the plurality of communicating pipes 45 form a water channel 47-2 that snakes through the entire interior space of the cooling unit 42-2. The cooling fins 46 and the cooling pipes 44 are each made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum.

[0035] In the processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, the cooling water discharged from the cooling water passage 27 is introduced into the water passage 47-2 of the cooling unit 42-2 via the connecting pipe 71, and as it passes through the water passage 47-2 of the cooling unit 42-2, the heat generated in the motor driver 41 and transferred to the cooling unit 42-2 is recovered by the cooling water, and the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40 is water-cooled.

[0036] The processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment having the above-described configuration is obtained by replacing the cooling unit 42 having the water channel 47 formed therein in the first embodiment with a cooling unit 42-2 having the water channel 47-2 formed therein, and since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, it has the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, the processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment has the effect of being able to form the water channel 47-2 in which the direction of the cooling water flow is clearer by providing the cooling piping 44 and the communicating pipe 45.

[0037] Furthermore, in a conventional processing apparatus, by passing a cooling pipe between the cooling fins in an area where cooling fins for air-cooling the motor driver are provided and connecting the cooling pipes to each other with a communication pipe, a new water channel is formed in this area, and further by providing a new connecting pipe that connects the outlet of the cooling water channel in the spindle housing to the supply port of the newly provided water channel, the conventional processing apparatus can be improved to processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2 in which outlet 29 of cooling water channel 27 inside spindle housing 25 is connected via connecting pipe 71 to supply port 48 of water channel 47-2 inside cooling unit 42-2 that water-cools motor driver 41. In this way, the processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2 has the effect of being realized without incurring significant costs for facility improvements from conventional processing apparatuses.

[0038] In the processing apparatus 1 according to the first and second embodiments, the cooling units 42, 42-2 are provided with cooling fins 46 therein and form water channels 47, 47-2 that utilize the cooling fins 46, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be a simple housing (box) in which cooling water is collected without the cooling fins 46. Even when such a cooling unit is simply a housing (box) in which cooling water is collected, the processing apparatus 1 will achieve the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments described above.

[0039] [Embodiment 3] A processing apparatus 1-3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the processing apparatus 1-3 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cooling mechanism for the main parts of the processing apparatus 1-3 of FIG. 6. Note that FIG. 7 shows a simplified view of the water channel 47 in the cooling unit 42 of the motor driver unit 40. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0040] 6, the processing apparatus 1-3 according to the third embodiment is obtained by changing the processing unit 20 in the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment to a processing unit 20-3, and changing the shape, arrangement, etc. of each of the other components of the processing apparatus 1 in accordance with this change. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the processing apparatus 1-3 includes the chuck table 10, moving unit 30, motor driver unit 40, and control unit 50 similar to those of the processing apparatus 1, and the processing unit 20-3.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the machining unit 20-3 includes a spindle 22-3, a motor 24-3, and a spindle housing 25-3. A grinding wheel 21-3 is attached to the tip of the spindle 22-3. The grinding wheel 21-3 is an example of a grinding tool according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, the grinding wheel 21-3 has, for example, grinding stones arranged in an annular shape. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spindle 22-3 is the spindle 22 of the first embodiment, except that the axis direction of the spindle 22 is changed from parallel to the Y-axis direction to parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0042] In the third embodiment, the motor 24-3 rotates the spindle 22-3 about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. In the third embodiment, the motor 24-3 is the same as the motor 24 in the first embodiment, except that the spindle 22, which is the rotation target, and the direction of rotation thereof are changed, and the shape, arrangement, etc. are changed accordingly. The other configurations and functions are the same as those of the motor 24 in the first embodiment. The motor 24-3 rotates the spindle 22-3, thereby rotating the grinding wheel 21-3 attached to the tip of the spindle 22-3 about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. The grinding wheel 21-3 attached to the tip of the spindle 22-3 is rotated by the spindle 22-3 about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction, thereby grinding the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10.

[0043] The spindle housing 25-3 exposes the tip of the spindle 22-3 and accommodates the portion of the spindle 22-3 other than the tip, thereby allowing the spindle 22-3 to pass through. As shown in Fig. 7, the spindle housing 25-3 has an air supply path 26-3 formed therein that has the same function as the air supply path 26 of the first embodiment, and the air supply path 26-3 supports the spindle 22-3 rotatably about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0044] 7, the spindle housing 25-3 has a cooling water passage 27-3 formed therein, which has the same function as the cooling water passage 27 of the first embodiment. In the processing apparatus 1-3, cooling water supplied from the temperature adjustment device 100 through the cooling water supply pipe 101 passes through the cooling water passage 27-3 of the spindle housing 25-3, whereby heat generated in the spindle 22-3 and motor 24-3 of the processing unit 20-3 and transferred to the spindle housing 25-3 is recovered by the cooling water, thereby water-cooling the spindle 22-3, motor 24-3, and spindle housing 25-3. In the processing apparatus 1-3, the cooling water discharged from the cooling water passage 27-3 is introduced through the connecting pipe 71 into the water passage 47 of the cooling unit 42, and as in the first embodiment, the motor driver 41 of the motor driver unit 40 is water-cooled by passing through the water passage 47 of the cooling unit 42.

[0045] The processing device 1-3 sets the grinding wheel 21-3 attached to the tip of the spindle 22-3 by the moving unit 30 at a predetermined position relative to the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10, and while rotating the grinding wheel 21-3, presses it along the grinding feed direction (the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction) against the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200, which rotates as the chuck table 10 rotates, thereby grinding the back surface 204 of the workpiece 200 with the grinding wheel 21-3.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6 , the processing apparatus 1-3 further includes cassettes 91 and 92, an alignment unit 93, a carry-in unit 94, an unloading unit 95, a cleaning unit 96, and a carry-in / out unit 97. The cassettes 91 and 92 are containers for storing multiple workpieces 200. The alignment unit 93 is a table on which the workpieces 200 removed from the cassettes 91 and 92 are temporarily placed and centered. The carry-in unit 94 has a suction pad and suction-holds the unground workpiece 200 aligned by the alignment unit 93 and carries it onto the chuck table 10. The carry-out unit 95 suction-holds the ground workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10 and carries it to the cleaning unit 96. The cleaning unit 96 cleans the ground workpiece 200 to remove contaminants such as grinding debris adhering to the ground surface. The carry-in / out unit 97 is, for example, a robot pick equipped with a circular hand, and uses the circular hand to suck and hold the workpiece 200 and transport the workpiece 200. The carry-in / out unit 97 carries the workpiece 200 before grinding from the cassettes 91, 92 to the alignment unit 93, and carries the workpiece 200 after grinding from the cleaning unit 96 to the cassettes 91, 92.

[0047] The machining apparatus 1-3 according to the third embodiment having the above-described configuration is obtained by changing the machining unit 20 in the first embodiment to a machining unit 20-3, and accordingly, the object through which the cooling water supplied from the temperature adjustment device 100 passes before being introduced into the water passage 47 is changed from the cooling water passage 27 to the cooling water passage 27-3, and the spindle 22, motor 24, and spindle housing 25 of the machining unit 20 is changed to cool the spindle 22-3, motor 24-3, and spindle housing 25-3 of the machining unit 20-3, but the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the machining apparatus 1-3 according to the third embodiment has the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0048] Furthermore, in the processing device 1-3 according to the embodiment 3, the cooling unit 42 may be changed to the cooling unit 42-2 of the embodiment 2, in which case the same effects as those of the embodiment 2 will be achieved. Furthermore, in the processing device 1-3 according to the embodiment 3, the cooling unit 42 may be changed to a simple housing (box) that does not have the cooling fins 46 and that simply stores cooling water, as in the embodiment 2.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments, the processing apparatus 1 includes a processing unit 20 (cutting unit) having a spindle 22 that rotates the cutting blade 21, and in the third embodiment, the processing apparatus 1-3 includes a processing unit 20-3 (grinding unit) having a spindle 22-3 that rotates the grinding wheel 21-3. However, the present invention is not limited to these. The processing apparatus may also include a processing unit (polishing unit) having a spindle that rotates a polishing pad. Thus, the processing apparatus according to the present invention may include any type of processing unit having a spindle that rotates a grinding tool that processes the workpiece 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1,1-3 Processing equipment 10 Chuck table 20,20-3 Processing unit 21 Cutting blade (an example of a grinding tool according to the present invention) 21-3 Grinding wheel (an example of a grinding tool according to the present invention) 22,22-3 Spindle 24,24-3 motor 25,25-3 spindle housing 27,27-3 Cooling waterway 40 Motor driver unit 41 Motor driver 42,42-2 Cooling unit 47,47-2 Waterway 50 Control Unit 100 Temperature control device 200 Workpieces

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table for holding a semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer; a spindle on which a grinding tool for processing the semiconductor wafer or the optical device wafer held on the chuck table is attached; a spindle housing for rotatably supporting the spindle and having a cooling water passage therein; and a motor driver unit for controlling a motor for rotating the spindle, the motor is disposed at the base end of the spindle and is accommodated together with the base end of the spindle in a spindle housing; the cooling water passage formed in the spindle housing is formed over the entire length of the spindle housing in the axial direction, and the spindle, the motor, and the spindle housing are water-cooled by cooling water passing through the cooling water passage; the motor driver unit is provided in an apparatus main body in which a moving unit that moves the grinding tool relatively to the chuck table is installed, and includes a motor driver that supplies power to the motor, a cooling unit that water-cools the motor driver, and a housing that houses the motor driver and the cooling unit; The processing apparatus is characterized in that the motor driver is water-cooled by water discharged from the cooling water passage of the spindle housing passing through a water passage formed in the cooling unit.

2. the motor driver unit accommodates the motor driver on one side of the interior of the housing divided by a plane along the vertical direction, and accommodates the cooling unit on the other side, the motor driver and the cooling unit being adjacent to and in contact with each other on the plane along the vertical direction; 2. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit has an internal space formed therein, and a plurality of cooling fins extending horizontally in the internal space and erected from a vertical surface separating the motor driver and the cooling unit toward the internal space of the cooling unit to partially separate the internal space of the cooling unit, thereby forming a water channel that snakes throughout the entire internal space.

3. the motor driver unit accommodates the motor driver on one side of the interior of the housing divided by a plane along the vertical direction, and accommodates the cooling unit on the other side, the motor driver and the cooling unit being adjacent to and in contact with each other on the plane along the vertical direction; 2. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit has an internal space formed therein, and a plurality of cooling pipes extending horizontally and a plurality of communicating pipes connecting one end or the other end of adjacent cooling pipes are provided in the internal space, thereby forming a waterway that snakes through the entire internal space using the plurality of cooling pipes and the plurality of communicating pipes.

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