Device

Abstract

To provide a device capable of appropriately cooling a part to be cooled over a long period of time while keeping manufacturing costs low.SOLUTION: A device includes a suction portion that generates negative pressure, a holding portion that is connected to the suction portion and holds an object using suction force due to negative pressure, a cooling unit that cools a refrigerant, a cooled portion to which the refrigerant cooled by the cooling unit is supplied, a circulation path that connects the cooling unit and the cooled portion and circulates the refrigerant between the cooling unit and the cooled portion, and a degassing portion connected in series to the circulation path, and the degassing portion includes a hollow fiber membrane, an accommodating portion connected to the suction portion, accommodating the hollow fiber membrane, and supplied with negative pressure from the suction portion, a refrigerant inflow portion that connects one end of the hollow fiber membrane to the circulation path, and a refrigerant outflow portion that connects the other end of the hollow fiber membrane to the circulation path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus in which a refrigerant cooled by a cooling unit is supplied to a cooled portion.

Background Art

[0002] In electronic devices typified by mobile phones and personal computers, a device chip having devices such as electronic circuits is an essential component. A device chip is obtained, for example, by partitioning a surface side of a wafer made of a semiconductor such as silicon into a plurality of regions by a division planned line called a street, forming devices in each region, and then dividing the wafer along this street.

[0003] When dividing a wafer into device chips, for example, a laser processing apparatus including a laser oscillator capable of generating a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength absorbed by the wafer is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the laser beam generated by the laser oscillator is irradiated along the street of the wafer, so that the wafer is ablated and a groove suitable for dividing the wafer is formed in the street.

[0004] The wafer may also be divided using a laser processing apparatus including a laser oscillator capable of generating a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength that passes through the wafer (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this case, the laser beam generated by the laser oscillator is irradiated along the street so as to be focused inside the wafer, so that the inside of the wafer is modified by multiphoton absorption, and a brittle modified layer suitable for dividing the wafer is formed in the street.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] Incidentally, the temperature of each part of the laser oscillator mentioned above rises due to the heat generated when the laser beam is produced. For example, if the laser medium constituting the laser oscillator becomes hot, the efficiency of laser oscillation decreases. Also, if the optical components contained in the laser oscillator expand due to heat, the optical path of the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator will shift, making it difficult to properly process the wafer. Therefore, the laser oscillator is cooled by circulating a coolant, such as water, between the cooling unit that cools the coolant and the laser oscillator.

[0007] However, if the same refrigerant is circulated for a long period of time, microorganisms will proliferate, and the organic matter secreted by these microorganisms will form a highly viscous slime. In addition, if metal is used in the circulation path through which the refrigerant circulates, the oxygen dissolved in the refrigerant (dissolved oxygen) may corrode the metal. When slime forms or metal corrodes, the flow rate of the refrigerant circulating through the path becomes insufficient, and the laser oscillator, which is the part being cooled, will not be properly cooled.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a device that can properly cool the part to be cooled over a long period of time while keeping manufacturing costs low. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a device is provided that includes a suction unit that generates negative pressure, a holding unit connected to the suction unit and holding an object using the suction force due to the negative pressure, a cooling unit that cools a refrigerant, a cooled unit to which the refrigerant cooled by the cooling unit is supplied, a circulation path connecting the cooling unit and the cooled unit and circulating the refrigerant between the cooling unit and the cooled unit, and a degassing unit connected in series with the circulation path, wherein the degassing unit includes a hollow fiber membrane, a housing unit connected to the suction unit that houses the hollow fiber membrane and to which the negative pressure is supplied from the suction unit, a refrigerant inlet to which one end of the hollow fiber membrane is connected to the circulation path, and a refrigerant outlet to which the other end of the hollow fiber membrane is connected to the circulation path.

[0010] Preferably, the suction unit includes an ejector having a supply port for supplying gas from a gas supply source, a suction port connected to the holding unit and the housing unit for drawing in gas, and an outlet for discharging gas; the cooling unit includes a Peltier element having a heat-absorbing surface and a heat-dissipating surface, and the gas discharged from the outlet of the ejector is supplied to the Peltier element so as to cool the heat-dissipating surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a suction section that generates negative pressure, a holding section connected to the suction section, and a degassing section connected in series with a circulation path for circulating refrigerant. The degassing section includes a hollow fiber membrane and a housing section that houses the hollow fiber membrane and is supplied with negative pressure from the suction section. Therefore, gases such as oxygen and nitrogen dissolved in the refrigerant are sufficiently removed from the refrigerant in the degassing section by the action of the negative pressure supplied from the suction section connected to the holding section.

[0012] Thus, according to the apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the refrigerant is sufficiently degassed in the degassing section, resulting in a refrigerant that is less susceptible to microbial growth and less likely to corrode metals, and the part to be cooled is properly cooled over a long period of time. Furthermore, according to the apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the suction section is shared between the holding section and the degassing section, so there is no need to provide a separate suction section connected to the degassing section in addition to the suction section connected to the holding section, thus keeping the manufacturing cost of the apparatus low. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a laser processing apparatus. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows some of the components of a laser processing device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the degassing section. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the degassing section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a laser processing apparatus 2, which is an example of the apparatus. In Figure 1, some of the components of the laser processing apparatus 2 are represented by functional blocks. Also, the X-axis direction (processing feed direction), Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction), and Z-axis direction (vertical direction) used in the following description are directions perpendicular to each other.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the laser processing apparatus 2 includes a base 4 on which each component is mounted. A horizontal movement mechanism (processing feed mechanism, indexing feed mechanism) 6 is located on the upper surface of the base 4. The horizontal movement mechanism 6 includes a pair of Y-axis guide rails 8 fixed to the upper surface of the base 4 and generally parallel to the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis movement plate 10 is mounted on the Y-axis guide rails 8 in such a manner that it can slide along the Y-axis direction.

[0016] On the lower surface side of the Y-axis moving plate 10, a nut portion (not shown) constituting a ball screw is provided. A screw shaft 12 substantially parallel to the Y-axis guide rail 8 is connected to this nut portion in a rotatable manner. A Y-axis pulse motor 14 is connected to one end of the screw shaft 12. By rotating the screw shaft 12 with the Y-axis pulse motor 14, the Y-axis moving plate 10 moves along the Y-axis guide rail 8 (in the Y-axis direction).

[0017] On the upper surface of the Y-axis moving plate 10, a pair of X-axis guide rails 16 substantially parallel to the X-axis direction are provided. An X-axis moving plate 18 is attached to the X-axis guide rails 16 in a manner that it can slide along the X-axis direction. On the lower surface side of the X-axis moving plate 18, a nut portion (not shown) constituting a ball screw is provided.

[0018] A screw shaft 20 substantially parallel to the X-axis guide rail 16 is connected to this nut portion in a rotatable manner. An X-axis pulse motor 22 is connected to one end of the screw shaft 20. By rotating the screw shaft 20 with the X-axis pulse motor 22, the X-axis moving plate 18 moves along the X-axis guide rail 16 (in the X-axis direction).

[0019] On the upper surface side of the X-axis moving plate 18, a columnar table base 24 is arranged. Also, on the upper part of the table base 24, a chuck table (holding portion) 26 used for holding the workpiece (object) 11 is arranged. A rotational drive source such as a motor (not shown) is connected to the lower part of the table base 24.

[0020] The chuck table 26 rotates around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction by the force generated by this rotational drive source. Also, the chuck table 26 moves along the X-axis direction (machining feed) by the force generated by the X-axis pulse motor 22 of the horizontal movement mechanism 6, and moves along the Y-axis direction (indexing feed) by the force generated by the Y-axis pulse motor 14 of the horizontal movement mechanism 6.

[0021] The workpiece 11 is, for example, a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor such as silicon. That is, this workpiece 11 has a circular front surface and a circular back surface opposite to the front surface. The front surface side of the workpiece 11 is partitioned into a plurality of small regions by a plurality of streets (planned processing lines) intersecting each other, and devices such as integrated circuits (ICs) are formed in each small region. The laser processing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment is used, for example, when forming grooves in the streets of the workpiece 11.

[0022] A circular tape 13 is attached to the back surface (or the front surface) of the workpiece 11, and an annular frame 15 surrounding the workpiece 11 is fixed to the outer edge portion of the tape 13. That is, the workpiece 11 is supported by the annular frame 15 via the tape 13. Thereby, the ease of handling of the workpiece 11 is enhanced. However, the tape 13 may not be attached to the workpiece 11. That is, the workpiece 11 may be processed in a state where the tape 13 is not attached or in a state where it is not supported by the annular frame 15.

[0023] In the present embodiment, a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor such as silicon is used as the workpiece 11, but the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 11 are not limited to this mode. For example, substrates, ingots, etc. made of other materials such as semiconductors, ceramics, resins, metals, etc. can be used as the workpiece 11. Similarly, the type, quantity, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of the devices are also not limited to the above-described mode. Devices may not be formed on the workpiece 11.

[0024] A part of the upper surface of the chuck table 26 is a holding surface 26a that contacts the tape 13 (or the workpiece 11 when the tape 13 is not attached to the workpiece 11) to hold the workpiece 11, and is typically made of porous ceramics. This holding surface 26a is substantially parallel to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Further, four clamps 28 for fixing an annular frame 15 that supports the workpiece 11 are provided around the chuck table 26.

[0025] Figure 2 shows some of the components of the laser processing apparatus 2. In Figure 2, the flow of fluids (gas or liquids) is indicated by arrows. The holding surface 26a is connected to an ejector (suction unit) 32 that can generate negative pressure via a flow path (not shown) provided inside the chuck table 26 and the flow path 30a shown in Figure 2.

[0026] The ejector 32 has a supply port 32a into which gas is supplied from the outside, an outlet port 32b into which gas is discharged, and a suction port 32c into which external gas is drawn in by the negative pressure generated by the flow of gas from the supply port 32a to the outlet port 32b. Specifically, the supply port 32a of the ejector 32 is connected via a flow path 30b or the like to a gas supply source (not shown) located outside the laser processing apparatus 2.

[0027] Furthermore, the suction port 32c of the ejector 32 is connected to the holding surface 26a of the chuck table 26 via the flow path 30a, etc. Therefore, by applying the negative pressure supplied from the suction port 32c through the flow path 30a, etc., to the holding surface 26a, the chuck table 26 can hold the workpiece 11 using the suction force caused by this negative pressure.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, a support structure 34 is provided in one region of the horizontal movement mechanism 6 along the Y-axis direction, with a side surface that is generally parallel to the Z-axis direction. A vertical movement mechanism (height adjustment mechanism) 36 is positioned on the side surface of this support structure 34. The vertical movement mechanism 36 is fixed to the side surface of the support structure 34 and includes a pair of Z-axis guide rails 38 that are generally parallel to the Z-axis direction. A Z-axis movement plate 40 is attached to the Z-axis guide rails 38 in such a manner that it can slide along the Z-axis direction.

[0029] A nut portion (not shown) constituting a ball screw is provided on the back side (Z-axis guide rail 38 side) of the Z-axis moving plate 40. A screw shaft (not shown) that is roughly parallel to the Z-axis guide rail 38 is connected to this nut portion in a manner that allows it to rotate. A Z-axis pulse motor 42 is connected to one end of the screw shaft. By rotating the screw shaft with the Z-axis pulse motor 42, the Z-axis moving plate 40 moves along the Z-axis guide rail 38 (in the Z-axis direction).

[0030] A support 44 is fixed to the surface side of the Z-axis moving plate 40, and this support 44 supports a part of a laser beam irradiation unit 46 that irradiates a workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 26 in a way that focuses the laser beam. As shown in Figure 2, the laser beam irradiation unit 46 includes, for example, a laser oscillator (cooled part) 48 fixed to the base 4.

[0031] The laser oscillator 48 includes a laser medium such as Nd:YAG suitable for laser oscillation and optical components such as mirrors, and generates a pulsed laser beam with a wavelength absorbed by the workpiece 11, which is then emitted to the outside. The laser oscillator 48 may also be configured to generate a pulsed laser beam with a wavelength that penetrates the workpiece 11. The laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 48 is incident on a cylindrical housing 50 supported by a support 44 shown in Figure 1.

[0032] A mirror (not shown) is positioned inside the housing 50. An irradiation head 52 is provided at the end of the housing 50 on the side of the horizontal movement mechanism 6 (the other side along the Y-axis). The laser beam, incident from the laser oscillator 48 into the housing 50, has its direction of travel changed by the mirror inside the housing 50 and then enters the irradiation head 52.

[0033] A mirror and a lens are arranged inside the irradiation head 52. The laser beam that enters the irradiation head 52 has its direction of travel changed downward by the mirror inside the irradiation head 52 and enters the lens. The lens focuses the laser beam to a focal point that is set at an arbitrary height from the holding surface 26a of the chuck table 26.

[0034] In the laser beam irradiation unit 46 configured in this way, heat is generated when the laser oscillator 48 generates a laser beam, causing the temperature of various parts of the laser oscillator 48 to rise. Therefore, in this embodiment, a coolant such as cooled water is supplied to the laser oscillator 48 so that the temperature of the laser oscillator 48 is maintained within an appropriate range.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the laser oscillator 48 is connected to a cooling unit 56 that cools the refrigerant via a circulation path 54, which is composed of pipes and the like that through which the refrigerant can flow. This circulation path 54 connects the laser oscillator 48 and the cooling unit 56 and is configured in a ring shape so that the refrigerant can circulate between the laser oscillator 48 and the cooling unit 56. Specifically, the circulation path 54 includes a forward path 54a through which the refrigerant flows toward the laser oscillator 48 and a return path 54b through which the refrigerant flows toward the cooling unit 56.

[0036] The cooling unit 56 includes, for example, a Peltier element 58 that can cool the refrigerant by the Peltier effect. The Peltier element 58 has a heat-absorbing surface 58a that is cooled by the action of an electric current and absorbs heat from the surroundings, and a heat-dissipating surface 58b that is heated by the action of an electric current and releases heat to the surroundings. As shown in Figure 2, the heat-absorbing surface 58a is in contact with a flow path 60 at both ends, which is connected to the forward path 54a and the return path 54b of the circulation path 54. The refrigerant is cooled by heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing from the circulation path 54 into the flow path 60 and the heat-absorbing surface 58a.

[0037] In this embodiment, a large amount of gas discharged from the outlet 32b of the ejector 32 is supplied to the heat dissipation surface 58b of the Peltier element 58 via the flow path 30c, etc. For example, when the cooling unit 56 is operated for a long time, the temperature around the heat dissipation surface 58b tends to rise, reducing the efficiency of refrigerant cooling. However, by adopting this configuration, heat dissipation from the heat dissipation surface 58b is promoted, and the efficiency of refrigerant cooling is maintained at a high level. The flow rate of gas discharged from the outlet 32b varies depending on the vacuum level required for the ejector 32, but is approximately 40 L / min to 60 L / min.

[0038] For example, a degassing unit 62 capable of removing dissolved gases from the refrigerant is connected in series to the return path 54b of the circulation path 54. By removing gases such as oxygen (dissolved oxygen) and nitrogen (dissolved nitrogen) from the refrigerant using this degassing unit 62, a refrigerant is created that is less susceptible to the growth of microorganisms and less likely to corrode metals.

[0039] In this embodiment, the degassing unit 62 is connected to the return path 54b through which the refrigerant heated for cooling the laser oscillator 48 flows. Therefore, compared to the case where the degassing unit 62 is connected to the forward path 54a, the efficiency of degassing by the degassing unit 62 is increased. However, the degassing unit 62 may also be connected to the forward path 54a.

[0040] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the degassing section 62, and Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the degassing section 62. In Figure 4, the flow of fluid (gas or liquid) is indicated by arrows. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the degassing section 62 includes a cylindrical hollow fiber membrane 64 with both ends open and a bottomed cylindrical case 66 with both ends closed. Multiple hollow fiber membranes 64 are housed in the space inside the case 66.

[0041] The hollow fiber membrane 64 is composed of, for example, a microfiltration membrane (MF membrane) or an ultrafiltration membrane (UF membrane) that allows gas to pass through but substantially prevents liquid refrigerant from passing through. Therefore, when the pressure in the space outside the hollow fiber membrane 64 is reduced and refrigerant is flowed into the space inside the hollow fiber membrane 64, only the gas in the refrigerant is drawn out into the space outside the hollow fiber membrane 64. In other words, the refrigerant and the gas within the refrigerant are separated. In this embodiment, multiple hollow fiber membranes 64 are used in the degassing section 62, but the degassing section 62 only needs to have at least one hollow fiber membrane 64.

[0042] Multiple hollow fiber membranes 64 housed in case 66 are inserted into the inner space of case 66, with one end (side 64a) of each membrane held together by a sealing material 68 that matches the size of the inner space of case 66, and the other end (side 64b) of each membrane held together by a sealing material 70 that matches the size of the inner space of case 66. These sealing materials 68 and 70 divide the inner space of case 66 into three sections.

[0043] In the first space 66a, which is partitioned by a sealing material 68 that holds together the portion of the hollow fiber membrane 64 on one end 64a side and the case 66, one end 64a of the hollow fiber membrane 64 is exposed, and the upstream portion of the return path 54b that constitutes the circulation path 54 is connected to it. Specifically, an opening (refrigerant inlet) 66c is provided at the bottom 66b on the first space 66a side of the case 66, and one end 64a of the hollow fiber membrane 64 is connected to the circulation path 54 through this opening 66c.

[0044] Similarly, in the second space 66d, which is partitioned by the sealing material 70 that holds together the other end 64b of the hollow fiber membrane 64 and the case 66, the other end 64b of the hollow fiber membrane 64 is exposed, and the downstream portion of the return path 54b that constitutes the circulation path 54 is connected to it. Specifically, an opening (refrigerant outlet) 66f is provided at the bottom 66e on the second space 66d side of the case 66, and the other end 64b of the hollow fiber membrane 64 is connected to the circulation path 54 via this opening 66f.

[0045] Furthermore, the third space (housing section) 66g, which is partitioned by the case 66, the sealing material 68, and the sealing material 70, has an exposed side surface 64c of the hollow fiber membrane 64, and the ejector 32 is connected to it. Specifically, an opening (negative pressure supply section) 66i is provided in the portion of the side wall 66h of the case 66 corresponding to the third space 66g, which is connected to the suction port 32c of the ejector 32 via a flow path 30d, etc., as shown in Figure 2, and negative pressure is supplied to the third space 66g from the ejector 32.

[0046] The negative pressure reduces the pressure in the third space 66g, which in turn promotes the degassing of the refrigerant flowing through the hollow fiber membrane 64. The pressure in the third space 66g should be below atmospheric pressure, but from the viewpoint of efficiently creating a refrigerant that is less susceptible to microbial growth and less likely to corrode metals, it is desirable to adjust it to approximately -50kPa to -90kPa relative to atmospheric pressure.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, a pump 72 for circulating the refrigerant is connected to the forward path 54a of the circulation path 54. The refrigerant cooled in the cooling unit 56 is supplied to the laser oscillator 48 by the action of this pump 72, and then returns to the cooling unit 56 via the degassing section 62. In this embodiment, the pump 72 is connected to the forward path 54a, but the pump 72 may also be connected to the return path 54b.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, a camera (imaging unit) 74 fixed to the housing 50 is positioned in one region of the irradiation head 52 in the X-axis direction. The camera 74 includes, for example, a two-dimensional optical sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor that is sensitive to visible light, and is used to image the workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 26.

[0049] The housing 50 and irradiation head 52 of the laser beam irradiation unit 46 move along the Z-axis direction by the force generated by the Z-axis pulse motor 42 of the vertical movement mechanism 36, together with the camera 74 described above. In other words, the vertical movement mechanism 36 moves the housing 50 and irradiation head 52 in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the holding surface 26a of the chuck table 26.

[0050] In this embodiment, the laser oscillator 48 and the like were described as being fixed to the base 4 as an example. However, the laser oscillator 48 and the like may be supported by the vertical movement mechanism 36 together with the housing 50 and the like, and configured to move along the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the irradiation head 52 may be provided with an actuator or the like so that the lens and the like inside the irradiation head 52 can move independently along the Z-axis direction.

[0051] A control unit 76 is connected to components such as the horizontal movement mechanism 6, the vertical movement mechanism 36, the laser beam irradiation unit 46, the cooling unit 56, the pump 72, and the camera 74. The control unit 76 is composed of a computer including, for example, a processing unit 78 and a storage device 80, and controls the operation of each of the above-mentioned components so that the workpiece 11 is processed appropriately.

[0052] The processing unit 78 is typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and performs various processes necessary to control the components described above. The storage device 80 includes, for example, a main memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or flash memory. The functions of this control unit 76 are realized, for example, by the operation of the processing unit 78 according to software such as a program stored in the storage device 80.

[0053] The upper part of the base 4 is covered by a cover (not shown) that can accommodate each component. A touchscreen (input device, output device) 82, which serves as a user interface, is located on the side of this cover. The control unit 76 is also connected to the touchscreen 82, and various conditions applied when processing the workpiece 11 are input from the operator to the control unit 76 via the touchscreen 82.

[0054] For input devices, a keyboard or mouse may be used. Similarly, for output devices, a display device such as a liquid crystal display that does not have an input function, a speaker that can transmit information by sound, or an indicator light that can transmit information by the color or state of light emission (illumination, blinking, off, etc.) may be used.

[0055] In the laser processing apparatus 2 configured as described above, the control unit 76 operates the cooling unit 56 and the pump 72 at the timing when the laser oscillator 48 is operated, and supplies cooled refrigerant to the laser oscillator 48. As a result, the laser oscillator 48 is cooled and maintained within an appropriate temperature range.

[0056] Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus 2 of this embodiment includes an ejector (suction unit) 32 that generates negative pressure, a chuck table (holding unit) 26 connected to the ejector 32, and a degassing unit 62 connected in series with the circulation path 54 that circulates the refrigerant. The degassing unit 62 includes a hollow fiber membrane 64 and a third space (housing unit) 66g that houses the hollow fiber membrane 64 and to which negative pressure is supplied from the ejector 32. Therefore, gases such as oxygen and nitrogen dissolved in the refrigerant are sufficiently removed from the refrigerant in the degassing unit 62 by the action of the negative pressure supplied from the ejector 32 connected to the chuck table 26.

[0057] Thus, according to the laser processing apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the refrigerant is sufficiently degassed in the degassing section 62, resulting in a refrigerant that is less susceptible to microbial growth and less likely to corrode metals, and the laser oscillator (cooled section) 48 is properly cooled over a long period of time. Furthermore, according to the laser processing apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the ejector 32 is shared between the chuck table 26 and the degassing section 62, so there is no need to provide a separate ejector (suction section) connected to the degassing section 62 in addition to the ejector 32 connected to the chuck table 26, thus keeping the manufacturing cost of the laser processing apparatus 2 low.

[0058] Furthermore, in the laser processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, the gas discharged from the outlet 32b of the ejector 32 is supplied to the Peltier element 58 to cool the heat dissipation surface 58b. As a result, the large amount of gas discharged from the ejector 32 promotes heat dissipation from the heat dissipation surface 58b, maintaining a state of high efficiency in the cooling of the refrigerant.

[0059] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, in the embodiments described above, a laser processing apparatus 2 was described as an example of an apparatus according to the present invention, in which the workpiece 11 is held by a chuck table 26 that functions as a holding part, and a coolant circulates between a laser oscillator 48 that is a cooled part and a cooling unit 56. However, the apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a laser processing apparatus.

[0060] For example, the apparatus of the present invention may include processing equipment such as cutting equipment, grinding equipment, and polishing equipment; a conveying equipment for transporting workpieces (objects) 11 to each processing equipment; a tape application equipment for applying tape 13 or the like to the workpieces (objects) 11; and a tape expansion equipment for expanding the tape 13 to which the workpieces (objects) 11 are attached.

[0061] In other words, the object to which the present invention relates does not have to be a workpiece 11, and the holding part to which the present invention relates does not have to be a chuck table 26. Also, the part to be cooled to which the present invention relates does not have to be a laser oscillator 48, the suction part to which the present invention relates does not have to include an ejector, and the cooling unit to which the present invention relates does not have to include a Peltier element. For example, the holding part to which the present invention relates may be a transport mechanism that holds and transports an object using negative pressure suction, and the part to be cooled to which the present invention relates may be a moving mechanism that uses a linear motor that easily generates heat.

[0062] Furthermore, the structures, methods, etc., of the embodiments and modifications described above may be modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the objectives of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 2: Laser processing equipment (device) 4: Base 6: Horizontal movement mechanism (machining feed mechanism, indexing feed mechanism) 8: Y-axis guide rail 10: Y-axis moving plate 12: Screw shaft 14: Y-axis pulse motor 16: X-axis guide rail 18: X-axis movement plate 20: Screw shaft 22: X-axis pulse motor 24: Table base 26: Chuck table (holding part) 26a: Holding surface 28: Clamp 30a: Flow channel 30b: Flow channel 30c: Flow channel 30d: Flow channel 32: Ejector (suction part) 32a: Supply port 32b: Outlet 32c: Suction port 34:Support structure 36: Vertical movement mechanism (height adjustment mechanism) 38: Z-axis guide rail 40: Z-axis movement plate 42: Z-axis pulse motor 44 :Support 46: Laser beam irradiation unit 48: Laser oscillator (cooled part) 50: Housing 52: Irradiation head 54:Circulation path 54a: Outbound journey 54b: Return trip 56: Cooling Unit 58: Peltier element 58a: Endothermic surface 58b: Heat dissipation surface 60: Flow channel 62: Degassing section 64: Hollow fiber membrane 64a: one end (one side) 64b: The other end (the other end) 64c: Side 66: Case 66a: 1st space 66b: bottom 66c: Opening (refrigerant inlet) 66d: 2nd space 66e: bottom 66f: Opening (refrigerant outflow) 66g: Third space (storage area) 66h: Side wall 66i: Opening (negative pressure supply section) 68: Sealant 70: Sealant 72: Pump 74: Camera (imaging unit) 76: Control Unit 78: Processing equipment 80 :Storage device 82: Touchscreen (input device, output device) 11: Workpiece (object) 13: Tape 15: Frame

Claims

1. A suction unit that generates negative pressure, A holding unit connected to the suction unit, which holds an object using the suction force due to the negative pressure, A cooling unit that cools the refrigerant, The part to be cooled to which the refrigerant cooled by the cooling unit is supplied, A circulation path connects the cooling unit and the part to be cooled, and circulates the refrigerant between the cooling unit and the part to be cooled. It includes a degassing unit connected in series with the circulation path, The degassing section is, Hollow fiber membrane and A housing section connected to the suction section, which houses the hollow fiber membrane and to which the negative pressure is supplied from the suction section, A refrigerant inlet is provided, connecting one end of the hollow fiber membrane to the circulation path. A device comprising a refrigerant outlet section to which the other end of the hollow fiber membrane is connected to the circulation path.

2. The suction unit includes an ejector having a supply port for supplying gas from a gas supply source, a suction port connected to the holding unit and the housing unit for drawing in gas, and an outlet for discharging gas. The cooling unit includes a Peltier element having a heat-absorbing surface and a heat-dissipating surface. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas discharged from the outlet of the ejector is supplied to the Peltier element in such a manner as to cool the heat dissipation surface.

Images