Workpiece transfer device

Abstract

To provide a workpiece transport device which enables a workpiece to be suctioned on a table securely and delivered without needing to contact with an entire surface of the workpiece, where devices are formed, even if the workpiece has warpage.SOLUTION: A workpiece transport device 10 includes: a transport arm; a workpiece suction part 54 provided at the transport arm; and an annular rubber member 60 provided at the transport arm and having a taper surface which may contact with an entire outer edge part of the workpiece W held by the workpiece suction part 54 and has a diameter expanding to the side where the workpiece W is held by the workpiece suction part 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work transfer device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, stacked workpieces (semiconductor wafers) such as wafer level packages (WLPs) have been widely used. A stacked workpiece is a bonded workpiece in which different layers such as resin and glass are stacked on silicon. Such a stacked workpiece tends to warp due to the strain generated during sintering and drying (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Here, the work transfer device transfers the work and delivers the work to the table. The table sucks and holds the back surface of the work by vacuum suction. In this case, if warpage occurs at the outer edge of the work so that the center of the work is recessed, many places where air leaks between the table and the outer edge of the work will occur. Then, the work on the table cannot be held by vacuum suction, and the work transfer device cannot successfully deliver the work to the table.

[0004] Conventionally, when delivering a work from a work transfer device to a table, a technique has been proposed to deal with air leakage between the warped work and the table and suck and hold the work on the table.

[0005] For example, a method of improving the suction force (exhaust speed) of the table, correcting the warpage of the work with the pressure of exhaust, and sucking the work on the table (method (1)), a method of sucking the entire upper surface of the work by the planar suction part of the work transfer device, flattening the work once, and then delivering it to the table (method (2)), or a method of physically correcting the warpage of the work by pressing it against the table with pressing means provided in the work transfer device and sucking the work on the table (method (3)).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-117041 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the method described in (1) above has limitations in improving the exhaust speed due to factors such as the use of porous material in the table and the need to connect exhaust piping to the high-speed moving axis. Therefore, the method described in (1) above may not be able to obtain the exhaust speed necessary to attract a warped workpiece to the work table, resulting in unstable suction and holding of the workpiece on the table.

[0008] Furthermore, in the method described in (2) above, the flat suction part of the workpiece transfer device must contact the entire upper surface of the workpiece (the surface on which the device is formed) to suction the workpiece, which can cause damage to the formed device or lead to malfunctions in the formed device.

[0009] Furthermore, in the method described in (3) above, the pressing means provided on the workpiece transfer device must contact the entire upper surface of the workpiece (the surface on which the device is formed) to press the workpiece against the table, which can cause damage to the formed device or lead to defects in the formed device. In addition, the transfer arms of the workpiece transfer device must be made rigid enough to withstand the force generated when the workpiece is pressed by the pressing means.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its objective is to provide a workpiece transfer device that can reliably pick up and transfer a workpiece to a table without requiring contact with the entire surface on which the device is formed on the workpiece, even if the workpiece is warped. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A workpiece conveying device according to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises a conveying arm, a workpiece suction part provided on the conveying arm, and an annular rubber member provided on the conveying arm, the rubber member having a surface that can contact the entire outer edge of a workpiece held by the workpiece suction part, and having a tapered surface that widens in diameter toward the side where the workpiece is held by the workpiece suction part.

[0012] According to this embodiment, when transferring a workpiece to a table that holds it by suction, the rubber member seals (or nearly seals) the space between the outer edge of the workpiece and the table, thereby sealing off any air leaks that may occur around the outer edge of the workpiece. As a result, even if the outer edge of the workpiece is warped, this embodiment can increase the negative pressure on the table to which it is transferred, making it possible to correct the warping of the workpiece by applying pressure. Therefore, this embodiment allows for the reliable transfer of a warped workpiece to the table by suction, without requiring contact with the entire surface on which the device is formed.

[0013] Preferably, the system includes a bracket member attached to a transport arm and a rubber member holding portion for holding a rubber member relative to the bracket member.

[0014] Preferably, the rubber member holding portion has a biasing member that biases the rubber member away from the bracket member.

[0015] Preferably, the rubber member holding portion holds the outer edge of the rubber member.

[0016] Preferably, the rubber member holding portion holds the central portion of the rubber member in the width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, even if the workpiece has a curvature, it is not necessary to contact the entire surface on which the device is formed on the workpiece, and the workpiece can be reliably attached to the table and transferred.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dicing device including a work transfer device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the suction unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the U-U line of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a cross-section of the rubber member and the work W in the Y-Z plane. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the region of symbol T in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a cross-section of the work and the table. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view showing the case where the work is transported above the table by the transfer arm. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view showing the case where the work is transferred from the transfer arm to the table. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view showing the case where the work is sucked and held by the table from the transfer arm. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view showing the case where the transfer of the work from the transfer arm to the table is completed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the rubber member holding portion.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the work transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dicing device including the work transfer device of the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the upper side and the upper surface in the Z-axis direction, which is the vertical direction in the figure, are appropriately referred to as "upper side" and "upper surface", and the lower side and the lower surface in the Z-axis direction are appropriately referred to as "lower side" and "lower surface".

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the dicing apparatus 12 is equipped with the workpiece transport device 10 of the present invention (see, for example, Figure 2), and performs dicing of a workpiece W such as a silicon wafer (semiconductor wafer). In addition to the workpiece transport device 10, the dicing apparatus 12 is equipped with a load port 18, a processing unit 16, and a cleaning unit 26.

[0022] A cassette containing numerous workpieces W mounted on a frame (not shown) is placed on the load port 18. The workpiece transport device 10 then transports the workpieces W. The processing unit 16 performs dicing of the workpieces W. The cleaning unit 26 spin-cleans the diced workpieces W. Inside the housing 12A of the dicing device 12, there is a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of each part of the dicing device 12. The control unit may be located outside the housing 12A. The control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the workpiece transport device 10 is included in the control unit.

[0023] The unprocessed workpiece W, stored in a cassette placed on the load port 18, is transported to the processing section 16 by the workpiece transport device 10, where it is cut or diced (grooved) to separate into individual chips. The processed workpiece W from the processing section 16 is then transported to the cleaning section 26 by the workpiece transport device 10, where it is cleaned, and then transported back to the load port 18 by the workpiece transport device 10 and stored in the cassette.

[0024] The processing unit 16 comprises a pair of blades 21A and 21B, a blade cover (not shown), a pair of spindles 22A and 22B, and a table 32. The table 32 consists of a table body 32a and a workpiece holding surface 32b formed in a porous manner (see Figures 3 and 5). The workpiece holding surface 32b holds the workpiece W by suction from its back side. The table 32 is held so as to be movable in the X-axis direction by an X-carriage (not shown) and is also held so as to be rotatable by a rotating unit (not shown).

[0025] The cleaning unit 26 includes a spinner table (not shown) with a suction surface on its upper surface, and a nozzle (not shown) that sprays cleaning water toward the workpiece W on the spinner table. The workpiece W processed by the processing unit 16 is transported from the table 32 to the spinner table by the workpiece transport device 10. After that, the workpiece W is picked up by the suction surface of the spinner table, rotated, and then cleaned by the cleaning water sprayed from the nozzle.

[0026] The workpiece transport device 10 has a transport arm 14. The transport arm 14 consists of a rotating shaft 24, an arm 20, and a connecting member 30. The transport arm 14 can move the workpiece W horizontally along the horizontal plane (XY plane) and vertically (in the Z-axis direction) by operating the rotating shaft 24, the arm 20, and the connecting member 30. A suction unit 50 (see Figure 2) for picking up the workpiece W is provided at the tip of the transport arm 14 (the end of the connecting member 30 below the Z axis).

[0027] Next, I will explain the adsorption unit 50 in detail.

[0028] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the adsorption unit 50. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 along the UU line.

[0029] The suction unit 50 consists of a bracket member 52, a suction part 54, a rubber member holding part 56, and a rubber member 60.

[0030] The bracket member 52 has a cross shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The lower end of the connecting member 30 is connected to the center 52a of the cross shape of the bracket member 52. The bracket member 52 is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). That is, the bracket member 52 is arranged parallel to the workpiece holding surface 32b of the table 32. The bracket member 52 has a plurality (four in this example) of bracket pieces 52c. Each bracket piece 52c is provided extending radially from the center 52a of the bracket member 52 at 90-degree intervals. Each bracket piece 52c extends to the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60. A rubber member holding portion 56 is provided at the end 52b of each bracket piece 52c. In addition, a suction portion 54 is provided at the middle of the longitudinal direction of each bracket piece 52c. In other words, each bracket piece 52c is provided with a suction portion 54 and a rubber member holding portion 56, starting from the center 52a. Furthermore, the shape of the bracket member 52 is not limited to a cross shape; for example, it may be a disc shape larger than the workpiece W.

[0031] The upper surface of the suction part 54 is connected to the bracket member 52. The suction part 54 is the part that holds the workpiece W and is composed of, for example, a Bernoulli chuck or a suction pad. The connecting pipeline to the air supply source (not shown) connected to the suction part 54 is provided inside (or outside) each component that makes up the transport arm 14 (bracket member 52, connecting member 30, arm 20). Furthermore, if the suction part 54 is composed of a suction pad, the suction pad that makes up the suction part 54 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the chip formed on the workpiece W. The suction part 54 corresponds to the workpiece suction part of the present invention.

[0032] The rubber member holding portion 56 is provided at the end 52b of each bracket piece 52c that constitutes the bracket member 52. The rubber member holding portion 56 is a member for connecting the bracket member 52 and the rubber member 60. The rubber member holding portion 56 will be explained in detail later.

[0033] Next, we will explain the rubber member 60.

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the rubber member 60 in the YZ plane. Note that Figure 4 shows the rubber member 60 in a simplified manner, and the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60 (see Figure 5), which will be described later, is omitted.

[0035] The rubber member 60 is made of an elastically deformable material, such as rubber, so that its tapered surface 60b can contact the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W in accordance with its deformation state (corrected state). Furthermore, the rubber member 60 is not limited to a single layer made of a single material, but may be made of two or more layers made of different materials. For example, the rubber member 60 may consist of an inner layer made of a rigid core member and outer layers provided on the front and back surfaces of the inner layer, and the outer layers may be made of a material that is more flexible than the core member that makes up the inner layer (for example, sponge or resin material).

[0036] The rubber member 60 is configured in an annular shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction (see Figure 2). Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the rubber member 60 is configured in a substantially conical shape with an inner diameter that gradually widens from the top surface to the bottom surface. That is, the rubber member 60 has an upper opening 61a that constitutes the substantially conical upper surface portion and a bottom opening 61b that constitutes the substantially conical bottom surface portion. The rubber member 60 has a tapered surface 60b that connects the upper opening 61a and the bottom opening 61b. This tapered surface 60b is the part corresponding to the inner surface of the substantially conical shape and is inclined in a direction in which the inner diameter gradually widens from the upper opening 61a to the bottom opening 61b. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the tapered surface 60b constitutes a surface that can abut against the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W. Therefore, the rubber member 60 is designed such that the inner diameter H1 of the upper opening 61a is smaller than the outer diameter Hw of the workpiece W, and the inner diameter H2 of the bottom opening 61b is larger than the outer diameter Hw of the workpiece W. In this way, the upper opening 61a and the bottom opening 61b each have the inner diameters described above, which makes it possible to bring the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W, which is held by the suction part 54, into contact with the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60. This makes it possible to seal the space S (see Figure 8) formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32, as will be explained later.

[0037] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the region labeled T in Figure 3.

[0038] The rubber member holding portion 56 is a part for elastically holding the rubber member 60 to the bracket member 52. The rubber member 60 is provided with a contact portion 60a that is thicker than other parts (parts other than the outer edge) on its outer edge (position adjacent to the outside of the bottom opening 61b). As shown in Figure 5, the contact portion 60a is the part that contacts the table 32, and the lower end of the shaft member 70, which will be described later, is connected and fixed to this portion.

[0039] The rubber member holding portion 56 is comprised of a guide tube 74, a shaft member 70, and a biasing member 76. The upper end of the guide tube 74 is fixed by passing through the longitudinal end 52b of the bracket piece 52c, and the lower end extends toward the rubber member 60.

[0040] The lower end of the shaft member 70 is fixed to the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60. The method of fixing the shaft member 70 to the contact portion 60a is not particularly limited, but it can be fixed by fastening members such as bolts. The shaft member 70 is inserted and positioned inside the guide tube 74 so that it can move forward and backward in the axial direction (slide) relative to the guide tube 74 and is prevented from coming out.

[0041] The biasing member 76 is positioned to surround the shaft member 70, which is inserted inside the guide tube 74. In this example, the biasing member 76 is made of a coil spring. The upper end of the biasing member 76 abuts against a spring contact portion located inside the guide tube 74, and the lower end of the biasing member 76 abuts against a spring contact portion located on the outer circumference of the shaft member 70. As a result, the rubber member 60 to which the shaft member 70 is fixed is biased away from the bracket member 52 (bracket piece 52c) by the biasing force of the biasing member 76.

[0042] The rubber member holding portion 56 configured in this way elastically holds the rubber member 60 relative to the bracket member 52. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, when the workpiece W conveyed by the conveying arm 14 is transferred to the table 32, when the conveying arm 14 is brought close to the table 32 (i.e., when the distance between the bracket member 52 and the table 32 (distance in the Z direction) becomes less than or equal to a predetermined distance), the biasing force of the biasing member 76 causes the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60 to contact the table 32 with a pressure of a predetermined amount or more, and the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 to contact the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W in a manner that is pressed from above to below. As a result, the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32 is sealed by the rubber member 60.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the transition from a state where the workpiece W is curved (indicated by a dotted line) to a state where the workpiece W, held by suction on the workpiece holding surface 32b, is flattened (indicated by a solid line) as the workpiece W is transferred from the transport arm 14 to the table 32. When the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60 contacts the surface of the table 32 and the tapered surface 60b contacts the outer edge Wa, the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32 becomes sealed, thus sealing off any air leaks that may occur near the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W. As a result, the curve of the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W is corrected by the pressure as the negative pressure on the workpiece holding surface 32b increases, and the workpiece W is flattened and held by suction on the workpiece holding surface 32b. Furthermore, since the rubber member 60 is made of an elastically deformable material as described above, even when the workpiece W is flattened by the negative pressure of the workpiece holding surface 32b as described above, the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 continues to contact the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W (see arrow F), and the sealed state of the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32 is maintained. In other words, it is possible to flatten the workpiece W and hold it by suction to the workpiece holding surface 32b.

[0044] Next, we will explain in detail how the rubber member 60 suppresses air leakage generated at the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is transferred to the table 32.

[0045] First, let me explain about the workpiece W in which warping occurred.

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the workpiece W and the table 32.

[0047] If warping occurs in the workpiece W, the workpiece W can be in one of two states. The first state is when the center of the workpiece W is convex, as shown by reference numeral 102. The second state is when the center of the workpiece W is concave, as shown by reference numeral 104.

[0048] Here, the table 32 is evacuated (exhausted) by a vacuum (not shown) via an air pipe VAC located in the center of the table 32, and the workpiece W is held in place by suction on the surface of the workpiece holding surface 32b.

[0049] As shown by reference numeral 102, when the workpiece W is in the first state, a vacuum area 106 can be generated between the workpiece W and the table 32. Therefore, when the workpiece W is in the first state, the table 32 can hold the workpiece W by suction even if the workpiece W warps. On the other hand, as shown by reference numeral 104, when the workpiece W is in the second state, an air leak R occurs near the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W. Therefore, when the workpiece W is in the second state, even if the table 32 is evacuated by vacuum, the negative pressure on the workpiece holding surface 32b does not increase, and the table 32 cannot hold the workpiece W by suction. In this invention, even when the workpiece W warps (especially in the second state where it is difficult for the table 32 to hold it), the workpiece W can be held by suction to the table 32 and transferred.

[0050] Next, the workpiece transfer operation of the workpiece transfer device 10 of the present invention will be described.

[0051] Figures 7 to 10 are schematic diagrams showing the operation when a workpiece W is transferred from the transport arm 14 to the table 32. Note that in Figures 7 to 10, the transport arm 14, bracket member 52, rubber member 60, suction part 54, and rubber member holding part 56 that constitute the workpiece transport device 10 are shown in a simplified manner.

[0052] Figure 7 shows the case where the workpiece W has been transported above the table 32 by the transport arm 14. Figure 8 shows the case where the workpiece W has been transferred from the transport arm 14 to the table 32. Figure 9 shows the case where the workpiece W has been held by suction from the transport arm 14 to the table 32. Figure 10 shows the case where the transfer of the workpiece W from the transport arm 14 to the table 32 is complete.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, while the workpiece W is being transported by the transport arm 14, the workpiece W is held in place by the suction part 54. The tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 is in contact with the outer edge Wa of the suctioned workpiece W. In this state, the workpiece W is transported by the transport arm 14, and when the transport arm 14 moves to an opposing position above the table 32, the transport arm 14 descends, and the transfer of the workpiece W from the transport arm 14 to the table 32 begins.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, when the transport arm 14 moves downward, the workpiece W held by the suction part 54 comes into contact with the surface of the workpiece holding surface 32b of the table 32, and the contact portion 60a (see Figure 5) of the rubber member 60 comes into contact with the surface of the table 32. Here, because the workpiece W has a curved outer edge Wa and a concave center (second state), the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W does not come into contact with the surface of the table 32. At this time, the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W comes into contact with the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 all around its circumference. As a result, when the workpiece W comes into contact with the table 32, the rubber member 60 seals the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32. As a result, when exhaust is performed from the workpiece holding surface 32b, the space S can be made into a vacuum area. Then, as exhaust is performed on the workpiece holding surface 32b of the table 32, the negative pressure on the workpiece holding surface 32b increases, and the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W becomes flat due to the force of the pressure (negative pressure), correcting the warp of the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, the workpiece W is held by suction to the table 32 in a flat state.

[0055] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 10, the suction of the workpiece W by the suction part 54 of the transport arm 14 is released, and the transport arm 14 is moved upward. This completes the transfer of the workpiece W to the table 32.

[0056] <Effects> As described above, in this embodiment, a substantially conical rubber member 60 is provided at the tip of the transport arm 14. When transferring the workpiece W transported by the transport arm 14 to the table 32, the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 is brought into contact with the entire circumference of the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W, thereby sealing the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32, and causing the workpiece W to be held by suction against the workpiece holding surface 32b of the table 32. As a result, the workpiece W is held by suction against the table 32 in a flat state. Therefore, the workpiece W can be reliably held by suction against the table 32 without causing problems such as damage to devices formed on the workpiece W.

[0057] Furthermore, the rubber member 60 does not necessarily have to completely seal the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32. In other words, even if the space S is not completely sealed by the rubber member 60, the space S may be made nearly sealed (approximately sealed) to the extent that the workpiece W is held in a flat position by suction when the table 32 is evacuated by vacuum and negative pressure is applied to the workpiece holding surface 32b. For example, even if a minute leak port, which will be described later, is formed in the rubber member 60, or if a notch or other cutout is provided on the outer circumference of the workpiece W, it is still possible to make the space S approximately sealed by the rubber member 60.

[0058] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows a configuration in which the rubber member holder 56 includes a coil spring as an example of a biasing member 76, the biasing member 76 may be other biasing members other than a coil spring (for example, a leaf spring or a torsion spring).

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as a preferred configuration, the rubber member holding portion 56 includes a biasing member 76, and the rubber member 60 is elastically held in a state where it is biased away from the bracket member 52. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, the rubber member holding portion 56 may not include a biasing member 76, and the rubber member 60 may be held inelastically (fixed) to the bracket member 52.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the rubber member 60 is provided with a minute leak port (not shown). When the transport arm 14 is moved upward after the workpiece W has been held by suction on the table 32 in a flat state, the sealed space S is vacuum-ruptured through the minute leak port provided in the rubber member 60, making it possible to smoothly detach the rubber member 60 from the table 32 without applying excessive force to the rubber member 60. As a result, the transport arm 14 can be moved stably without being subjected to unnecessary load.

[0061] Furthermore, instead of providing a minute leak in the rubber member 60, or if a notch or other cutout is provided on the outer circumference of the workpiece W in conjunction with the said configuration, the gap formed between the notch and the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 can also be used as a minute leak port.

[0062] <Variation> Next, I will explain the variations.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the holding position of the rubber member 60 elastically held by the rubber member holding portion 56 is the contact portion 60a provided on the outer edge of the rubber member 60 (a position adjacent to the outside of the bottom opening 61b), whereas in this example, the position where the rubber member 60 is elastically held by the rubber member holding portion 56 is approximately the center of the rubber member 60 in the width direction (radial direction).

[0064] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the rubber member holding portion 56 of this example. Note that the same reference numerals are used for parts identical to those in Figure 5, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0065] The rubber member holding portion 56 is configured similarly to the above embodiment, comprising a guide tube 74, a shaft member 70, and a biasing member 76. The upper end of the guide tube 74 is fixed through the longitudinal center of the bracket piece 52c, and the lower end extends toward the rubber member 60.

[0066] The shaft member 70 is fixed to the rubber central portion 60c, which is located in the center of the rubber member 60 in the width direction (radial direction), at its lower end. The method of fixing the shaft member 70 to the rubber central portion 60c is not particularly limited. The shaft member 70 is inserted and positioned inside the guide tube 74 so as to be able to move forward and backward (slide) in the axial direction relative to the guide tube 74 and is prevented from coming out.

[0067] The biasing member 76 is made of a coil spring, similar to the embodiment described above, and is positioned to surround the shaft member 70 which is inserted inside the guide tube 74. The upper end of the biasing member 76 abuts against a spring contact portion located inside the guide tube 74, and the lower end of the biasing member 76 abuts against a spring contact portion located on the outer circumference of the shaft member 70. As a result, the rubber member 60 to which the shaft member 70 is fixed is biased away from the bracket member 52 (bracket piece 52c) by the biasing force of the biasing member 76.

[0068] In this modified example as well, the rubber member 60 is elastically held by the rubber member holding portion 56 configured as described above relative to the bracket member 52. As a result, as shown in Figure 11, when the workpiece W conveyed by the conveying arm 14 is transferred to the table 32, when the conveying arm 14 is brought closer to the table 32 (i.e., when the distance between the bracket member 52 and the table 32 (distance in the Z direction) becomes less than or equal to a predetermined distance), the biasing force of the biasing member 76 causes the outer edge of the rubber member 60 to contact the table 32 with a pressure of a predetermined amount or more, and the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 comes into contact with the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W, pressing from above to below. As a result, similar to the above embodiment, the space S formed between the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W and the table 32 is sealed (or nearly sealed) by the rubber member 60.

[0069] According to this modified example, the rubber member holding portion 56 is configured to elastically hold the rubber member 60 to the central portion 60c of the rubber member 60, which is located in the central part of the width direction (radial direction) of the rubber member 60. As shown in Figure 11, the biasing force of the biasing member 76 can be applied in a direction that presses against the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W via the rubber central portion 60c. This makes it possible to effectively press the tapered surface 60b of the rubber member 60 against the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W while correcting the warp that has occurred in the outer edge Wa of the workpiece W with the rubber member 60 so that it becomes flat.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the holding position of the rubber member 60, which is elastically held by the rubber member holding portion 56, is configured such that the contact portion 60a is formed thickly on the outer edge of the rubber member 60. Therefore, the biasing force of the biasing member 76 acts directly on the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60, making it possible to more reliably bring the contact portion 60a of the rubber member 60 into contact with the table 32.

[0071] Although examples of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10: Workpiece transfer device 12: Dicing device 12A: Enclosure 14: Transport arm 16: Processing section 18: Loadport 20: Arm 21A: Blade 21B: Blade 22A: Spindle 22B: Spindle 26: Cleaning section 30: Connecting member 32: Table 32b: Workpiece holding surface 50: Adsorption unit 52: Bracket component 54: Adsorption part 56: Rubber component holding part 60: Rubber component 60b: Tapered surface

Claims

1. Transport arm and The workpiece suction unit provided on the transport arm, An annular rubber member provided on the transport arm, having a surface that can contact the entire outer edge of the workpiece held by the workpiece suction part, and having a tapered surface that widens in diameter toward the side where the workpiece is held by the workpiece suction part, Equipped with, The rubber member is configured to displace in accordance with the change in the curvature of the workpiece, with the tapered surface in contact with the outer edge of the workpiece. Workpiece transport device.

2. A bracket member attached to the transport arm, A rubber member holding portion for holding the rubber member with respect to the bracket member, Equipped with, The workpiece transport device according to claim 1.

3. The rubber member holding portion has a biasing member that biases the rubber member away from the bracket member. The workpiece transport device according to claim 2.

4. Transport arm and The workpiece suction unit provided on the transport arm, An annular rubber member provided on the transport arm, having a surface that can contact the entire outer edge of the workpiece held by the workpiece suction part, and having a tapered surface that widens in diameter toward the side where the workpiece is held by the workpiece suction part, A bracket member attached to the transport arm, A rubber member holding portion for holding the rubber member with respect to the bracket member, Equipped with, The rubber member holding portion has a biasing member that biases the rubber member away from the bracket member. Workpiece transport device.

5. The rubber member holding portion holds the outer edge portion of the rubber member. A workpiece transport device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The rubber member holding portion holds the central portion of the rubber member in the width direction. A workpiece transport device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

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