Processing apparatus and wafer processing method

Abstract

To detect the presence or absence of a wafer on a table in a satisfactory manner.SOLUTION: When a measured value from a pressure sensor 487 is not equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and continuous processing is suspended, the presence or absence of a wafer 100 on a holding surface 82 is detected by a wafer presence sensor 153 of a robot hand 151. The presence or absence of the wafer on the holding surface 82 can thus be clearly detected. Consequently, for example, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent a situation where the continuous processing is resumed even when a nonqualified wafer 100 remains placed on the holding surface 82, and the next wafer 100 is arranged superimposed on the wafer 100 and the wafers 100 are damaged. In addition, an operator does not need to detect by visual observation the presence or absence of the wafer 100 on the holding surface 82. In this way, working efficiency can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a method for processing a wafer.

Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in a processing apparatus such as a grinding apparatus for grinding a wafer, a wafer placed on a cassette stage is transported to a chuck table, and the wafer held by the chuck table is ground with a grindstone. After that, the wafer is transported from the chuck table to a spinner table of a spinner cleaning unit, the wafer is cleaned on the spinner table, and then the wafer is stored in a cassette.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When holding and cleaning a wafer on a spinner table, if the wafer is warped, the processing apparatus may recognize that the wafer is not held on the spinner table and stop the cleaning operation. That is, although there is actually a wafer on the spinner table, the processing apparatus may recognize that there is no wafer on the spinner table.

[0005] If continuous processing is continued in this state, the next wafer will be placed on top of the wafer on the spinner table, and the overlapping wafers may separate and break during cleaning by the spinner cleaning unit.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to reliably detect the presence or absence of a wafer on a table such as a spinner table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a cassette stage for placing a cassette, a chuck table for suction-holding a wafer, a processing unit for processing a wafer held on the chuck table, a spinner table for suction-holding a wafer to be cleaned, and a robot having a robot hand for holding a wafer in order to unload or load a wafer into or from a cassette placed on the cassette stage, wherein the robot hand is equipped with a wafer presence / absence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a wafer, and the robot hand further comprises a control unit that uses the wafer presence / absence sensor of the robot hand to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the spinner table. The control unit moves the spinner table and the robot hand positioned above the spinner table horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor on the robot hand to detect whether or not there is a wafer on the spinner table.

[0009] A second processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a cassette stage for placing a cassette, a chuck table for suction-holding a wafer, a processing unit for processing a wafer held on the chuck table, a positioning table for positioning a wafer to be held on the chuck table, and a robot having a robot hand for holding a wafer in order to unload or load a wafer into or from a cassette placed on the cassette stage, wherein the robot hand is equipped with a wafer presence / absence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a wafer, and further comprises a control unit that uses the wafer presence / absence sensor of the robot hand to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the positioning table. The control unit moves the positioning table and the robot hand positioned above the positioning table horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor on the robot hand to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the positioning table.

[0011] The first wafer processing method of the present invention is a wafer processing method using a first processing apparatus, comprising: a holding step of holding the wafer on the chuck table; a processing step of processing the wafer with the processing unit; a cleaning step of holding the processed wafer on the spinner table and cleaning the wafer; and a step performed before the cleaning step at a predetermined timing. While moving the spinner table and the robot hand positioned above the spinner table horizontally relative to each other, The process includes a wafer detection step, in which a wafer presence sensor of the robot hand is used to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the spinner table. If the wafer detection step detects that there is no wafer on the spinner table, the cleaning step is performed. If the wafer detection step detects that there is a wafer on the spinner table, a notification step is performed in which the notification unit of the processing apparatus notifies the operator that a wafer is present on the spinner table.

[0012] The second wafer processing method of the present invention is a wafer processing method using a second processing apparatus, comprising: a positioning step of removing the wafer from the cassette and holding it on the positioning table and performing the positioning of the wafer; a holding step of holding the wafer on the chuck table after the positioning step has been performed; a processing step of processing the wafer with the processing unit; and a step performed at a predetermined timing before the positioning step. While moving the positioning table and the robot hand positioned above the positioning table horizontally relative to each other, The process includes a wafer detection step, in which the wafer presence sensor of the robot hand is used to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the positioning table. If the wafer detection step detects that there is no wafer on the positioning table, the positioning step is performed. However, if the wafer detection step detects that there is a wafer on the positioning table, a notification step is performed in which the notification unit of the processing apparatus notifies the operator that a wafer is present on the positioning table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In the first and second processing apparatuses and the first and second wafer processing methods, the presence or absence of a wafer on the spinner table or positioning table is detected by a wafer presence / absence sensor on the robot hand. This allows for clear detection of the presence or absence of a wafer on the table. Therefore, for example, it is possible to effectively prevent wafer damage that may occur if an unsuitable wafer remains on the table and another wafer is placed on top of it. Furthermore, there is no need for workers to visually detect the presence or absence of wafers on the table. This can improve work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the grinding device. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a spinner table. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the positioning table. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The grinding apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a processing apparatus. This grinding apparatus 1 grinds a wafer 100 held on a chuck table 5 using a rough grinding mechanism 30 and a finish grinding mechanism 31.

[0016] The wafer 100 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a workpiece, for example, a circular semiconductor wafer. In Figure 1, a device (not shown) is formed on the surface 101 of the wafer 100, which is facing downwards. The back surface 103 of the wafer 100 is the workpiece surface to be ground.

[0017] The grinding apparatus 1 includes a first apparatus base 10 and a second apparatus base 11 positioned behind the first apparatus base 10 (towards the +Y direction). The first apparatus base 10 is an loading / unloading area 401 where wafers 100 are loaded and unloaded. The second apparatus base 11 is a processing area 402. In this processing area 402, the wafers 100 held on the chuck table 5 are processed by a rough grinding mechanism 30 and a finish grinding mechanism 31.

[0018] On the front side (-Y direction side) of the first device base 10, a first cassette stage 160 and a second cassette stage 162 for placing a cassette are provided. On the first cassette stage 160 and the second cassette stage 162, a first cassette 161 and a second cassette 163 in which wafers 100 are respectively accommodated are placed. The first cassette 161 and the second cassette 163 each have a plurality of shelves inside, and one wafer 100 is accommodated on each shelf.

[0019] The openings (not shown) of the first cassette 161 and the second cassette 163 face the +Y direction side. A robot 150 is disposed on the +Y direction side of these openings.

[0020] The robot 150 has a robot hand 151 that holds the wafer 100 to carry out or carry in the wafer 100 with respect to the first cassette 161 and the second cassette 163. The robot hand 151 has a U-shaped plate shape and has an adsorption surface 152 (see FIG. 2) for adsorbing and holding the wafer 100 on one surface.

[0021] In addition, the robot hand 151 includes a wafer presence / absence sensor 153 for detecting the presence or absence of the wafer 100 on the adsorption surface 152, and a control unit 158 for detecting the presence or absence of the wafer 100. In the present embodiment, this wafer presence / absence sensor 153 is used, for example, to detect whether a wafer 100 exists at a position facing the adsorption surface 152. The wafer presence / absence sensor 153 includes, for example, a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit. The light projecting unit irradiates light toward a predetermined position facing the adsorption surface 152, and the light receiving unit receives the reflected light of the light irradiated by the light projecting unit. The control unit 158 detects whether a wafer 100 exists at a predetermined position based on the amount of the reflected light received by the light receiving unit. Note that the control unit 158 may be the control unit 7 of the grinding device 1.

[0022] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the robot 150 has a drive unit 154 that drives the robot hand 151. The drive unit 154 controls (adjusts) the position of the robot hand 151. Specifically, the drive unit 154 includes a vertical movement mechanism 155, a horizontal movement mechanism 156, and a reversing mechanism 157.

[0023] The vertical movement mechanism 155 moves the robot hand 151 in the vertical direction along the Z-axis. The horizontal movement mechanism 156 moves the robot hand 151 in the horizontal direction. The reversing mechanism 157 reverses the robot hand 151 to make its suction surface 152 face upward or downward.

[0024] The robot 150 having such a configuration carries the processed wafer 100 held by the robot hand 151 into the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163 shown in FIG. 1. Also, the robot 150 takes out the wafer 100 before processing accommodated in the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163 by the robot hand 151 and places it on the positioning table 60 of the positioning mechanism 6.

[0025] The positioning mechanism 6 is used to perform positioning (for example, detection of the center position) of the wafer 100 taken out from the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 16,并 is provided at a position adjacent to the robot 150. The positioning mechanism 6 has a positioning table 60 that holds and rotates the wafer 100, and a center position detection unit 69 equipped with a camera.

[0026] The positioning table 60 is a table for positioning the wafer 100 to be held by the chuck table 5. The positioning table 60 is connected to a suction source 48 (see FIG. 3) to suction and hold the wafer 100 placed on itself. The center position detection unit 69 detects the center of the wafer 100 suction-held by the positioning table 60.

[0027] In the positioning mechanism 6, a positioning table 60 that holds the wafer 100 by suction rotates at a low rotational speed, and a center position detection unit 69 images multiple locations (for example, three locations) on the outer edge of the wafer 100. The center position detection unit 69 detects the center position of the wafer 100 by performing geometric calculations based on the coordinates of the imaged locations. The positioning mechanism 6 may also include a mechanism (for example, a centering pin) for aligning the wafer 100, which is placed on the positioning table 60, to a predetermined position where the center of the positioning table 60 and the center of the wafer 100 coincide.

[0028] A loading mechanism 170 is provided adjacent to the positioning mechanism 6. The loading mechanism 170 is an example of a transport mechanism for loading or unloading wafers 100 to and from the chuck table 5. The loading mechanism 170 loads the wafers 100 held by the positioning mechanism 6 into the chuck table 5. The loading mechanism 170 is equipped with a transport pad 171 that suction-holds the back surface 103 of the wafer 100. The loading mechanism 170 suction-holds the wafer 100, which is held on the positioning table 60, with the transport pad 171 and transports it to the chuck table 5 located near the positioning mechanism 6 within the processing area 402, and places it on the holding surface 50 so that the center of the holding surface 50 and the center of the wafer 100 substantially coincide.

[0029] The chuck table 5 is a component that holds the wafer 100 by suction and is equipped with a holding surface 50. The holding surface 50 is in communication with a suction source (not shown) and is capable of holding the wafer 100 by suction. The chuck table 5 holds the wafer 100 by the holding surface 50 and, in this state, is rotatable about a central axis that passes through the center of the holding surface 50 and extends in the Z-axis direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, three chuck tables 5 are arranged at equal intervals on the upper surface of a turntable 2, which is mounted on a second device base 11, in a circle centered on the center of the turntable 2. A rotating shaft (not shown) is provided at the center of the turntable 2 for rotating the turntable 2. The turntable 2 can rotate on an axis extending in the Z-axis direction by this rotating shaft. As the turntable 2 rotates, the three chuck tables 5 revolve. This allows the chuck tables 5 to be sequentially positioned near the positioning mechanism 6, below the rough grinding mechanism 30, and below the finish grinding mechanism 31.

[0031] A first column 12 is erected on the rear (+Y direction side) of the second apparatus base 11. A rough grinding mechanism 30 for rough grinding the wafer 100 and a rough grinding feed mechanism 20 for feeding the rough grinding mechanism 30 are arranged on the front of the first column 12. The rough grinding mechanism 30 is an example of a processing unit that processes the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5, and rough grinds the wafer 100.

[0032] The rough grinding feed mechanism 20 moves the rough grinding mechanism 30 in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface 50. The rough grinding feed mechanism 20 comprises a pair of guide rails 201 parallel to the Z-axis direction, a lifting table 203 that slides on these guide rails 201, a ball screw 200 parallel to the guide rails 201, a motor 202 that rotationally drives the ball screw 200, and a holder 204 attached to the front (surface) of the lifting table 203. The holder 204 holds the rough grinding mechanism 30.

[0033] The lifting table 203 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 201. A nut (not shown) is fixed to the lifting table 203. A ball screw 200 is screwed into this nut. The motor 202 is connected to one end of the ball screw 200.

[0034] In the rough grinding feed mechanism 20, the motor 202 rotates the ball screw 200, causing the lifting table 203 to move along the guide rail 201 in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the holder 204 attached to the lifting table 203, and the rough grinding mechanism 30 held by the holder 204, also move along the lifting table 203 in the Z-axis direction. In this way, the rough grinding feed mechanism 20 feeds the rough grinding mechanism 30 along the Z-axis direction.

[0035] The rough grinding mechanism 30 includes a spindle housing 301 fixed to a holder 204, a spindle 300 rotatably held in the spindle housing 301, a spindle motor 302 for rotationally driving the spindle 300, a wheel mount 303 attached to the lower end of the spindle 300, and a grinding wheel 304 detachably connected to the lower surface of the wheel mount 303.

[0036] The spindle housing 301 is held in the holder 204 so as to extend in the Z-axis direction. The spindle 300 extends in the Z-axis direction so as to be perpendicular to the holding surface 50 of the chuck table 5 and is rotatably supported in the spindle housing 301.

[0037] The spindle motor 302 is connected to the upper end of the spindle 300. This spindle motor 302 causes the spindle 300 to rotate around a rotation axis that extends in the Z-axis direction.

[0038] The wheel mount 303 is formed in a disc shape and is fixed to the tip (lower end) of the spindle 300, rotating in accordance with the rotation of the spindle 300. The wheel mount 303 supports the grinding wheel 304.

[0039] The grinding wheel 304 is formed such that its outer diameter is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the wheel mount 303. The grinding wheel 304 includes an annular wheel base 305 made of a metal material. On the underside of the wheel base 305, a plurality of roughly rectangular parallelepiped coarse grinding wheels 306 are arranged and fixed in an annular manner around the entire circumference.

[0040] The coarse grinding wheel 306 is rotated by the rotation of the spindle 300, and its lower surface coarses the back surface 103 of the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5. The coarse grinding wheel 306 is a grinding wheel containing relatively large abrasive grains.

[0041] Furthermore, a first measuring mechanism 25 is located near the rough grinding mechanism 30. The first measuring mechanism 25 measures the thickness of the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5 located below the rough grinding mechanism 30.

[0042] A second column 13 is erected at the rear of the second apparatus base 11, adjacent to the first column 12 along the X-axis. A finish grinding mechanism 31 for finish grinding the wafer 100 and a finish grinding feed mechanism 21 for feeding the finish grinding mechanism 31 are arranged on the front of the second column 13. The finish grinding mechanism 31 is an example of a processing unit that processes the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5, and finish grinds the wafer 100.

[0043] The finish grinding feed mechanism 21 moves the finish grinding mechanism 31 in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface 50. The finish grinding feed mechanism 21 has the same configuration as the rough grinding feed mechanism 20 and can feed the finish grinding mechanism 31 along the Z-axis direction.

[0044] The finishing grinding mechanism 31 has the same configuration as the rough grinding mechanism 30, except that it is equipped with a finishing grinding wheel 310 instead of a rough grinding wheel 306. The finishing grinding wheel 310 is rotated by the rotation of the spindle 300 and its lower surface finish grinds the back surface 103 of the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5. The finishing grinding wheel 310 is a grinding wheel containing relatively small abrasive grains.

[0045] Furthermore, a second measuring mechanism 26 is located near the finishing grinding mechanism 31. The second measuring mechanism 26 measures the thickness of the wafer 100 held in the chuck table 5 located below the finishing grinding mechanism 31.

[0046] After finish grinding, the wafer 100 is unloaded by the unloading mechanism 172. The unloading mechanism 172 is an example of a transport mechanism that loads or unloads the wafer 100 to or from the chuck table 5. The unloading mechanism 172 transports the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 5 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 8.

[0047] The unloading mechanism 172 is equipped with a transport pad 173 that suction-holds the back surface 103 of the wafer 100. The unloading mechanism 172 suction-holds the back surface 103 of the wafer 100, which has been finished grinding and is placed on the chuck table 5, using the transport pad 173. Subsequently, the unloading mechanism 172 unloads the wafer 100 from the chuck table 5 and transports it to the spinner table 80 of the single-wafer spinner cleaning mechanism 8.

[0048] The spinner cleaning mechanism 8 is a spinner cleaning unit for cleaning the wafer 100. The spinner cleaning mechanism 8 includes a spinner table 80 for suction and holding the wafer 100 to be cleaned, and a nozzle 89 for spraying cleaning water and drying air toward the spinner table 80.

[0049] In the spinner cleaning mechanism 8, the spinner table 80 holding the wafer 100 rotates, and cleaning water is sprayed towards the wafer 100, so the wafer 100 is spinner cleaned. After that, drying air is blown onto the wafer 100 to dry it.

[0050] The configuration of the spinner table 80 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2, the spinner table 80 is a circular plate-shaped table for holding wafers 100. The spinner table 80 comprises a circular plate-shaped porous member 81, a frame 83 that supports the porous member 81, and a table base 84 that supports the frame 83. The porous member 81 can be connected to a suction source 48. The suction force from the suction source 48 is transmitted to the holding surface 82, which is the upper surface of the porous member 81, so that the spinner table 80 can hold the wafers 100 by suction using the holding surface 82.

[0051] Furthermore, the spinner table 80 is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 85. The rotation mechanism 85 includes a motor 86 that serves as a drive source, a shaft 87 for the motor 86, and an encoder 88 for reading the rotation angle of the motor 86.

[0052] The shaft 87 is connected directly below the center of the holding surface 82 on the underside of the spinner table 80 (table base 84) and extends perpendicularly to the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80. The motor 86 rotates the shaft 87, causing the spinner table 80 to rotate around the center of the holding surface 82 as its axis. In addition, the encoder 88 can recognize the rotation angle of the spinner table 80 based on the rotation angle of the motor 86.

[0053] Furthermore, the spinner table 80 is connected to a fluid flow mechanism 40 provided in the grinding device 1. The fluid flow mechanism 40 is a mechanism for supplying air to the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 or for applying suction force to the holding surface 82.

[0054] The fluid flow mechanism 40 includes a table-internal flow path 403 provided within the spinner table 80, an air flow path 470 communicating with the table-internal flow path 403, a rotary joint 460 connected to the shaft 87, and an air pipe 471 communicating with the air flow path 470.

[0055] The internal table passage 403 is provided within the frame 83 and table base 84 of the spinner table 80 so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the porous member 81. The air passage 470 extends from the internal table passage 403, passing through the shaft 87 and the rotary joint 460.

[0056] The air passage 470 is located outside the rotary joint 460 and is connected to one end of the air pipe 471. An air supply source 47 is connected to the other end of the air pipe 471. The air supply source 47 is equipped with a compressor and is used to supply air to the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80.

[0057] Furthermore, the air piping 471 is equipped with an air supply on-off valve 475 and an air adjustment unit 473 in order from the air supply source 47 towards the air passage 470. The air supply on-off valve 475 switches the communication state between the air piping 471 and the air supply source 47. The air adjustment unit 473 is, for example, a proportional control valve, and is used to adjust the flow rate of air sent from the air supply source 47 to the holding surface 82 by changing the diameter of the internal orifice when the air supply on-off valve 475 is open.

[0058] Furthermore, a suction pipe 481 is connected to the air pipe 471. The suction pipe 481 is a pipe that connects the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 to the suction source 48.

[0059] One end of the suction pipe 481 is connected to the air passage 470 via the air pipe 471. The other end of the suction pipe 481 is connected to a suction source 48. This suction source 48 is equipped with, for example, an ejector mechanism or a vacuum generator, and is used to apply suction force to the holding surface 82, which is the upper surface of the porous member 81 of the spinner table 80, by communicating with the porous member 81 of the spinner table 80.

[0060] Furthermore, the suction piping 481 is equipped with a suction on / off valve 485 and a suction flow rate adjustment unit 483 in order from the suction source 48 toward the air passage 470. The suction on / off valve 485 switches the communication state between the suction piping 481 and the suction source 48. The suction flow rate adjustment unit 483 is, for example, a proportional control valve, and is used to adjust the suction force transmitted from the suction source 48 to the holding surface 82 of the porous member 81 by changing the diameter of the internal orifice when the suction on / off valve 485 is open.

[0061] The air adjustment section 473 and the suction flow rate adjustment section 483 may also be needle valves or gate valves, which allow for manual adjustment of the orifice diameter.

[0062] Furthermore, a pressure sensor 487 is provided in the suction pipe 481. The pressure sensor 487 detects the pressure value of the suction pipe 481. In this embodiment, for example, when the suction on / off valve 485 is opened and the holding surface 82 is connected to the suction source 48, when the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 measured by the pressure sensor 487 falls below a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 and that the wafer 100 is held by the holding surface 82.

[0063] The wafer 100, which has been cleaned by the spinner cleaning mechanism 8 having a spinner table 80 configured in this way, is then transported by the robot 150 shown in Figure 1 to the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163 (for example, the cassette from which the wafer 100 was removed).

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the grinding device 1 includes a housing 15 that covers the first device base 10 and the second device base 11. A touch panel 9 is installed on the side of the housing 15. The touch panel 9 displays various information related to the grinding device 1, such as processing conditions. The touch panel 9 is also used to set various information. Thus, the touch panel 9 functions as both an input component for inputting information and a display component (notification unit) for displaying (notifying) information.

[0065] Furthermore, the grinding apparatus 1 has a control unit 7 inside for controlling the grinding apparatus 1. The control unit 7 is equipped with a CPU that performs calculations according to a control program, and a storage medium such as memory. The control unit 7 controls the above-mentioned components of the grinding apparatus 1 to perform grinding on the wafer 100.

[0066] The following describes a wafer processing method for processing a wafer 100 using a grinding device 1 controlled by a control unit 7.

[0067] [Positioning process] First, a positioning process is performed. In this process, the control unit 7 controls the robot 150 shown in Figure 1 to take out the wafer 100 before processing from the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163, and to hold it on the positioning table 60 of the positioning mechanism 6, thereby performing the positioning of the wafer 100. [Holding process] After the positioning process, a holding process is performed. In this process, the wafer 100 that has undergone the positioning process is held on the chuck table 5. Specifically, the control unit 7 controls the loading mechanism 170 to hold the wafer 100 on the positioning table 60 and place it on the holding surface 50 of the chuck table 5, which is located near the positioning mechanism 6, with the back surface 103 facing upwards. Subsequently, the control unit 7 connects the holding surface 50 to a suction source (not shown). As a result, the holding surface 50 suction-holds the wafer 100.

[0068] [Rough grinding process] After the holding process, a rough grinding process is performed. This rough grinding process is an example of a processing process in which the wafer 100 is processed by a processing unit. In this process, the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 5 is roughly ground by the rough grinding mechanism 30, which is a processing unit. Specifically, after the holding process, the control unit 7 rotates the turntable 2 to position the chuck table 5 holding the wafer 100 below the rough grinding mechanism 30. Furthermore, the control unit 7 rotates the rough grinding wheel 306 of the rough grinding mechanism 30 and also rotates the chuck table 5 holding the wafer 100. After that, the control unit 7 lowers the rough grinding mechanism 30 using the rough grinding feed mechanism 20 and performs rough grinding of the wafer 100. At this time, the control unit 7 measures the thickness of the wafer 100 being ground using the first measuring mechanism 25 and performs rough grinding until this thickness reaches a predetermined rough grinding thickness.

[0069] [Finishing grinding process] After the rough grinding process, a finish grinding process is performed. This finish grinding process is an example of a processing process in which the wafer 100 is processed by a processing unit. In this process, the wafer 100 held on the chuck table 5 is finish-ground by the finish grinding mechanism 31, which is a processing unit. Specifically, after the rough grinding process, the control unit 7 rotates the turntable 2 to position the chuck table 5, which is holding the roughly ground wafer 100, below the finish grinding mechanism 31. Furthermore, the control unit 7 rotates the finish grinding wheel 310 of the finish grinding mechanism 31 and rotates the chuck table 5, which is holding the wafer 100. After that, the control unit 7 lowers the finish grinding mechanism 31 using the finish grinding feed mechanism 21 and performs finish grinding of the wafer 100. At this time, the control unit 7 measures the thickness of the wafer 100 being ground using the second measuring mechanism 26 and performs finish grinding until this thickness reaches a predetermined finish grinding thickness.

[0070] [Washing process] After the finish grinding process, a cleaning process is performed. This cleaning process involves holding the processed wafer 100 on the spinner table 80 and cleaning it. In this process, the control unit 7 rotates the turntable 2 to position the chuck table 5, which holds the finish-ground wafer 100, near the spinner cleaning mechanism 8 (near the positioning mechanism 6). Then, the control unit 7 controls the loading mechanism 170 to hold the wafer 100 on the chuck table 5 and place it on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 in the spinner cleaning mechanism 8. Furthermore, the control unit 7 opens the suction valve 485 shown in Figure 2, connecting the holding surface 82 to the suction source 48. As a result, the holding surface 82 suction-holds the wafer 100.

[0071] Next, the control unit 7 controls the rotation mechanism 85 to rotate the spinner table 80 and sprays cleaning water from the nozzle 89 toward the wafer 100 to spinner clean the wafer 100. Furthermore, the control unit 7 blows dry air from the nozzle 89 toward the wafer 100 to dry it.

[0072] Subsequently, the control unit 7 controls the robot 150 shown in Figure 1 to hold the wafer 100 on the spinner table 80 with the robot hand 151 and store it in the second cassette 163 (the cassette from which the wafer 100 was removed) of the first cassette 161.

[0073] In this embodiment, for example, the holding step, rough grinding step, finish grinding step, and cleaning step described above are performed continuously on multiple wafers 100 (continuous processing).

[0074] In the cleaning process, when the suction valve 485 is opened to connect the holding surface 82 of the spinner cleaning mechanism 8 to the suction source 48 in order to hold the wafer 100 by suction using the holding surface 82, the control unit 7 may, for some reason, determine that the wafer 100 is not placed on the holding surface 82. In other words, if the wafer 100 is not placed on the holding surface 82, a large amount of air enters the suction pipe 481 from the holding surface 82, so the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 (negative pressure value of the holding surface 82) measured by the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold.

[0075] Therefore, the control unit 7 can determine that a wafer 100 is not placed on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold even when the holding surface 82 is connected to the suction source 48. In this case, the control unit 7 temporarily suspends continuous processing, for example.

[0076] As shown in Figure 2, the wafer 100 placed on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80 may be damaged, with a portion missing. In this case, an exposed portion 821 occurs on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80, which is the part not covered by the wafer 100. Also, if the amount of warping of the wafer 100 placed on the holding surface 82 is large, it becomes difficult for the holding surface 82 to properly hold the entire surface of the wafer 100, and similarly, an exposed portion 821 occurs on the holding surface 82.

[0077] Therefore, even if an unsuitable wafer 100 that is difficult to hold properly by the holding surface 82 is placed on the holding surface 82, a large amount of air enters the suction pipe 481 from the holding surface 82 when the suction valve 485 is opened and the holding surface 82 is connected to the suction source 48, just as when no wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 82. As a result, the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 measured by the pressure sensor 487 may not fall below a predetermined threshold, and continuous processing may be temporarily suspended. An unsuitable wafer 100 is, for example, a wafer 100 with a missing portion, a wafer 100 with a warped outer edge, or a wafer 100 with a crack.

[0078] Thus, using only the measurement values ​​from the pressure sensor 487 makes it difficult to distinguish between a case where no wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 82 and a case where an unsuitable wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 82.

[0079] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold and continuous processing is temporarily suspended, the control unit 7 performs a wafer detection process. In this process, before the cleaning process, that is, before transporting the wafer 100 after finish grinding to the spinner table 80, that is, before placing the wafer 100 on the spinner table 80, the control unit 7 uses the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 to detect whether or not the wafer 100 is on the spinner table 80.

[0080] Specifically, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, the control unit 7 temporarily stops continuous processing and then, as shown in Figure 2, controls the drive unit 154 of the robot 150 to position the suction surface 152 of the robot hand 151 on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80. The control unit 7 then detects the presence or absence of a wafer 100 on the holding surface 82 using the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 provided on the suction surface 152 of the robot hand 151.

[0081] In this process, the control unit 7, for example, moves the spinner table 80 and the robot hand 151 positioned above the spinner table 80 horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 to detect whether or not a wafer 100 is present on the spinner table 80.

[0082] For example, the control unit 7 controls the rotation mechanism 85 of the spinner cleaning mechanism 8 to rotate the spinner table 80 at a low rotational speed, and also uses the horizontal movement mechanism 156 of the drive unit 154 of the robot 150 to move the robot hand 151 in the horizontal direction. This allows the wafer presence sensor 153 to detect the presence or absence of wafers 100 across the entire surface of the holding surface 82.

[0083] Then, if the control unit 7 determines, based on the wafer presence sensor 153, that there is no wafer 100 anywhere on the entire surface of the holding surface 82, it determines that there is no wafer 100 on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80. In this case, the control unit 7, for example, resumes continuous processing of the wafer 100 that had been temporarily paused. That is, when the control unit 7 detects in the wafer detection process that there is no wafer 100 on the spinner table 80, it resumes continuous processing, holds the finish-ground wafer 100 on the spinner table 80 of the spinner cleaning mechanism 8, and performs a cleaning process on this wafer 100.

[0084] On the other hand, if the control unit 7 determines that a wafer 100 is present on the entire surface or part of the holding surface 82 based on the wafer presence sensor 153, it determines that an improperly positioned wafer 100, which is difficult to hold properly on the holding surface 82, is placed on the holding surface 82. In this case, the control unit 7 performs a notification process, for example, while maintaining a temporary suspension of continuous processing of the wafer 100. In this process, the control unit 7 uses the touch panel 9, which acts as a notification unit to inform the operator that an improperly positioned wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 82. That is, if the wafer detection process detects that a wafer 100 is present on the spinner table 80, the control unit 7 performs a notification process using the touch panel 9, which acts as a notification unit, to inform the operator that a wafer 100 is present on the spinner table 80. Furthermore, when it is determined that the wafer 100 covers the entire surface of the holding surface 82, the measured value of the pressure sensor 487 may not fall below a predetermined threshold if the wafer 100 is warped in a convex or concave shape.

[0085] As described above, in this embodiment, when continuous processing is temporarily suspended because the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, the presence or absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 detects the presence or absence of a wafer 100 on the holding surface 82. This makes it possible to clearly detect the presence or absence of a wafer on the holding surface 82 of the spinner table 80.

[0086] Therefore, for example, it is possible to effectively prevent a situation where, even though an unsuitable wafer 100 remains on the holding surface 82, continuous processing is resumed and the next wafer 100 is placed on top of it, resulting in damage to the wafer 100. Furthermore, there is no need for the operator to visually detect the presence or absence of the wafer 100 on the holding surface 82. This improves work efficiency.

[0087] In this embodiment, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 of the spinner cleaning mechanism 8 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, and the continuous processing of the wafer 100, i.e., the wafer processing process including the holding process, processing process (rough grinding process and finish grinding process), and cleaning process is temporarily suspended, the control unit 7 performs a wafer detection process. The control unit 7 then resumes the wafer processing process and performs the cleaning process if there is no wafer 100 on the spinner table 80, while performing a notification process if there is a wafer 100 on the spinner table 80.

[0088] In this regard, the control unit 7 may perform the wafer detection process before the cleaning process at a predetermined timing set by the operator. For example, the control unit 7 may perform the wafer detection process when continuous processing is temporarily suspended because the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, as described above, or when performing the cleaning process on the wafer 100, it may always or periodically stop continuous processing and perform the wafer detection process before placing the wafer 100 on the spinner table 80.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is also possible to detect the presence or absence of a wafer 100 in the positioning table 60 of the positioning mechanism 6 shown in Figure 1.

[0090] The configuration of the positioning table 60 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the positioning table 60 is a circular plate-shaped table for holding wafers 100. The positioning table 60 comprises a circular plate-shaped table plate 61 and a table base 64 that supports the table plate 61. The upper surface of the table plate 61 is a holding surface 62 for suction holding of wafers 100. This holding surface 62 has a linear suction groove 63 passing through its center (see also Figure 1). When the suction force from the suction source 48 is transmitted to the suction groove 63, the positioning table 60 can suction hold of wafers 100 by the holding surface 62 of the table plate 61.

[0091] Furthermore, the positioning table 60 is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 65. The rotation mechanism 65 has substantially the same configuration as the rotation mechanism 85 shown in Figure 2, and includes a motor 66 that serves as a drive source, a shaft 67 for the motor 66, and an encoder 68 for reading the rotation angle of the motor.

[0092] The shaft 67 is connected directly below the center of the holding surface 62 on the underside of the positioning table 60 (table base 64) and extends perpendicularly to the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60. The motor 66 rotates the shaft 67, causing the positioning table 60 to rotate around the center of the holding surface 62 as its axis. In addition, the encoder 68 can recognize the rotation angle of the positioning table 60 based on the rotation angle of the motor 66.

[0093] Furthermore, the positioning table 60 is connected to a fluid flow mechanism 40a provided in the grinding device 1. This fluid flow mechanism 40a is a mechanism for supplying air to the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60, or for applying suction force to the holding surface 62.

[0094] Since this fluid flow mechanism 40a has substantially the same configuration as the fluid flow mechanism 40 shown in Figure 2, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In this fluid flow mechanism 40a, the internal flow path 403 provided within the positioning table 60 is located on the table plate 61 and the table base 64 of the positioning table 60, and its upper end is connected to a suction groove 63 provided on the holding surface 62 of the table plate 61. The other configurations of the fluid flow mechanism 40a are the same as those of the fluid flow mechanism 40.

[0095] In other words, in the fluid flow mechanism 40a, the air passage 470 extends from the table internal passage 403 through the shaft 67 and the rotary joint 460. Through this air passage 470, air piping 471 and suction piping 481, an air supply source 47 or suction source 48 is connected to the suction groove 63 of the holding surface 62, thereby supplying air to the holding surface 62 or applying a suction force to the holding surface 62.

[0096] In this configuration as well, a pressure sensor 487 is provided on the suction pipe 481. When the suction on / off valve 485 is opened and the suction groove 63 of the holding surface 62 is connected to the suction source 48, the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 measured by the pressure sensor 487 provided on the suction pipe 481 falls below a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60 and that the wafer 100 is held by the holding surface 62.

[0097] In this configuration, when the suction valve 485 is opened to connect the suction groove 63 of the holding surface 62 to the suction source 48 in order to hold the wafer 100 by suction using the holding surface 62 of the positioning mechanism 6 during the holding process described above, there may be cases where the wafer 100 is not placed on the holding surface 62 for some reason. In this case, a large amount of air enters the suction pipe 481 from the suction groove 63, so the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 (negative pressure value of the suction groove 63) measured by the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold.

[0098] Therefore, the control unit 7 can determine that the wafer 100 is not placed on the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60 if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold even when the suction groove 63 is connected to the suction source 48. In this case, the control unit 7 temporarily suspends continuous processing, for example.

[0099] Furthermore, similar to the case of the spinner table 80 described above, if the wafer 100 placed on the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60 is damaged and a portion is missing, an exposed portion 621 will be created on the holding surface 62 (suction groove 63) of the positioning table 60 that is not covered by the wafer 100. Similarly, if the amount of warping of the wafer 100 placed on the holding surface 62 is large, an exposed portion 621 will also be created on the holding surface 62.

[0100] Therefore, even if an unsuitable wafer 100 that is difficult to hold properly by such a holding surface 62 is placed on the holding surface 62, the pressure value of the suction pipe 481 measured by the pressure sensor 487 may not fall below a predetermined threshold, just as in the case where no wafer 100 is placed, and continuous processing may be temporarily suspended.

[0101] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold and continuous processing is temporarily suspended, the control unit 7 performs a wafer detection process. In this process, before the positioning process, that is, before transporting the wafer 100 contained in the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163 to the positioning table 60, that is, before placing the wafer 100 on the positioning table 60, the control unit 7 uses the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 to detect whether or not the wafer 100 is present on the positioning table 60.

[0102] Specifically, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, the control unit 7 temporarily stops continuous processing and then, as shown in Figure 3, controls the drive unit 154 of the robot 150 to position the suction surface 152 of the robot hand 151 onto the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60. The control unit 7 then detects the presence or absence of a wafer 100 on the holding surface 62 using the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 provided on the suction surface 152 of the robot hand 151.

[0103] In this process, the control unit 7, for example, moves the positioning table 60 and the robot hand 151 positioned above the positioning table 60 horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 to detect whether or not a wafer 100 is present on the positioning table 60.

[0104] For example, the control unit 7 controls the rotation mechanism 65 of the positioning mechanism 6 to rotate the positioning table 60 at a low rotational speed, and also uses the horizontal movement mechanism 156 of the drive unit 154 of the robot 150 to move the robot hand 151 in the horizontal direction. This allows the wafer presence sensor 153 to detect the presence or absence of wafers 100 across the entire surface of the holding surface 62.

[0105] Then, if the control unit 7 determines that there is no wafer 100 anywhere on the entire surface of the holding surface 62, it determines that there is no wafer 100 placed on the holding surface 62 of the positioning table 60. In this case, the control unit 7, for example, resumes continuous processing of the wafer 100 that had been temporarily paused. That is, if the control unit 7 detects in the wafer detection process that there is no wafer 100 on the positioning table 60, it resumes continuous processing, takes out the wafer 100 from the first cassette 161 or the second cassette 163, holds it on the positioning table 60, and performs the positioning process for this wafer 100.

[0106] On the other hand, if the control unit 7 determines that the wafer 100 is on the entire surface or part of the holding surface 62, it determines that an improperly positioned wafer 100 that is difficult to hold properly by the holding surface 62 is placed on the holding surface 62. In this case, the control unit 7 performs a notification process, for example, while maintaining a temporary suspension of continuous processing of the wafer 100. In this process, the control unit 7 uses the touch panel 9, which acts as a notification unit to inform the operator that an improperly positioned wafer 100 is placed on the holding surface 62. That is, when the wafer detection process detects that the wafer 100 is on the positioning table 60, the control unit 7 uses the touch panel 9, which acts as a notification unit, to notify the operator that the wafer 100 is on the positioning table 60.

[0107] In this way, with regard to the suction holding of the wafer 100 by the positioning table 60, when continuous processing is temporarily suspended because the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, the presence or absence of the wafer 100 on the holding surface 62 can be clearly detected by the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151.

[0108] Therefore, for example, it is possible to effectively prevent a situation where, even though an unsuitable wafer 100 remains on the holding surface 62, continuous processing is resumed and the next wafer 100 is placed on top of it, resulting in damage to the wafer 100. Furthermore, there is no need for the operator to visually detect the presence or absence of the wafer 100 on the holding surface 62. This improves work efficiency.

[0109] In the above embodiment, if the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 of the positioning mechanism 6 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, and the continuous processing of the wafer 100, i.e., the wafer processing process including the holding process, processing process (rough grinding process and finish grinding process), and cleaning process is temporarily suspended, the control unit 7 performs a wafer detection process. The control unit 7 then resumes the wafer processing process and performs the positioning process if there is no wafer 100 on the positioning table 60, while performing a notification process if there is a wafer 100 on the positioning table 60.

[0110] In this regard, the control unit 7 may perform the wafer detection process before the positioning process at a predetermined timing set by the operator. For example, the control unit 7 may perform the wafer detection process when continuous processing is temporarily suspended because the measurement value of the pressure sensor 487 does not fall below a predetermined threshold, as described above, or when performing the positioning process for the wafer 100, it may always or periodically stop continuous processing and perform the wafer detection process before placing the wafer 100 on the positioning table 60.

[0111] In this embodiment, when detecting the presence or absence of a wafer 100 on the holding surface 82 (holding surface 62) of the spinner table 80 (positioning table 60) using the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151, the spinner table 80 (positioning table 60) and the robot hand 151 positioned above it are moved horizontally relative to each other.

[0112] In this regard, the presence or absence of a wafer 100 may be detected by positioning the wafer presence / absence sensor 153 of the robot hand 151 above the spinner table 80 (positioning table 60) without performing such horizontal movement. However, the presence or absence of a wafer 100 can be detected more effectively by performing the horizontal movement described above.

[0113] Furthermore, with regard to such horizontal movement, both rotation of the spinner table 80 (positioning table 60) and horizontal movement of the robot hand 151 may be performed, or only one of them may be performed.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a loading mechanism 170 and a loading mechanism 172 are shown as a transport mechanism for loading or unloading the wafer 100 to or from the chuck table 5. However, the grinding apparatus 1 does not necessarily have to include these loading mechanisms 170 and unloading mechanisms 172. In this case, for example, the robot 150 may be configured to load or unload the wafer 100 to or from the chuck table 5. That is, in this case, the robot 150 may be configured to use the robot hand 151 to suction-hold the wafer 100 held on the positioning table 60 and place it on the holding surface 50 of the chuck table 5. Alternatively, the robot 150 may be configured to use the robot hand 151 to suction-hold the wafer 100 after finish grinding, which is held on the chuck table 5, and place it on the spinner table 80 of the spinner cleaning mechanism 8.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a grinding apparatus 1 is given as an example of a processing apparatus. In this regard, the processing apparatus in this embodiment may be any other processing apparatus, such as a polishing apparatus for polishing the wafer 100 or a cutting apparatus for dividing the wafer 100 into chips, as long as it has a table for suction holding the wafer 100 and a robot 150. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0116] 1: Grinding device, 2: Turntable, 5: Chuck table, 6: Positioning mechanism, 7: Control unit, 8: Spinner cleaning mechanism, 9: Touch panel, 10: First device base, 11: Second device base, 12: First column, 13: Second column, 15: Enclosure, 20: Rough grinding feed mechanism, 21: Finish grinding feed mechanism, 25: First measuring mechanism, 26: Second measuring mechanism, 30: Rough grinding mechanism, 31: Finishing grinding mechanism, 40: Fluid flow mechanism, 40a: Fluid flow mechanism, 47: Air supply source, 48: Suction source, 50: Holding surface, 60: Positioning table, 61: Table plate, 62: Holding surface, 63: Suction groove, 64: Table base, 65: Rotation mechanism, 66: Motor, 67: Shaft, 68: Encoder, 69: Center position detection unit, 80: Spinner table, 81: Porous member, 82: Holding surface, 83: Frame, 84: Table base, 85: Rotation mechanism, 86: Motor, 87: Shaft, 88: Encoder, 89: Nozzle, 100: Wafer, 101: Front side, 103: Back side, 150: Robot, 151: Robot hand, 152: Suction surface, 153: Wafer presence / absence sensor, 154: Drive unit, 155: Vertical movement mechanism, 156: Horizontal movement mechanism, 157: Reversing mechanism, 160: First cassette stage, 161: First cassette, 162: Second cassette stage, 163: Second cassette, 170: Loading mechanism, 171: Transport pad, 172: Unloading mechanism, 173: Transport pad, 200: Ball screw, 201: Guide rail, 202: Motor, 203: Lifting table, 204: Holder, 300: Spindle, 301: Spindle housing, 302: Spindle motor, 303: Wheel mount, 304: Grinding wheel, 305: Wheel base, 306: Coarse grinding wheel, 310: Finishing grinding wheel, 401: Loading / unloading area, 402: Processing area, 403: Flow path within the table, 460: Rotary joint, 470: Air passage, 471: Air piping, 473: Air adjustment unit, 475: Air supply shut-off valve, 481: Suction piping, 483: Suction flow rate adjustment unit, 485: Suction on / off valve, 487: Pressure sensor, 621:Exposed part, 821:Exposed part

Claims

1. A cassette stage for placing cassettes, A chuck table for suction and holding wafers, A processing unit for processing wafers held on the chuck table, A spinner table that holds the wafer to be cleaned by suction, A processing apparatus comprising: a robot having a robotic hand for holding wafers in order to unload or load wafers into or from a cassette placed on the cassette stage, The robot hand is equipped with a wafer presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a wafer. The robot hand further includes a control unit that uses the wafer presence / absence sensor to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the spinner table, The control unit moves the spinner table and the robot hand positioned above the spinner table horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor on the robot hand to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the spinner table. Processing equipment.

2. A cassette stage for placing cassettes, A chuck table for suction and holding wafers, A processing unit for processing wafers held on the chuck table, A positioning table for positioning the wafer to be held on the chuck table, A processing apparatus comprising: a robot having a robotic hand for holding wafers in order to unload or load wafers into or from a cassette placed on the cassette stage, The robot hand is equipped with a wafer presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a wafer. The robot hand further includes a control unit that uses the wafer presence / absence sensor to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the positioning table, The control unit moves the positioning table and the robot hand positioned above the positioning table horizontally relative to each other, and uses the wafer presence sensor on the robot hand to detect whether or not a wafer is present on the positioning table. Processing equipment.

3. A wafer processing method using the processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the wafer is processed using the processing apparatus described in claim 1, A holding step of holding the wafer in the chuck table, A processing step of processing the wafer using the processing unit, A cleaning step in which the processed wafer is held on the spinner table and the wafer is cleaned, The process includes a wafer detection step, performed at a predetermined timing prior to the cleaning step, in which the spinner table and the robot hand positioned above the spinner table are moved horizontally relative to each other, and the presence or absence of a wafer is detected using the wafer presence sensor of the robot hand. If the wafer detection process detects that there is no wafer on the spinner table, the cleaning process is performed, If the wafer detection process detects the presence of a wafer on the spinner table, a notification process is performed in which the notification unit of the processing apparatus notifies the operator that a wafer is present on the spinner table. Wafer processing methods.

4. A wafer processing method using the processing apparatus described in claim 2, wherein the wafer is processed using the processing apparatus described in claim 2, A positioning step involves removing the wafer from the cassette, holding it on the positioning table, and positioning the wafer. A holding step involves holding the wafer, which has undergone the positioning step, on the chuck table. A processing step of processing the wafer using the processing unit, The process includes a wafer detection step, performed at a predetermined timing prior to the positioning step, in which the positioning table and the robot hand positioned above the positioning table are moved horizontally relative to each other, and the presence or absence of a wafer is detected using the wafer presence sensor of the robot hand. If the wafer detection process detects that there is no wafer on the positioning table, the positioning process is performed. If the wafer detection process detects the presence of a wafer on the positioning table, a notification process is performed in which the notification unit of the processing apparatus notifies the operator that the wafer is on the positioning table. Wafer processing methods.

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