Processing equipment

Abstract

To efficiently and effectively eliminate an end material generated by processing a workpiece.SOLUTION: A processing device includes a holding unit for holding workpiece, a processing unit mounted with a processing tool for processing the workpiece, and a processing water supply unit for supplying processing water to the workpiece, and processes the workpiece held by the holding unit by the processing unit while supplying the processing water to the workpiece by the processing water supply unit, the processing device further including a water case for receiving the processing water which is supplied to the workpiece held by the holding unit and drops below the holding unit, and a discharge passage which is connected to the water case and acts as a passage for discharging the processing water from the water case, wherein the water case includes a bottom plate, a side plate erected from the outer periphery of the bottom plate, and a porous plate provided above the bottom plate, and the upper surface of the porous plate provided above the bottom plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the discharge passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus that includes a holding unit for holding a workpiece and a processing unit for processing the workpiece held by the holding unit, and processes the workpiece with the processing unit while supplying processing water.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of device chips mounted on various electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers, a disk-shaped wafer in which devices are formed in a plurality of regions partitioned by a plurality of division planned lines (streets) intersecting each other is used. By thinning this wafer and then dividing it along the division planned lines, a plurality of device chips each including a device can be obtained. For example, a grinding device is used for thinning the wafer, and a cutting device is used for dividing the wafer.

[0003] Processing apparatuses such as grinding apparatuses and cutting apparatuses include a holding unit for holding a workpiece, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held by the holding unit, and a processing water supply unit for supplying processing water such as pure water to the workpiece to be processed. When processing a workpiece with a processing apparatus, fine processing chips are generated from the workpiece and the cutting tool. The generated processing chips fall into a water case around the holding unit together with the processing water, flow along the inclined bottom surface of the water case, and are discharged outside the processing apparatus from the discharge port.

[0004] When processing a workpiece with a processing apparatus, end materials that are relatively large and heavy may be generated due to separation of the end portion of the workpiece. When this end material falls into the water case, it is difficult to flow and tends to accumulate on the bottom surface of the water case. In particular, when the surface that constituted the flat front and back surfaces of the workpiece is included in the end material, or when the end material is generated during the process of grinding one surface of the workpiece, the end material may have a flat surface. When this flat surface faces the flat bottom surface of the water case, the end material strongly adheres to this bottom surface.

[0005] Therefore, processing devices equipped with a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the bottom of the water case, and processing devices with a specially designed bottom shape, have been developed (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). However, in all of these processing devices, scraps that fall into the water case sometimes remain on the floor, and further improvement in the ability to remove scraps was desired.

[0006] Furthermore, a processing device was developed that incorporates a unit for mechanically removing scrap material on the bottom of the water case (see Patent Document 4). However, this unit requires power to operate, and regular maintenance is necessary to prevent malfunctions, resulting in significant operating costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-218551 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-5544 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-192846 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-109278 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Therefore, one could consider applying a fluororesin coating to the bottom surface of the water case to increase the slipperiness of the scrap material. However, the fluororesin film on the bottom surface of the water case gradually loses its slipperiness due to aging and friction from the scrap material. For this reason, there is a need for processing equipment that can easily remove relatively large scrap materials generated when processing workpieces.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a processing device that can efficiently and effectively eliminate scraps and other materials generated by processing a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a processing apparatus is provided comprising: a holding unit for holding a workpiece; a processing unit equipped with a processing tool for processing the workpiece; and a processing water supply unit for supplying processing water to the workpiece, wherein the processing apparatus processes the workpiece while supplying the processing water to the workpiece held by the holding unit using the processing water supply unit, and further comprising: a water case for receiving the processing water supplied to the workpiece held by the holding unit and falling below the holding unit; and a discharge passage connected to the water case and serving as a path for discharging the processing water from the water case, wherein the water case comprises a bottom plate, side plates erected from the outer circumference of the bottom plate, and a porous plate provided above the bottom plate, and the upper surface of the porous plate provided above the bottom plate is inclined to become lower toward the discharge passage.

[0011] Preferably, the porous plate is connected to a fluid supply source that provides a fluid containing either air and / or water, and when the fluid supply source is activated, the fluid that has passed through the porous plate is ejected onto the upper surface of the porous plate.

[0012] More preferably, a dispersion plate is provided between the bottom plate of the water case and the porous plate, the dispersion plate having a dispersion supply path that serves as a route for supplying the fluid supplied from the fluid supply source to the porous plate while dispersing it.

[0013] Preferably, the water case is provided with a water supply nozzle that supplies water to the upper surface of the porous plate, and when water is supplied from the water supply nozzle to the upper surface of the porous plate, the water flows along the inclined upper surface toward the discharge passage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, a porous plate is provided above the bottom plate of the water case, and the upper surface of the porous plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the discharge path. When the workpiece held by the holding unit is processed and end materials are generated, the end materials together with the processing water fall onto the upper surface of the porous plate of the water case.

[0015] Here, when compared with the contact area between the bottom plate and the end materials when the end materials fall onto a conventional water case with a flat bottom plate, the contact area between the upper surface of the porous plate and the end materials is extremely small. Therefore, the frictional force acting on the end materials from the upper surface of the porous plate is small, the end materials do not stick to the porous plate, and the end materials are likely to slide toward the discharge path. Then, the end materials that have fallen into the water case are washed by a fluid such as the processing water on the upper surface of the porous plate and reach the discharge path, and are smoothly discharged from the water case.

[0016] At this time, power, mechanisms, etc. for discharging the end materials are not required. Further, even if the upper surface of the porous plate is worn, there is no significant change in the contact area between the porous plate and the end materials, so the ease of sliding of the end materials does not decrease.

[0017] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus capable of efficiently and effectively removing end materials and the like generated by processing a workpiece.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view schematically showing a processing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view schematically showing a water case and a holding unit. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a water case. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view schematically showing a cut water case. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view schematically showing the upper surface side of the dispersion plate, and FIG. 5(B) is a perspective view schematically showing the lower surface side of the dispersion plate. [Figure 6]It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a water case. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view schematically showing a water case according to another example of being cut.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, for convenience of explanation, the size and shape of each structure may be simplified or the features appearing on the appearance may be emphasized. Therefore, each structure is not limited to the shape, size, angle, arrangement, etc. shown in each figure.

[0020] First, the workpiece to be processed by the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 includes a perspective view schematically showing a workpiece 1. The workpiece 1 is, for example, a disk-shaped wafer formed of a material such as silicon, and includes a front surface 1a and a back surface 1b that are substantially parallel to each other and are each flat.

[0021] On the front surface 1a of the workpiece 1, a plurality of division planned lines (not shown) arranged in a lattice pattern so as to intersect each other are set. In each region partitioned by the division planned lines on the front surface 1a of the workpiece 1, devices (not shown) such as ICs and LSIs are formed respectively.

[0022] Note that the material, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 1 are not limited. For example, the workpiece 1 may be a substrate made of a semiconductor other than silicon (GaAs, InP, GaN, SiC, etc.), sapphire, glass (quartz glass, borosilicate glass, etc.). Also, the type, quantity, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of the devices are not limited, and the workpiece 1 may not have devices formed thereon.

[0023] By thinning the workpiece 1 and dividing it along the planned division lines, multiple thin chips (device chips) each equipped with a device are manufactured. For dividing the workpiece 1, for example, a cutting device equipped with an annular cutting blade or a laser processing device equipped with a laser processing unit that irradiates the workpiece 1 with a laser beam is used. Furthermore, for thinning the workpiece 1, a grinding device is used to grind the workpiece 1 from the back surface 1b side. In addition, a polishing device is used to remove the grinding marks remaining on the back surface 1b side of the workpiece 1 after grinding.

[0024] Next, a processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. The processing apparatus according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs processing such as cutting, laser processing, grinding, polishing, or cleaning on a workpiece. Hereinafter, a grinding apparatus for grinding a workpiece 1 will be described as an example of a processing apparatus according to this embodiment. However, the processing apparatus according to this embodiment is not limited to a grinding apparatus.

[0025] When grinding the workpiece 1 from the back surface 1b, a protective tape 3 is pre-attached to the workpiece 1 to protect the front surface 1a of the workpiece 1. The protective tape 3 protects the front surface 1a of the workpiece 1 from impacts applied during grinding of the back surface 1b of the workpiece 1 and during transport of the workpiece 1, preventing damage to the device. The protective tape 3 has a flexible film-like base material and an adhesive layer formed on one side of the base material.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the processing device (grinding device) 2. The processing device 2 has a base 4 that supports each component. Cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b are provided on the upper surface of the front part of the base 4. A workpiece transport robot 10 that transports the workpiece 1 is mounted on the base 4 adjacent to the cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b.

[0027] Cassettes 8a and 8b, for example, containing workpieces 1 before processing, are placed on cassette mounting tables 6a and 6b. The workpieces 1 are sequentially unloaded from cassettes 8a and 8b, processed by the processing device 2, and returned to cassettes 8a and 8b. When processing of all workpieces 1 contained in cassettes 8a and 8b is complete, cassettes 8a and 8b are unloaded from the processing device 2.

[0028] The upper surface of the front part of the base 4 is further equipped with a positioning table 12 that adjusts the position of the workpiece 1 by clamping it with multiple positioning pins, and a workpiece loading mechanism (loading arm) 14 that places the workpiece 1 onto the holding unit 20. Furthermore, a workpiece unloading mechanism (unloading arm) 16 that unloads the workpiece 1 from the holding unit 20 and a spinner cleaning device 52 that cleans and spin-dries the processed workpiece 1 are also provided.

[0029] An opening 4a is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion of the base 4. Inside the opening 4a is an X-axis moving table 18 on which a holding unit 20 for suction-holding the workpiece 1 rests. The X-axis moving table 18 is movable in the X-axis direction by an X-axis direction movement mechanism (not shown). The X-axis moving table 18 is positioned by the function of the X-axis direction movement mechanism into an loading / unloading area 22 where the workpiece 1 is attached to and detached from the holding unit 20, and a processing area 24 where the workpiece 1, held by suction on the holding unit 20, is polished.

[0030] A disc-shaped porous member with a diameter equal to that of the workpiece 1 is exposed on the upper surface of the holding unit (chuck table) 20. The upper surface of the holding unit 20 becomes the holding surface 20a for holding the workpiece 1. The holding unit 20 has a suction passage (not shown) inside, one end of which passes through the porous member and the other end of which is connected to a suction source (not shown). When the suction source is activated, negative pressure acts on the workpiece 1 placed on the holding surface 20a, and the workpiece 1 is held in place by the holding unit 20 through suction. The holding unit 20 can also rotate around an axis perpendicular to the holding surface 20a.

[0031] Above the machining area 24, a machining unit (grinding unit) 26 for machining (grinding) the workpiece 1 is positioned. A support portion 28 is erected at the rear end of the base 4 of the machining device 2, and the machining unit 26 is supported by this support portion 28. A pair of Z-axis guide rails 30 extending in the Z-axis direction are provided on the front of the support portion 28, and a Z-axis moving plate 32 is slidably attached to each Z-axis guide rail 30.

[0032] A nut (not shown) is provided on the back (rear) side of the Z-axis moving plate 32, and a Z-axis ball screw 34 parallel to the Z-axis guide rail 30 is screwed into this nut. A Z-axis pulse motor 36 is connected to one end of the Z-axis ball screw 34. When the Z-axis ball screw 34 is rotated by the Z-axis pulse motor 36, the Z-axis moving plate 32 moves in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis guide rail 30. A machining unit 26 is fixed to the lower front side of the Z-axis moving plate 32. When the Z-axis moving plate 32 is moved in the Z-axis direction, the machining unit 26 can also be moved in the Z-axis direction.

[0033] The processing unit 26 comprises a spindle 40 that rotates by a motor connected to its base end, and a processing tool (grinding wheel) 44 fixed to a mount 42 located on the tip end of the spindle 40 by a fixing device 46. In other words, the processing device 2 comprises a processing unit 26 to which a processing tool 44 for processing the workpiece 1 is attached.

[0034] The motor is housed within the spindle housing 38, and when the motor is activated, the workpiece 44 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the spindle 40. Multiple grinding wheels, each containing abrasive grains made of diamond or the like dispersed and fixed in a binder, are arranged in an annular pattern on the underside of the workpiece 44.

[0035] When the spindle 40 is rotated, the workpiece 44 rotates, causing the grinding wheel to rotate along an annular orbit. Then, when the processing unit 26 is lowered and the rotating grinding wheel comes into contact with the back surface 1b of the workpiece 1, the workpiece 1 is ground. The processing device (grinding device) 2 has a thickness measuring instrument (not shown) and proceeds with grinding while monitoring the thickness of the workpiece 1. When the thickness of the workpiece 1 reaches a predetermined finish thickness, the lowering of the processing unit 26 is stopped and grinding is completed.

[0036] When a workpiece 1 is processed with a processing tool 44, processing chips and processing heat are generated from the workpiece 1 and the processing tool 44. Therefore, the processing apparatus 2 is equipped with a processing water supply unit 48 that supplies processing water (grinding water), which is composed of pure water or the like, to the workpiece 1 while the workpiece 1 held by the holding unit 20 is being processed (ground). The processing water supply unit 48 is connected to, for example, a processing water supply source (not shown) and is a nozzle that supplies processing water to the back surface 1b of the workpiece 1 held by the holding unit 20 and to the processing tool 44 of the processing unit 26.

[0037] The processing apparatus 2 processes the workpiece 1, which is held in the holding unit 20, using the processing unit 26 while supplying processing water to the workpiece 1 using the processing water supply unit 48. Processing debris and processing heat are removed by the processing water. The processing water, which has absorbed the processing debris and processing heat, falls around the holding unit 20.

[0038] The processing apparatus 2 is equipped with a water case 50 in the opening 4a that receives processing water supplied to the workpiece 1 held by the holding unit 20 and which falls below the holding unit 20. The water case 50 has an outlet 56 to which a discharge passage is connected, which serves as a path for discharging the processing water from the water case.

[0039] When processing workpiece 1 with processing device 2, the ends or outer periphery of workpiece 1 may separate from workpiece 1, generating relatively large and heavy scrap material. One of the causes of this scrap material generation is explained below, but the causes of scrap material generation are not limited to this.

[0040] A chamfered edge, a rounded, arc-shaped shape, is formed on the outer periphery of a workpiece 1 such as a semiconductor wafer. If a chamfered edge is not formed on the outer periphery of the wafer, damage such as chipping or cracking is more likely to occur at the corners of the outer periphery. Furthermore, when a workpiece 1 with a chamfered edge is ground down to a predetermined thickness using a processing device (grinding device) 2, the chamfered edge remains partially on the outer periphery of the workpiece 1, resulting in a knife-edge-like shape appearing on this outer periphery, making the workpiece 1 more susceptible to damage.

[0041] Therefore, before grinding the workpiece 1 from the back side 1b, edge trimming is performed to partially remove the chamfered portion by cutting the outer circumference of the workpiece 1 from the front side 1a to a depth greater than or equal to the finished thickness of the workpiece 1. The portion of the chamfered portion that is not removed by edge trimming is lost by grinding the workpiece 1. However, when the workpiece 1 is thinned by grinding from the back side 1b using the processing device 2, this portion breaks off just before it disappears, and falls off as a relatively large piece of scrap material.

[0042] Scrap material can be as large as 10mm in width and 100mm in length, and its weight is also greater than that of processing waste. In conventional water cases, when large pieces of scrap material fall in, the scrap material does not easily flow across the floor of the water case 50 and tends to accumulate on the floor of the water case 50 without reaching the discharge port 56 to which the discharge passage is connected. In other words, large pieces of scrap material tend to accumulate on the floor of the water case.

[0043] Furthermore, the scrap material separated from the workpiece 1 includes the surface that was the ground surface of the workpiece 1 and constituted the flattened back surface 1b. Therefore, the scrap material has a flat surface. Conventionally, when this flat surface of the scrap material comes into contact with the flat bottom surface of the water case, the scrap material adheres strongly to this bottom surface. Therefore, in conventional processing equipment, the water case had to be cleaned frequently in order to remove the accumulated scrap material.

[0044] Therefore, in the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, a porous plate 54 is placed on the bottom plate of the water case 50 so that when large scraps fall into the water case 50, the scraps are less likely to stick to the bottom surface of the water case 50. The water case 50 of the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the water case 50 of the processing apparatus 2, and Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the water case 50. The water case 50 shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a bottom plate 58 and side plates 60 erected from the outer circumference of the bottom plate 58. The water case 50 is made of a material such as stainless steel or resin. An outlet 56 connected to a discharge passage is formed in one of the side plates 60. However, the outlet 56 may be formed in the bottom plate 58.

[0046] Furthermore, the bottom plate 58 of the water case 50, as shown in Figure 2, has a long opening 61 formed in the direction of movement of the holding unit 20 (X-axis direction). The water case 50 also includes an inner plate 62 erected from the inner circumference of the bottom plate 58. The X-axis moving table 18, on which the holding unit 20 is mounted, is connected to an X-axis moving mechanism (not shown) through the opening 61 and moves along the opening 61.

[0047] The X-axis moving table 18 is fitted with a retractable, bellows-shaped dustproof and waterproof cover 19 on both the front and rear sides in the direction of movement. As the X-axis moving table 18 moves, the dustproof and waterproof cover 19 expands and contracts to continuously cover the opening 61, so that any processing water that falls onto the dustproof and waterproof cover 19 is collected by the water case 50 via the dustproof and waterproof cover 19. This prevents processing water from falling downwards through the opening 61.

[0048] However, the water case 50 does not necessarily have to have an opening 61 formed in its bottom plate 58, nor does it necessarily have to be equipped with an inner plate 62. In this case, the X-axis movement mechanism may be housed in the water case 50. The following explanation will use the case in which an opening 61 is formed in the bottom plate 58 of the water case 50 as an example.

[0049] The water case 50 includes a porous plate 54 provided above the bottom plate 58. The porous plate 54 is a plate formed from a porous material such as stainless steel or ceramics. The upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 provided above the bottom plate 58 is gently sloped downwards toward the discharge passage (discharge port 56). Note that the slope of the porous plate 54 is omitted in Figure 2 and other diagrams for the sake of clarity.

[0050] The scrap material, separated from the workpiece 1 and falling into the water case 50 along with the processing water, lies on the porous plate 54 and comes into contact with its upper surface 54a. Here, the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 has countless small holes exposed due to the porous material, and the upper surface 54a is not a uniformly flat surface. Therefore, compared to the contact area between the bottom plate and the scrap material when the scrap material comes into contact with the flat bottom plate of a conventional water case, the contact area between the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 and the scrap material is extremely small.

[0051] Therefore, scrap material does not stick to the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54, and the frictional force that the upper surface 54a exerts on the scrap material is also small, so the scrap material slides easily toward the discharge passage (discharge port 56) on the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. As a result, the scrap material that falls into the water case 50 is carried away by the fluid such as processing water on the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54, reaches the discharge passage, and is smoothly discharged from the water case 50.

[0052] In this embodiment, the processing apparatus 2 does not require a mechanism to mechanically remove scrap material from the water case 50, nor does it require power to operate this mechanism. Furthermore, since the porous plate 54 is formed from a porous material, even if the porous plate 54 is worn down from the top surface 54a, countless small holes are always exposed on the top surface 54a. Therefore, even if the porous plate 54 is worn down, the contact area between the top surface 54a and the scrap material does not increase, eliminating the need for maintenance work over a long period of time.

[0053] The inclination angle of the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably, for example, 0.5 degrees or more and 5 degrees or less. If the inclination angle is too small, the flow of scrap material will be poor and the discharge performance will decrease. On the other hand, if the inclination angle is too large, the water case 50 must be made deeper at the lowest point of the porous plate 54, and the proportion of the volume of the water case 50 in the processing apparatus 2 will become too large, making it difficult to design the processing apparatus 2. Therefore, it is preferable that this inclination angle be about 1 degree.

[0054] In addition, in the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, a fluid such as air or water may be ejected from the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 in order to improve the mobility of the scrap material on the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. Next, the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment will be described further, focusing on the configuration related to the ejection of fluid.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, etc., a connection hole 64 is formed in the bottom plate 58 of the water case 50, penetrating the bottom plate 58. One end of a pipe-shaped or tubular fluid supply passage 70 is connected to the connection hole 64, and a fluid supply source 72 is connected to the other end of the fluid supply passage 70. The fluid supply source 72 is a pump, tank, cylinder, or factory equipment, etc., that has the function of supplying a fluid containing either air and / or water to the porous plate 54 of the water case 50 through the fluid supply passage 70.

[0056] In other words, a fluid supply source 72 is connected to the porous plate 54 of the water case 50, which supplies fluid via a fluid supply passage 70, etc. When the fluid supply source 72 is activated, a fluid such as air, water, or a mixture of air and water is supplied to the porous plate 54 through the fluid supply passage 70, and the fluid is ejected onto the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54.

[0057] When fluid is ejected onto the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54, the scrap material that falls into the water case 50 is partially or entirely lifted by the fluid, further reducing the contact area between the scrap material and the porous plate 54. In other words, the mobility of the scrap material becomes extremely high. In particular, if the fluid ejected from the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 contains a liquid such as water, the fluid, along with the processing water that falls into the water case 50, pushes the scrap material across the upper surface 54a, further increasing the mobility of the scrap material.

[0058] Furthermore, the water case 50 may include a dispersion plate 66 between the bottom plate 58 and the porous plate 54. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the water case 50 cut off. Figure 4 shows the cross-sections of the bottom plate 58, the side plate 60, the dispersion plate 66, and the porous plate 54. Note that in Figure 4, the inclination angles of the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 are emphasized. Also, Figure 5(A) is a schematic perspective view showing the upper surface 66a of the dispersion plate 66, and Figure 5(B) is a schematic perspective view showing the lower surface 66b of the dispersion plate 66.

[0059] The dispersion plate 66 has dispersion supply channels 68 (see Figure 3) formed therein, which serve as pathways for supplying fluid from the fluid supply source 72 (see Figure 3) to the porous plate 54 while dispersing it. The dispersion supply channels 68 are formed vertically and horizontally on the dispersion plate 66 so that the fluid can spread over a wide area of ​​the porous plate 54.

[0060] Figure 5(A) shows a distribution groove 68a that functions as a distribution supply channel 68. Multiple distribution grooves 68a intersecting each other are formed vertically and horizontally on the upper surface 66a side of the distribution plate 66. The depth and width of the distribution grooves 68a should be approximately 1 mm to 2 mm, respectively. Figure 5(B) shows a communication hole 68b that communicates with the bottom of the distribution groove 68a. On the lower surface 66b side of the distribution plate 66, the communication hole 68b is formed in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of connection holes 64 in the bottom plate 58 of the water case 50.

[0061] The dispersion plate 66 is placed in the water case 50, sandwiched between the bottom plate 58 and the porous plate 54. At this time, the communication hole 68b overlaps with the connection hole 64 of the bottom plate 58. When the fluid supply source 72 is activated, the fluid that has passed through the connection hole 64 proceeds from the communication hole 68b to the dispersion groove 68a, and spreads through the dispersion groove 68a as it reaches the porous plate 54. In this way, due to the function of the dispersion plate 66, the fluid is ejected uniformly from the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54.

[0062] In the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, water may be further supplied to the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 of the water case 50 in order to further improve the discharge of scrap material from the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. Figure 4 shows a water supply nozzle 74 that supplies water to the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the water case 50. A water supply nozzle 74 is also shown in Figure 6.

[0063] The water supply nozzle 74 is preferably provided on the side plate 60 of the water case 50 on the upstream side (relatively higher side) of the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. In other words, the water supply nozzle 74 is preferably formed on the side plate 60 opposite to the side plate 60 on which the discharge port 56 is formed, with the porous plate 54 in between. Although Figure 4 and others show a case where one water supply nozzle 74 is provided on the side plate 60, the number of water supply nozzles 74 is not limited to one. Multiple water supply nozzles 74 may be provided on the side plate 60.

[0064] The water supply nozzle 74 is connected to a water supply source 76 that supplies water to the water supply nozzle 74. When the water supply source 76 is activated, water is supplied from the water supply nozzle 74 to the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54, and the water becomes flowing water 78 and flows down the inclined upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 toward the discharge passage 56a (discharge port 56). In this case, the scrap material 5 that has fallen into the water case 50 is more easily washed away by the flowing water 78 on the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. In other words, the discharge efficiency of the scrap material 5 is improved.

[0065] Furthermore, it is preferable that the discharge passage 56a has a slightly larger inner diameter so that the scrap material 5 flows through without clogging. The discharge passage 56a may also be provided with a sieve-shaped or mesh-shaped scrap material separation section (not shown), and the water separated from the scrap material in the scrap material separation section may be discharged from the processing device 2. In this case, it is preferable to periodically remove the scrap material from the scrap material separation section of the processing device 2. The effort required for this scrap material removal is significantly less than the effort required to completely clean the inside of the water case 50, and there is no need to stop the operation of the processing device 2 when removing the scrap material from the scrap material separation section.

[0066] Here, preferred examples of the type and flow rate of the fluid ejected from the porous plate 54 and the flow rate of the water supplied from the water supply nozzle 74 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, etc., when the water case 50 is divided into two regions by the opening 61, it is assumed that the length of the porous plate 54 in one of the regions is 1000 mm and the width is 60 mm.

[0067] When water is supplied from the water supply nozzle 74 and air is ejected from the porous plate 54, the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply nozzle 74 should be approximately 2 L / min to 4 L / min. At this time, the air ejected from the porous plate 54 should be 1 cm above the upper surface 54a. 2 The flow rate per unit should be between 0.010 L / min and 0.025 L / min.

[0068] Furthermore, if a mixed fluid of water and air is ejected from the porous plate 54, but water is not supplied from the water supply nozzle 74, the upper surface 54a of the air ejected from the porous plate 54 will be 1 cm 2 The flow rate per unit area should be between 0.010 L / min and 0.025 L / min. At this time, the upper surface 54a of the water ejected from the porous plate 54 simultaneously with the air should be 1 cm 2 The flow rate per unit should be between 0.010 L / min and 0.030 L / min.

[0069] Furthermore, when supplying water from the water supply nozzle 74 and ejecting a mixed fluid of water and air from the porous plate 54, the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply nozzle 74 should be set to approximately 2 L / min to 4 L / min. At this time, the upper surface 54a of the air ejected from the porous plate 54 should be 1 cm 2 The flow rate per unit area should be between 0.010 L / min and 0.025 L / min. At this time, the water ejected from the porous plate 54 should be 1 cm 2 The flow rate per unit should be between 0.005 L / min and 0.015 L / min.

[0070] However, the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply nozzle 74, and the flow rates of water and air ejected from the porous plate 54 are not limited to these. The flow rates of water and air should be determined considering the type and size of the workpiece 1 processed by the processing apparatus 2, the angle of inclination of the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54, and so on.

[0071] As described above, in the processing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, a porous plate 54 with an inclined upper surface 54a is placed in the water case 50. Therefore, scraps and other materials generated by processing the workpiece 1 can be efficiently and effectively removed without using any special power. Furthermore, scraps do not accumulate in the water case 50, and the ability to discharge scraps and other materials does not decrease even when the porous plate 54 is worn out, so long-term operation is possible without frequent maintenance work.

[0072] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, the above embodiment described a case in which the dispersion plate 66 and the porous plate 54 are arranged over the entire surface of the bottom plate 58 of the water case 50. However, the processing apparatus 2 according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the dispersion plate 66 and the porous plate 54 may be arranged over a part of the area of ​​the bottom plate 58.

[0073] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a water case 80, a modified example of a processing apparatus 2 according to one aspect of the present invention, in a cut state. In the water case 80 shown in Figure 7, the porous plate 54 and the dispersion plate 66 are not provided on a portion of the bottom plate 58. More specifically, only the area of ​​the bottom plate 58 away from the holding unit 20 is covered by the porous plate 54. The remaining upper surface of the bottom plate 58 has an inclined surface 82 that slopes downward toward the porous plate 54.

[0074] In this case, the scrap material that separates from the processed workpiece 1 and falls from the holding unit 20 into the water case 80 first falls onto the inclined surface 82. The scrap material then flows down the inclined surface 82 together with the processing water and reaches the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54. Then, similar to the water case 50 described above, the scrap material that reaches the porous plate 54 flows down the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54.

[0075] Here, in order for the scrap material to slide smoothly down the inclined surface 82, it is preferable that the angle of inclination of the inclined surface 82 with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than the angle of inclination of the upper surface 54a of the porous plate 54 with respect to the horizontal plane. In this case, the scrap material advances mainly due to the inclination of the inclined surface 82 on the inclined surface 82, and mainly due to the action of the porous plate 54 on the porous plate 54.

[0076] In the water case 80 shown in Figure 7, the entire surface of the bottom plate 58 is not covered with a porous plate 54. Therefore, since the top surface 54a of the water case 80 can be made with a relatively small porous plate 54, the water case 80 can be prepared at a relatively low cost.

[0077] The structures, methods, etc., according to the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the objectives of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1 Workpiece 1a surface 1b back side 3. Protective tape 5. Scraps 2 Processing equipment 4 base 4a aperture 6a, 6b Cassette mounting tray 8a, 8b Cassette 10 Workpiece Transfer Robot 12 Positioning Table 14 Workpiece loading mechanism (loading arm) 14 16 Workpiece unloading mechanism (unloading arm) 16 18 X-axis moving table 19 Dustproof and splashproof cover 20 holding units 20a Holding surface 22 Loading / unloading area 24 Processing area 26 Processing Units 28 Support part 30 Z-axis guide rail 32 Z-axis moving plate 34 Z-axis ball screw 36 Z-axis pulse motor 38 Spindle Housing 40 spindles 42 Mount 44 Processing tools 46 Fixtures 48. Processed water supply unit 50,80 Water Case 52 Spinner cleaning device 54 Porous plate 54a Top side 56 Outlet 56a Exhaust channel 58 Bottom plate 60 Side panel 61 Aperture 62 Inner plate 64 connection holes 66 Dispersion plate 66a top surface 66b bottom surface 68 Distributed supply route 68a dispersion groove 68b communication hole 70 Fluid supply path 72 Fluid supply source 74 Water supply nozzles 76 Water source 78 Running water 82 Slope

Claims

1. A holding unit for holding the workpiece, A processing unit equipped with a processing tool for processing the workpiece, The system includes a processing water supply unit that supplies processing water to the workpiece, A processing apparatus that processes a workpiece held by a holding unit while supplying processing water to the workpiece using a processing water supply unit, A water case that receives the processing water supplied to the workpiece held by the holding unit and which falls below the holding unit, The system further comprises a discharge path connected to the water case, which serves as a path for discharging the processed water from the water case, The water case comprises a bottom plate, side plates erected from the outer circumference of the bottom plate, and a porous plate provided above the bottom plate. A processing apparatus characterized in that the upper surface of the porous plate, which is provided above the bottom plate, is inclined to become lower toward the discharge passage.

2. The porous plate is connected to a fluid supply source that provides a fluid containing either air or water, or both. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the fluid supply source is activated, the fluid that has passed through the porous plate is ejected onto the upper surface of the porous plate.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that a dispersion plate is provided between the bottom plate of the water case and the porous plate, the dispersion plate having a dispersion supply path that serves as a path for supplying the fluid supplied from the fluid supply source to the porous plate while dispersing it.

4. The water case is equipped with a water supply nozzle that supplies water to the upper surface of the porous plate. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when water is supplied from the water supply nozzle to the upper surface of the porous plate, the water flows along the inclined upper surface toward the discharge passage.

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