Processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a machining device capable of quickly drying the lower surface of a workpiece without removing the workpiece held on a table within a short time.SOLUTION: A grinding device (machining device) 1, which is provided with a third table 43 for sucking and holding a workpiece W on a holding surface 43a, machining means (rough polishing means 10 and finish grinding means 10') for machining the workpiece W while supplying a machining liquid, and conveyance means 20 for carrying in / out the workpiece W held on a conveyance pad 21 with respect to the holding surface 43a, comprises a drying control unit 200 that holds the upper surface of the workpiece W sucked and held on the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 on the conveyance pad 21, raises the conveyance pad 21 by a Z-axis moving mechanism 20B to form a gap δ between the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 and the lower surface of the workpiece W, and sprays air from the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 to dry the lower surface of the workpiece W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece while supplying a processing liquid to the workpiece held on a table.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices such as ICs and LSIs used in electronic devices, in order to miniaturize and lighten the semiconductor devices, the back surface of the wafer is ground by a grinding apparatus to thin the wafer to a predetermined thickness. In particular, in recent years, in order to meet the requirements such as thinning and miniaturization of electronic devices, it has been required to form semiconductor devices thinly.

[0003] Here, a wafer grinding apparatus includes a chuck table that sucks and holds a wafer on a holding surface, a grinding means that grinds the wafer while supplying a processing liquid to the wafer, a transfer means that transfers the wafer onto or out of the holding surface of the chuck table, a cleaning means that cleans the wafer after grinding with cleaning water, and a cassette that stores the wafer after cleaning.

[0004] In such a wafer grinding apparatus, after the wafer after grinding is transferred to the cleaning means by the transfer means, the wafer is cleaned and dried in the cleaning means, and then this wafer is transferred to the cassette by the transfer means and stored in the cassette. In this case, when transferring the wafer after grinding to the cleaning means, air is jetted (air blow) toward the lower surface of the wafer to remove the processing liquid (grinding liquid) adhering to the lower surface of the wafer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a grinding apparatus that holds a plurality of workpieces on a chuck table having a plurality of holding surfaces and grinds the plurality of workpieces by performing an infeed grinding process and a creep feed grinding process on these plurality of workpieces.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-167519 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-029598 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Incidentally, in fully automated grinding machines that grind wafers, if the fully automated operation stops due to an error during grinding, the operator removes the wafer from the chuck table and uses a handheld air gun to blow air onto the underside of the removed wafer to remove the processing fluid. This manual operation by the operator takes a relatively long time, which means that it takes a long time to restart the fully automated operation, leading to a problem of reduced operating efficiency of the grinding machine.

[0008] Furthermore, because the above operations are performed above the chuck table that has emerged from the processing chamber, the air blows out processing debris into the processing equipment, and this debris adheres to other tables, resulting in a problem where the wafer that is ground next does not have a uniform thickness.

[0009] Furthermore, since the above operations are performed by opening the side door of the processing equipment, there is a problem in that the scattered processing debris contaminates the cleanroom in which the equipment is installed.

[0010] In particular, in the grinding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, if the fully automatic operation stops, the operator has to remove multiple workpieces from the chuck table and blow away the processing fluid adhering to the underside of the removed workpieces with air sprayed from a handheld air gun. Therefore, restarting the fully automatic operation takes an even longer time, which leads to a further decrease in the operating rate of the grinding apparatus.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a processing apparatus that can quickly dry the underside of a workpiece in a short time without removing the workpiece held on the table from the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention, which solves the above problems, A first processing unit comprising: a first table for suction-holding a workpiece; a first processing means for processing the workpiece held by suction on the first table while supplying processing fluid; a first moving mechanism for moving the first table in the Y-axis direction; a first transport pad for holding the upper surface of a workpiece; a first Y-axis moving mechanism for moving the first transport pad in the Y-axis direction; and a first Z-axis moving mechanism for moving the first transport pad in the Z-axis direction, which is orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis directions; a second processing unit comprising: a second table for suction-holding a workpiece; a second processing means for processing the workpiece held by suction on the second table while supplying processing fluid; a second moving mechanism for moving the second table in the Y-axis direction; a second transport pad for holding the upper surface of a workpiece; a second Y-axis moving mechanism for moving the second transport pad in the Y-axis direction; and a second Z-axis moving mechanism for moving the second transport pad in the X-axis direction The processing apparatus comprises: a second Z-axis movement mechanism that moves the first processing unit in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction, and a second processing unit positioned horizontally to the first processing unit in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction; a third table that holds a workpiece by suction; a third movement mechanism that moves the third table in the X-axis direction so that the third table and the first transport pad can transfer a workpiece, and so that the third table and the second transport pad can transfer a workpiece; a first drying control unit that sprays air from the upper surface of the first table or the upper surface of the third table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the first transport pad; and a second drying control unit that sprays air from the upper surface of the second table or the upper surface of the third table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the second transport pad. This processing apparatus may have a first table, a second table, a third table, a first transport pad, and a second transport pad that can hold multiple workpieces. Furthermore, this processing apparatus may be equipped with a cleaning means for cleaning the workpiece processed by the first processing means or the second processing means. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a workpiece using a processing apparatus having the above-described means, comprising: a first holding step of holding the workpiece on a first table; a first processing step of processing the workpiece held on the first table with a first processing means; a first transfer step of holding the workpiece processed by the first processing means with a first transfer pad and transferring it from the first table to a third table; and in the first transfer step, drying the lower surface of the workpiece held on the first transfer pad by spraying air from the upper surface of the first table or the upper surface of the third table. The process includes: a first drying step of allowing the workpiece held on the third table to dry; a second transfer step of holding the workpiece held on the third table with the second transfer pad and transferring it to the second table; a second processing step of processing the workpiece held on the second table with the second processing means; a third transfer step of holding the workpiece processed by the second processing means with the second transfer pad and transferring it from the second table to a cleaning means; and a second drying step of injecting air from the upper surface of the second table in the third transfer step to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held on the second transfer pad. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, if the fully automatic operation of the processing device stops due to an error during workpiece processing, the workpiece held on the table's holding surface is held by the transport pad of the transport means, the transport pad is raised to create a gap between the table's holding surface and the underside of the workpiece, and air is sprayed from the table's holding surface toward the underside of the workpiece to quickly dry the underside of the workpiece in a short time. As a result, the operator does not need to remove the workpiece from the table and wipe off the processing fluid adhering to the underside of the workpiece by hand, reducing the burden on the operator, and the time required for the fully automatic operation of the processing device to stop and restart is shortened, minimizing the decrease in the operating rate of the processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a part of the processing apparatus (grinding apparatus) according to the present invention, broken off. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the first conveying means. [Figure 3] This is a partial perspective view showing the mechanism for removing a workpiece from a cassette and temporarily placing it. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the workpiece removal mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the workpiece handling mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of a cassette transfer mechanism. [Figure 7] It is a partial perspective view showing the state of the temporary placement part when the full-auto operation of the processing device (grinding device) according to the present invention stops. [Figure 8] It is a partial perspective view showing the state in which the workpiece is lifted and the lower surface thereof is dried when the full-auto operation of the processing device (grinding device) according to the present invention stops. [Figure 9] It is a partial broken side view showing the state in which the workpiece is lifted and the lower surface thereof is dried when the full-auto operation of the processing device (grinding device) according to the present invention stops.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0016] First, the configuration of a grinding device as one form of the processing device according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 6. In the following description, the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 1 are the X-axis direction (left-right direction), the Y-axis direction (front-back direction), and the Z-axis direction (up-down direction), respectively.

[0017] [Configuration of Grinding Device] The grinding device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for fully automatically grinding two workpieces W in the shape of rectangular plates, and includes a first processing unit U1 for rough grinding the workpiece W, a second processing unit U2 for finish grinding the workpiece W rough-grinded by the first processing unit U1, a temporary placement part 40 for temporarily placing the workpiece W to transfer it between the first grinding unit U1 and the second grinding unit U2, a cleaning means 60 for cleaning the workpiece W finish-grinded by the second grinding unit U2, a cassette stage 50 on which a cassette 6 for accommodating a plurality of workpieces W before grinding is placed, a stocker 70 for stocking a plurality of cassettes 6, and a drying control unit 200 for jetting air toward the lower surface of the workpiece W to dry the lower surface of the workpiece W as main components.

[0018] The configurations of the first processing unit U1, the second processing unit U2, the temporary storage section 40, the cleaning means 60, the cassette stage 50, the stocker 70, and the drying control unit 200, which are the main components of the grinding apparatus 1, will be described in order below.

[0019] <First processing unit and second processing unit> As shown in Figure 1, the first processing unit U1, which rough-grinds the workpiece W, and the second processing unit U2, which finish-grinds the workpiece W, are arranged side by side on the device base 2 along the X-axis direction (left-right direction). Since the basic configurations of the first processing unit U1 and the second processing unit U2 are the same, the configuration of the first processing unit U1 will be mainly described below.

[0020] The first processing unit U1 includes a first chuck table 3 as a first table, a rough grinding means 10 as a first processing means, a first moving mechanism (not shown) that reciprocates the first chuck table 3 in the Y-axis direction, and a first transport means 20 that holds the upper surface of the workpiece W and transports the workpiece W. The configurations of the first chuck table 3, rough grinding means 10, first moving mechanism (not shown), and first transport means 20 that constitute this first processing unit U1 will be described below.

[0021] (First check table) The first chuck table 3 is a disc-shaped member that is rotated at a predetermined speed around a central axis perpendicular to the Z-axis direction by a rotation mechanism (not shown). The upper surface of the first chuck table 3 is provided with two rectangular holding surfaces 3a for suction holding the workpiece W. Each holding surface 3a is connected to a suction source (not shown). A first thickness measuring device 4 is installed near the rough grinding means 10 on the device base 2 for measuring the thickness of the workpiece W held by the first chuck table 3 and being rough ground.

[0022] (Rough grinding means) The rough grinding means 10 includes a spindle motor 12 fixed to a holder 11, a vertical spindle 13 rotationally driven by the spindle motor 12, a disc-shaped mount 14 attached to the lower end of the spindle 13, and a grinding wheel 15 detachably mounted on the lower surface of the mount 14. Here, a plurality of grinding wheels 16 arranged in an annular shape are attached to the grinding wheel 15.

[0023] The rough grinding means 10 is supported so as to be able to move up and down by a lifting mechanism 30 provided on the -Y axis end face (front surface) of a block-shaped column 5 that is erected vertically at the +Y axis end (rear end) of the device base 2.

[0024] The above-described lifting mechanism 30 moves the rough grinding means 10 up and down along the Z-axis direction (vertical direction), and comprises a rectangular plate-shaped lifting plate 31 and a pair of left and right guide rails 32 for guiding the lifting movement of the lifting plate 31. The rough grinding means 10 is attached to the lifting plate 31. The pair of left and right guide rails 32 are arranged perpendicularly and parallel to each other on the -Y-axis end face (front) of the column 5.

[0025] A rotatable ball screw shaft 33 is positioned vertically along the Z-axis direction (up and down direction) between a pair of left and right guide rails 32, and the upper end of the ball screw shaft 33 is connected to a reversible electric motor 34, which is the drive source. The lower end of the ball screw shaft 33 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) on the column 5, and a nut member (not shown) that protrudes horizontally toward the rear (+Y-axis direction) from the back of the lifting plate 31 is screwed onto this ball screw shaft 33.

[0026] Therefore, when the electric motor 34 of the lifting mechanism 30 configured as described above is activated to rotate the ball screw shaft 33 in both forward and reverse directions, the lifting plate 31, which has a nut member (not shown) protruding from it that screws onto the ball screw shaft 33, moves up and down along a pair of left and right guide rails 32. As a result, the rough grinding means 10 attached to the lifting plate 31 also moves up and down along the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0027] (1st movement mechanism) The first moving mechanism, not shown, reciprocates the first chuck table 3 and the workpiece W held therein along the Y-axis, and is composed of a well-known ball screw mechanism or the like, located within the device base 3. Therefore, further explanation and illustration of this first moving mechanism are omitted.

[0028] (First transport means) The first transport means 20 holds two workpieces W and transports them to a predetermined position. It is located in the first transport space S1 shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, and as shown in Figure 2, it is equipped with a pair of rectangular plate-shaped first transport pads 21 that suction-hold the workpieces W. The pair of first transport pads 21 are mounted parallel to each other on a reversing mechanism 22 that intermittently rotates them by 180°. The reversing mechanism 22 is mounted on the tip of a rotating shaft 24 that extends horizontally from a block-shaped lifting block 23. Multiple suction cups 27 are attached to the suction surface of each first transport pad 21.

[0029] The first transport pad 21 is movable in the Y-axis direction (forward and backward direction) by the first Y-axis movement mechanism 20A shown in Figure 2, and is also movable up and down in the Z-axis direction by the first Z-axis movement mechanism 20B. Here, the first Y-axis movement mechanism 20A includes a pair of upper and lower guide rails 22a arranged parallel to each other along the Y-axis direction on the side surface of the base plate 21a, and a slider 23a that can slide along these guide rails 22a in the Y-axis direction, and a rotatable ball screw shaft 24a extending along the Y-axis direction is positioned between the pair of guide rails 22a.

[0030] One axial end of the ball screw shaft 24a is connected to an electric motor 25a, which is the drive source, and the other axial end of the ball screw shaft 24a is rotatably supported on a base plate 21a by a bearing 26a. The ball screw shaft 24a is then screwed into a rectangular block-shaped slider 23a.

[0031] The first Z-axis movement mechanism 20B includes a guide rail 22b mounted perpendicularly along the Z-axis direction to a base plate 21b attached to the side of the slider 23a, and a lifting block 23b that moves up and down along the guide rail 22b in the Z-axis direction. From the lifting block 23b, the rotating shaft 24 that supports the first transport pad 21 via a reversing mechanism 22 at its tip extends horizontally along the X-axis direction, and a vertically positioned rotatable ball screw shaft 24b is screwed into the lifting block 23b. The upper end of the ball screw shaft 24b is connected to an electric motor 25b, which is a rotation drive source, and the lower end of the ball screw shaft 24b is rotatably supported on the base plate 21b by a bearing 26b.

[0032] Therefore, when the electric motor 25a of the first Y-axis movement mechanism 20A is activated to rotate the ball screw shaft 24a in both forward and reverse directions, the slider 23a that is screwed onto the ball screw shaft 24a moves along the guide rail 22a in the Y-axis direction together with the first Z-axis movement mechanism 20B. When the electric motor 25b of the first Z-axis movement mechanism 20B is activated to rotate the ball screw shaft 24b in both forward and reverse directions, the lifting block 23b that is screwed onto the ball screw shaft 24b moves up and down along the Z-axis direction. As a result, the first transport pad 21, which is supported by the lifting block 23b via the rotating shaft 24 and the reversing mechanism 22, can move in the Y-axis direction and also move up and down in the Z-axis direction.

[0033] The second processing unit U2 includes a second chuck table 3', a second processing means, which is a finish grinding means 10', and a second moving mechanism and a second transport means (not shown). However, the configuration of the second chuck table 3' and the second moving mechanism is the same as that of the first chuck table 3 and the first moving mechanism of the first processing unit U1, so their explanation will be omitted. Two holding surfaces 3a' for suction holding of two workpieces W are formed on the upper surface of the second chuck table 3', and a second thickness measuring device 4' for measuring the thickness of the workpiece W during finish grinding is installed near the second chuck table 3' at the processing position. Furthermore, the configuration of the second transport means is the same as that of the first transport means 20 described above, so its explanation will be omitted, and the reference numerals assigned to each component of the first transport means 20 will be used in the following explanation of the second transport means.

[0034] Furthermore, the finish grinding means 10', like the rough grinding means 10, includes a spindle motor 12' fixed to a holder 11', a vertical spindle 13' rotationally driven by the spindle motor 12', a disc-shaped mount 14' attached to the lower end of the spindle 13', and a grinding wheel 15' detachably mounted on the lower surface of the mount 14'. Here, the grinding wheel 15' has a plurality of grinding wheels 16' arranged in an annular shape, and these grinding wheels 16' are made of finer abrasive grains than the grinding wheel 16 of the rough grinding means 10. The second processing unit U2 is also provided with a lifting mechanism 30 for raising and lowering the finish grinding means 10'. Since this lifting mechanism 30 is the same as the lifting mechanism 30 for raising and lowering the rough grinding means 10, the same reference numerals are used and further explanation is omitted.

[0035] Furthermore, the second transport space S2, shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, is provided with a second transport means similar to the first transport means 20 shown in Figure 2. However, as mentioned above, the configuration of both is the same, so the illustration and explanation of the second transport means are omitted.

[0036] Although not shown in the figures, the grinding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a grinding water supply means that supplies grinding water, which is a processing fluid, to the grinding wheel 16 of the rough grinding means 10 and the grinding wheel 16' of the finish grinding means 10' during the grinding process. This grinding water supply means supplies grinding water to the grinding wheels 15, 15', respectively, through the axial centers of the spindle motors 12, 12' and spindles 13, 13' of the rough grinding means 10 and the finish grinding means 10', and the contact surfaces between each grinding wheel 16, 16' and each workpiece W are cooled by the grinding water. Pure water is preferably used as the grinding water.

[0037] <Temporary placement section> The temporary storage section 40 is for transferring workpieces W that have been roughly ground by the rough grinding means 10 of the first processing unit U1 to the second processing unit U2, and for receiving workpieces W that have been finish-ground by the finish grinding means 10' of the second processing unit U2 and for temporarily storing the workpieces W. As shown in Figure 1, it is located in the vicinity of the cassette stage 50 and stocker 70 on the device base 2 in the Y-axis direction. The temporary storage section 40 is equipped with a temporary storage table (hereinafter referred to as the "third table") 43 that can move in the Y direction along a guide plate 42 laid along the X-axis direction on a horizontal temporary storage table 41. The upper surface of the third table 43 is provided with two rectangular holding surfaces 43a for suction holding two workpieces W. Although not shown, the temporary storage section 40 is equipped with a third moving mechanism that moves the third table 43 in the Y-axis direction along the guide plate 42.

[0038] <Cleaning methods> The cleaning means 60 cleans the two workpieces W that have been finish-ground by the finish grinding means 10' of the second processing unit U2 with cleaning water, and as shown in Figure 1, it is located near the stocker 70 in the Y-axis direction. This cleaning means 60 includes a spinner table 61 that holds the finish-ground workpieces W by suction to its upper surface and rotates at a predetermined speed around a vertical central axis, and a cleaning water nozzle 62 that sprays cleaning water toward the workpieces W held by the spinner table 61. Pure water is preferably used as the cleaning water.

[0039] <Cassette Stage> As shown in Figure 1, the cassette stage 50 is located at the -X-axis corner of the -Y-axis end of the device base 2, and a cassette 6 is placed on its upper surface via a rectangular adapter plate 51. The cassette 6 is for storing multiple workpieces W before grinding, and multiple shelves are arranged inside it at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.

[0040] Furthermore, a cassette lifting mechanism 52 is provided within the cassette stage 50 for raising and lowering the cassette 6 in the Z-axis direction. This cassette lifting mechanism 52 comprises a pair of vertical guide rails 54 arranged parallel to each other on a vertical base plate 53, and a lifting plate 55 that moves up and down along these guide rails 54. An adapter plate 51 is fixed to this lifting plate 55, and the cassette 6 is detachably placed on this adapter plate 51.

[0041] Furthermore, a vertical ball screw shaft 56 is rotatably positioned between a pair of guide rails 54, and the lower end of this ball screw shaft 56 is connected to an electric motor 57, which is a rotational drive source. A nut member (not shown) protruding from the lifting plate 55 is screwed onto this ball screw shaft 56.

[0042] Therefore, when the electric motor 57 is started and the ball screw shaft 56 is rotated forward and backward, the lifting plate 55, which has a nut member (not shown) protruding from it that screws onto the ball screw shaft 56, moves up and down in the Z-axis direction along the guide rail 54, and the cassette 6 moves up and down together with the lifting plate 55.

[0043] Incidentally, in the temporary workpiece storage space S3, shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 and adjacent to the cassette stage 50, a temporary storage table 80 and an X-axis movement mechanism 81 for moving this temporary storage table 80 in the X-axis direction are arranged, as shown in Figure 3.

[0044] The temporary storage table 80 described above is a rectangular block-shaped member, and its upper surface has two rectangular holding surfaces 80a formed thereon for suction holding two workpieces W. The X-axis movement mechanism 81 for moving this temporary storage table 80 in the X-axis direction comprises a pair of guide rails 83 laid parallel to each other along the X-axis direction on the upper surface of the base 82, and a rotatable ball screw shaft 84 positioned along the X-axis direction between these guide rails 83. An electric motor 85, which is a rotation drive source, is connected to one axial end of the ball screw shaft 84, and the other axial end of the ball screw shaft 84 is rotatably supported on the base 82 by a bearing 86.

[0045] A temporary placement table 80 is slidably fitted onto a pair of guide rails 83 of the X-axis movement mechanism 81, and a ball screw shaft 84 is screwed into and inserted through this temporary placement table 80. Therefore, when the electric motor 85 is started and the ball screw shaft 84 is rotated forward and backward, the temporary placement table 80, which is screwed onto this ball screw shaft 84, moves along the pair of guide rails 83 in the X-axis direction.

[0046] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 3, a pair of rails 87 extending in the Y-axis direction are installed parallel to each other between the adapter plate 51 and the base 82, and the workpiece removal mechanism 90 shown in Figure 4 is located in the workpiece removal space S4 shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, which is near these rails 87.

[0047] The workpiece removal mechanism 90 described above is a mechanism for removing a workpiece W stored in a cassette 6, and comprises a pair of upper and lower guide rails 92 arranged parallel to each other along the Y-axis on a base plate 91, and a block-shaped slider 93 that slides along these guide rails 92 in the Y-axis direction. A rotatable ball screw shaft 94 extending along the Y-axis direction is positioned between the pair of upper and lower guide rails 92, and one axial end of this ball screw shaft 94 is connected to an electric motor 95 which is a rotation drive source, and the other axial end of the ball screw shaft 94 is rotatably supported on the base plate 91 by a bearing 96.

[0048] Furthermore, an arm 97 that bends in an inverted L-shape extends from the slider 93, and a clamp 98 for gripping the workpieces W one by one is attached to the tip of this arm 97.

[0049] Therefore, by starting the electric motor 95 and rotating the ball screw shaft 94 in both forward and reverse directions, the slider 93 that screws onto the ball screw shaft 94 moves along the pair of guide rails 92 in the Y-axis direction together with the arm 97, and the clamp 98 attached to the tip of the arm 97 grips the workpieces W housed in the cassette 6 one by one and removes them from the cassette 6.

[0050] Furthermore, in the transport space S5 shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, near the movement limit of the temporary storage table 80, a workpiece transport mechanism 100 (see Figure 5) is arranged to hold the workpieces W that have been removed from the cassette 6 onto a pair of rails 87 by the workpiece removal mechanism 90 and transport them to the temporary storage table 80.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the workpiece transport mechanism 100 comprises a pair of upper and lower guide rails 102 mounted parallel to each other in the axial direction on a base plate 101, and a slider 103 that slides along these guide rails 102 in the Y-axis direction. A rotatable ball screw shaft 104 is positioned between the pair of upper and lower guide rails 102 in the Y-axis direction, and this ball screw shaft 104 is screwed into the slider 103. One axial end of the ball screw shaft 104 is connected to an electric motor 105, which is a rotation drive source, and the other axial end of the ball screw shaft 104 is rotatably supported on the base plate 101 by a bearing 106.

[0052] Furthermore, a lifting cylinder 107 is attached to the slider 103, and a rectangular plate-shaped suction pad 109 for suction holding the workpiece W is attached to the lower end of a rod 108 that extends vertically downward from this lifting cylinder 107.

[0053] Therefore, when the electric motor 105 is started and the ball screw shaft 104 is rotated forward and backward, the slider 103 that is screwed onto the ball screw shaft 104 moves along the Y-axis direction together with the lifting cylinder 107 and the suction pad 109. As a result, the workpiece W held by the suction pad 109 is transported along the Y-axis direction.

[0054] <Stocka> As shown in Figure 1, the stocker 70 is positioned next to the cassette stage 50. Multiple cassettes 6 (not shown in Figure 1), each containing multiple workpieces W before grinding, are stored on the adapter plate 51 on the table 71. Above this, in the cassette transfer space S6 shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the cassette transfer mechanism 110 shown in Figure 6 is located.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6, the cassette transfer mechanism 110 includes a pair of upper and lower guide rails 112 arranged parallel to each other along the X-axis on a base plate 111, and a rectangular block-shaped slider 113 that slides along these guide rails 112 in the X-axis direction. A pair of vertical guide rails 114 extending in the Z-axis direction are mounted parallel to each other on the slider 113, and a lifting plate 115 is fitted and held on these guide rails 114 so as to be able to move up and down in the Z-axis direction.

[0056] Furthermore, a rotatable ball screw shaft 116 is positioned vertically along the Z-axis direction between a pair of guide rails 114, and a nut member (not shown) protruding from the lifting plate 115 is screwed onto this ball screw shaft 116. One axial end (upper end) of the ball screw shaft 116 is connected to an electric motor 117, which is a rotation drive source, and the other axial end (lower end) of the ball screw shaft 117 is rotatably supported by a slider 113 by a bearing 118.

[0057] An arm 119 extending horizontally along the Y-axis is attached to the lifting plate 115, and a rectangular plate-shaped support pad 120 is attached to the lower end of a shaft 119a extending downward from the tip of this arm 119. Hangers 121, whose lower ends are bent in an L-shape, extend vertically downward from the four corners of the support pad 120.

[0058] Furthermore, a rotatable ball screw shaft 122, which is long in the X-axis direction, is provided between a pair of upper and lower guide rails 112 attached to the base plate 111. One longitudinal end of this ball screw shaft 122 is connected to an electric motor 123, which is a rotation drive source, and the other axial end of the ball screw shaft 122 is rotatably supported on the base plate 111 by a bearing 124. This ball screw shaft 122 is then screwed into the slider 113.

[0059] Therefore, when the electric motor 123 is started to rotate the ball screw shaft 122 in forward and reverse directions, the slider 113 that screws onto the ball screw shaft 122 moves along the pair of guide rails 112 in the X-axis direction, and when the electric motor 117 is started to rotate the ball screw shaft 116 in forward and reverse directions, the lifting plate 115 that screws onto the ball screw shaft 116 moves up and down along the pair of guide rails 114 in the Z-axis direction. For this reason, the support pad 120 attached to the lifting plate 115 via the arm 119 and shaft 119a, and the four hangers 121 extending downward from the support pad 120 are movable in the X-axis direction and can move up and down in the Z-axis direction, and the adapter plate 51 is gripped by the four hangers 121, thereby transporting the cassette 6 placed on the adapter plate 51 along the X-axis direction.

[0060] <Drying Control Unit> The drying control unit 200 shown in Figure 9 is a fully automatic grinding device 1 that grinds a workpiece W. If the fully automatic operation stops due to an error during grinding, it dries the underside of the workpiece W by spraying air onto the underside where grinding water has adhered, without requiring manual intervention by an operator. The details of this unit will be described later.

[0061] [Operation of grinding equipment] Next, we will explain the grinding process of the workpiece W using the grinding apparatus 1 configured as described above.

[0062] When grinding the workpiece W, the workpiece W before processing is pulled out from the cassette 6 onto a pair of rails 87 shown in Figure 3 by the workpiece removal mechanism 90 shown in Figure 4. The two workpieces W pulled out onto the rails 87 are then held by the suction pads 109 of the workpiece transport mechanism 100 shown in Figure 5 and transported to the temporary storage table 80 shown in Figure 3, where they are each held by suction on the holding surface 80a of the temporary storage table 80.

[0063] As described above, when the two workpieces W are held by suction on the two holding surfaces 80a of the temporary placement table 80, the temporary placement table 80 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement mechanism 81 shown in Figure 3 to position it in the X-axis direction. Then, the two workpieces W held on the temporary placement table 80 are held by suction on the first transport pad 21 of the first transport means 20 shown in Figure 2, transported to the first chuck table 3 of the first processing unit U1, and handed over to the first chuck table 3, where they are held by suction on the holding surface 3a of the first chuck table 3.

[0064] As described above, when two workpieces W are held by suction on the holding surface 3a of the first chuck table 3, the first chuck table 3 is moved toward the rough grinding means 10 in the +Y axis direction by a first moving mechanism (not shown), and the first chuck table 3 is positioned below the grinding wheel 15 of the rough grinding means 10.

[0065] From the above state, the spindle motor 12 of the rough grinding means 10 is activated and the grinding wheel 15 rotates at a predetermined speed, and the lifting mechanism 30 is driven and the grinding wheel 15 descends by a predetermined amount (rough grinding allowance), at which point the grinding wheel 16 of the grinding wheel 15 comes into contact with the workpiece W and rough grinds the workpiece W. This rough grinding of the workpiece W by the grinding wheel 16 is performed while grinding water is supplied to the contact point between the grinding wheel 16 and the workpiece W from a grinding water supply means (not shown). The thickness of the workpiece W during rough grinding is measured by the first thickness measuring instrument 4.

[0066] Once the rough grinding of the workpiece W by the rough grinding means 10 is completed as described above, the lifting mechanism 30 raises the grinding wheel 15 and separates the grinding wheel 16 from the workpiece W. The roughly ground workpiece W is then attracted and held by the first transport pad 21 of the first transport means 20 shown in Figure 2, and transported in the -Y axis direction toward the temporary storage section 40, where it is attracted and held by the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 of the temporary storage section 40.

[0067] Next, the third table 43, which holds the two workpieces W by suction on its holding surface 43a, moves along the guide plate 42 in the +X axis direction by a third moving mechanism (not shown). The two workpieces W are then held by suction on the second transport pad 21 of the second transport means 20, which is configured similarly to the first transport means 20 shown in Figure 2, and transferred to the second chuck table 3' of the finish grinding means 10'. The second chuck table 3', which has received the two workpieces W, moves toward the finish grinding means 10' in the +Y axis direction by a moving mechanism (not shown), and the second chuck table 3' and the workpieces W held therein are positioned below the grinding wheel 15' of the finish grinding means 10'.

[0068] From the above state, the spindle motor 12' of the finishing grinding means 10' is activated, causing the grinding wheel 15' to rotate at a predetermined speed. Simultaneously, the lifting mechanism 30 is driven, causing the grinding wheel 15' to descend by a predetermined amount (finishing grinding allowance). At this point, the grinding wheel 16' of the grinding wheel 15' comes into contact with the two workpieces W, and each workpiece W is finished grinding. This finishing grinding of the workpieces W by the grinding wheel 16' is performed while grinding water is supplied to the contact point between the grinding wheel 16' and the workpieces W from a grinding water supply means (not shown). The thickness of the workpieces W during finishing grinding is measured by the second thickness measuring instrument 4'.

[0069] Once the finish grinding of the workpiece W by the finish grinding means 10' is completed as described above, the lifting mechanism 30 raises the grinding wheel 15' and the grinding wheel 16' separates from the workpiece W. The two finish-ground workpieces W are then attracted and held by the second transport pad 21 of the second transport means 20, which is configured similarly to the first transport means 20 shown in Figure 2, and transported to the cleaning means 60, where they are handed over to the spinner table 61 of the cleaning means 60.

[0070] In the cleaning means 60, the spinner table 61 is rotated together with the workpiece W by a rotation mechanism (not shown) around a vertical axis, and cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning water nozzle 62 toward the workpiece W. As a result, each workpiece W is cleaned by the cleaning water, and grinding debris adhering to the surface of the workpiece W is removed. Although not shown, the two workpieces W cleaned by the cleaning water in the cleaning means 60 are placed in a cassette (not shown) separate from the cassette 6, thereby completing the series of grinding operations on the workpieces W.

[0071] By the way, in the grinding apparatus 1 that performs grinding on a workpiece W in a fully automatic manner, if the fully automatic operation stops due to some error occurring during grinding, for example, if the fully automatic operation stops when the workpiece W, after rough grinding has been completed, is transferred to the third table 43 of the temporary storage section 40, the drying control unit 200 shown in Figure 9 will, as shown in Figure 7, use the first transport pad 21 of the first transport means 20 to hold the two workpieces W by suction with multiple suction cups 27. The drying control unit 200 then drives the first Z-axis movement mechanism 20B of the first transport means 20 to raise the first transport pad 21 holding the workpieces W by a predetermined amount, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, and forms a predetermined gap δ between the lower surface of the workpieces W and the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 (see Figure 8) (see Figure 9).

[0072] Here, as shown in Figure 9, a communication passage 7 is formed inside the third table 43 that communicates with the air supply source 130 and the suction source 140. Multiple communication passages 8 branch off from this communication passage 7 and extend vertically upward, and these communication passages 8 each open as circular openings 8a in the holding surface 43a (see Figure 8) of the third table 43.

[0073] Furthermore, the piping 9 extending from the connecting passage 7 is connected to the air supply source 130, and the branch pipe 9a branching off from this piping 9 is connected to the suction source 140. Electromagnetically operated valves V1 and V2 are provided in both piping 9 and the branch pipe 9a, respectively. These valves V1 and V2 are electrically connected to the drying control unit 200, and their opening and closing are controlled by the drying control unit 200.

[0074] Then, as shown in Figure 9, when a predetermined gap δ is formed between the lower surface of the workpiece W held by the first transport pad 21 and the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 (see Figure 8), the drying control unit 200 opens the other valve V1 while closing one valve V2. As a result, air from the air supply source 130 is injected from the piping 9 and connecting passages 7 and 8 through multiple openings 8a that open to the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 toward the lower surface of each workpiece W, and the grinding water adhering to the lower surface of each workpiece W is blown away by the air, drying the lower surface of each workpiece W.

[0075] Alternatively, instead of the third table 43, the lower surface of the workpiece W held by suction on the first transport pad 21 may be dried by the temporary placement table 80. In other words, the temporary placement table 80, like the third table 43, is also in communication with the air supply source 130 and the suction source 140, and is equipped with valves V1 and V2. The drying control unit 200 may close valve V2, open the other valve V1, and inject air from the holding surface 80a to dry the lower surface of the workpiece W held by suction on the first transport pad 21, which is waiting on the holding surface 80a with a gap δ formed between them.

[0076] Furthermore, when drying the underside of the workpiece W, the third table 43 or the temporary placement table 80 may be moved horizontally relative to the first transport pad 21. In other words, the first transport pad 21 may be moved back and forth in the Y-axis direction by the first Y-axis movement mechanism 20A. The third table 43 may also be moved back and forth in the X-axis direction by the guide plate 42. The temporary placement table 80 may also be moved back and forth in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement mechanism 81.

[0077] As described above, for example, if the fully automatic operation stops when a workpiece W that has finished rough grinding is transferred to the third table 43 of the temporary storage section 40, the drying control unit 200 raises the first transport pad 21 holding the workpiece W by a predetermined amount, as shown in Figure 9, to form a predetermined gap δ between the lower surface of the workpiece W held by the first transport pad 21 and the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 (see Figure 8), and sprays air from a plurality of openings 8a opening in the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 toward the lower surface of each workpiece W to dry the lower surface of each workpiece W. This eliminates the need for the operator to remove the workpiece W from the third table 43 and blow away the grinding water adhering to the lower surface of the workpiece W with air sprayed using a handheld air gun. As a result, the burden on the operator is reduced, the time required for the fully automatic operation of the grinding device 1 to stop and restart is shortened, and the decrease in the operating rate of the grinding device 1 is minimized.

[0078] Furthermore, as described above, the air sprayed from the air gun can scatter any dried processing debris remaining inside the processing device, causing it to adhere to the holding surface 43a of the third table 43 of the temporary storage section 40, thereby eliminating the problem of the processing debris adhering to the underside of the workpiece W and rendering the workpiece W unusable.

[0079] The above explanation uses the example of the case where the fully automatic operation of the grinding device 1 stops when the workpiece W, after rough grinding has been completed, is temporarily placed on the third table 43 of the temporary storage section 40. However, if the fully automatic operation stops while the workpiece W is being held on the first chuck table 3 or the second chuck table 3', the drying control unit 200 (actually, the first drying control unit and the second drying control unit, not shown, provided in the first processing unit U1 and the second processing unit U2, respectively) quickly dries the lower surface of the workpiece W with air as follows.

[0080] In other words, the workpiece W held on the first chuck table 3 or the second chuck table 3' is held by suction using the first or second transport pad 21, the first or second transport pad 21 is raised by a predetermined amount together with the workpiece W, a predetermined gap δ is formed between the workpiece W and the holding surface 3a of the first chuck table 3 or the holding surface 3a' of the second chuck table 3', and air is sprayed from the holding surface 3a or 3a' toward the lower surface of the workpiece W to dry the lower surface of the workpiece W.

[0081] Alternatively, water may be sprayed from the holding surface 3a or 3a' toward the lower surface of the workpiece W, which has a predetermined gap δ formed therein, to clean the lower surface of the workpiece W, and then air may be sprayed from the holding surface 3a or 3a' toward the lower surface of the workpiece W to dry it.

[0082] By the way, in the above embodiment, we have described an example in which two rectangular plate-shaped workpieces W are ground, but the number of workpieces W may be one or more (three or more). Also, the shape of the workpieces W is arbitrary, and may be a disc-shaped object such as a wafer.

[0083] Furthermore, although the above description of the processing apparatus according to the present invention has been given as an example of a grinding apparatus that grinds two rectangular plate-shaped workpieces, the present invention also includes any other processing apparatus other than grinding apparatuses, such as polishing apparatuses and cutting apparatuses, as its scope of application.

[0084] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, specification, and drawings. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1: Grinding machine (processing machine), 2: Machine base, 3: First chuck table (first table), 3a: Holding surface, 3': Second chuck table, 3'a: Holding surface, 4: First thickness measuring instrument, 4': Second thickness measuring instrument, 5: Column, 6: Cassette, 7,8: Connecting passage, 8a: Opening, 9: Piping, 9a: Branch pipe, 10: Rough grinding means (first processing means), 10': Finishing grinding means (second processing means), 11,11': Holder, 12,12': Spindle motor, 13,13': Spindle, 14,14': Mount, 15,15': Grinding wheel, 16,16': Grinding stone 20: First transport means (second transport means), 20A: First Y-axis movement mechanism, 20B: First Z-axis movement mechanism, 21: First transport pad (second transport pad), 21a, 21b: Base plate, 22a, 22b: Guide rail, 23a: Slider, 23b: Lifting block, 24a, 24b: Ball screw shaft, 25a, 25b: Electric motor, 26a, 26b: Bearing, 27: Suction cup, 30: Lifting mechanism 31: Lifting plate, 32: Guide rail, 33: Ball screw shaft, 34: Electric motor, 40: Temporary placement section, 41: Temporary placement stand, 42: Guide plate, 43: Third table (temporary placement table), 43a: Holding surface, 50: Cassette stage, 51: Adapter plate, 52: Cassette lifting mechanism, 53: Base plate, 54: Guide rail, 55: Lifting plate, 56: Ball screw shaft, 57: Electric motor, 60: Washing means, 61: Spinner table, 62: Washing water nozzle, 70: Stocker, 71: Table, 80: Temporary table, 8: Base stand, 83: Guide rail, 84: Ball screw shaft, 85: Electric motor, 86: Bearing, 87: Rail, 90: Workpiece removal mechanism, 91: Base plate, 92: Guide rail, 93: Slider, 94: Ball screw shaft, 95: Electric motor, 96: Bearing 97: Arm, 98: Clamp, 100: Workpiece transfer mechanism, 101: Base plate, 102: Guide rail, 103: Slider, 104: Ball screw shaft, 105: Electric motor, 106: Bearing, 107: Lifting cylinder, 108: Rod, 109: Suction pad, 110: Cassette movement mechanism, 111: Base plate, 112: Guide rail, 113: Slider, 114: Guide rail, 115: Lifting plate, 116: Ball screw shaft, 117: Electric motor, 118: Bearing, 119: Arm, 119a: shaft, 120: support pad, 121: hanger, 122: ball screw shaft, 123: Electric motor, 124: Bearing, 130: Air supply source, 140: Bearing S1: First transport space, S2: Second transport space, S3: Temporary workpiece storage space, S4: Workpiece removal space, S5: Conveying space, S6: Cassette transfer space, U1: First processing unit, U2: Second processing unit, V1, V2: Valves W: workpiece, δ: gap

Claims

1. A first processing unit comprising: a first table for suction-holding a workpiece; a first processing means for processing the workpiece held by suction on the first table while supplying processing fluid; a first moving mechanism for moving the first table in the Y-axis direction; a first transport pad for holding the upper surface of a workpiece; a first Y-axis moving mechanism for moving the first transport pad in the Y-axis direction; and a first Z-axis moving mechanism for moving the first transport pad in the Z-axis direction, which is orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis directions; A second processing unit is provided, comprising: a second table for suction-holding a workpiece; a second processing means for processing the workpiece held by suction on the second table while supplying processing fluid; a second moving mechanism for moving the second table in the Y-axis direction; a second transport pad for holding the upper surface of a workpiece; a second Y-axis moving mechanism for moving the second transport pad in the Y-axis direction; and a second Z-axis moving mechanism for moving the second transport pad in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and is positioned next to the first processing unit in the horizontal direction in the X-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction. The system comprises a third table for suction and holding a workpiece, and a third moving mechanism that moves the third table in the X-axis direction, enabling the transfer of the workpiece between the third table and the first transfer pad, and enabling the transfer of the workpiece between the third table and the second transfer pad. A first drying control unit that sprays air from the upper surface of the first table or the upper surface of the third table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the first transport pad, A second drying control unit that sprays air from the upper surface of the second table or the upper surface of the third table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the second transport pad, A processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first table, the second table, the third table, the first transport pad, and the second transport pad hold a plurality of workpieces.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning means for cleaning a workpiece processed by the first processing means or the second processing means.

4. A method for manufacturing a workpiece using the processing apparatus described in Claim 3, A first holding step involves holding the workpiece in the first table, A first processing step involves processing the workpiece held in the first table using a first processing means, A first transfer step involves holding the workpiece processed by the first processing means with the first transfer pad and transferring it from the first table to the third table, In the first transfer process, a first drying process is performed in which air is sprayed from the upper surface of the first table or the upper surface of the third table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the first transport pad, A second transfer step in which the workpiece held on the third table is held by the second transfer pad and transferred to the second table, A second processing step in which the workpiece held in the second table is processed by the second processing means, A third transfer step involves holding the workpiece processed by the second processing means with the second transfer pad and transferring it from the second table to the cleaning means, A method for manufacturing a workpiece, comprising: a second drying step in which, in the third transfer step, air is sprayed from the upper surface of the second table to dry the lower surface of the workpiece held by the second transport pad.

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