Processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a processing device that can prevent processing chips adhering to a cleaning liquid supply nozzle from falling on a work-piece or a holding table.SOLUTION: A processing device 1 comprises: a holding table 10 on which a work-piece 200 is held; a cutting unit having a cutting blade that cuts the work-piece 200 held on the holding table 10; a processing / feeding unit that feeds the holding table 10 in an X-axis direction for processing; and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 which has a main body part 73 arranged above a movement passage through which the holding table 10 is fed in the X-axis direction for processing and extending in a Y-axis direction crossing the X-axis direction, and one or more jetting ports 74 formed in the main body part 73, and which supplies cleaning liquid 71 downward through the jetting ports 74. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 is arranged so that the main body part 73 inclines from one end to the other end in the Y-axis direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus having a cleaning liquid supply nozzle.

Background Art

[0002] In the case of a processing apparatus, there may be provided a cleaning liquid supply nozzle having a bar-shaped main body portion extending in the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction above the moving path of the holding table moving in the X-axis direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] This cleaning liquid supply nozzle is used for cleaning a workpiece held on the holding table, the holding table, the inside of the processing chamber, and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since processing chips scatter during processing, a liquid containing processing chips also adheres to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle. Particularly in the case of a processing apparatus that uses a liquid for processing, the processing chips scatter as a spray in a state of being contained in the liquid and are likely to adhere to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle.

[0006] When the supply of the liquid from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle stops with the processing chips adhering to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle, the processing chips adhere firmly to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle. When the supply of the cleaning liquid is restarted in a state where the processing chips are firmly adhered, the risk that the processing chips contained in the cleaning liquid will drip onto the workpiece or the holding table increases.

[0007] Furthermore, even if cleaning fluid was constantly supplied from the cleaning fluid supply nozzle, if processing debris adhered between the nozzles, there was a risk that the debris would fall out with the cleaning fluid at unintended times, or that it would drip out while contained in the cleaning fluid.

[0008] If machining chips fall onto the workpiece, it may affect the machining quality of the workpiece. If they fall onto the holding table, foreign matter will be present on the holding table, which may worsen the machining quality of subsequent workpieces.

[0009] Furthermore, even if no processing debris adheres to the cleaning water supply nozzle, cleaning fluid accumulated in the nozzle's flow path or adhering to the area around the nozzle due to surface tension may fall onto the workpiece at an unintended time, forming a liquid mark known as a watermark. This can affect the processing quality of the workpiece and may also be undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint.

[0010] Furthermore, not only with cleaning fluid, but also with processing fluid containing processing debris that adheres to the cleaning fluid supply nozzle during processing of the workpiece, if it falls onto the workpiece or the holding table at an unintended time, it may similarly worsen the processing quality of the workpiece.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus that can prevent at least one of the following from falling onto the workpiece or the holding table: the cleaning liquid adhering to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle, the processing debris contained in the cleaning liquid, or the processing liquid adhering to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle or the processing debris contained in the processing liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides a processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit having a holding table for holding a workpiece, a cutting blade for processing the workpiece held on the holding table, the cutting blade being fixed to a rotatable spindle, a processing feed unit for feeding the holding table in the X-axis direction, a main body portion installed above the movement path through which the holding table is fed in the X-axis direction and extending in the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction, and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle having one or more nozzles formed in the main body portion, and supplying pure water, which is a cleaning liquid, downward from the nozzles, wherein the cleaning liquid supply nozzle extends from one end to the other in the Y-axis direction of the main body portion , gradually moving downwards, in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal direction It is characterized by being installed at an angle or similar position.

[0013] The processing apparatus may further include a processing fluid supply nozzle that supplies processing fluid to the processing area where the workpiece is processed.

[0015] In the aforementioned processing apparatus, the main body other end It may be positioned outside the holding table.

[0016] In the processing apparatus described above, a groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body may be formed on at least a portion of the surface of the main body on which the nozzle is formed. In the processing apparatus, at least the lower surface of the main body may be coated with fluororesin, or have minute irregularities formed on it to improve water repellency. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] This invention has the effect of preventing processing debris adhering to the cleaning fluid supply nozzle from falling onto the workpiece or holding table. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing a cleaning liquid supply nozzle and the like of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from below. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view schematically showing a cleaning liquid supply nozzle and the like of the processing apparatus of the comparative example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the content described in the following embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0020] 〔Embodiment 1〕 A processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

[0021] The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 可见,在这个例子中,当我们在一个特定的环境中,比如在一个办公室里,有一个桌子,桌子上有一台电脑,电脑旁边有一些文件。如果我们想要描述这个场景,我们可以说:“在办公室的桌子上,有一台电脑,电脑旁边有一些文件。” 这就是一个简单的描述,它清楚地传达了场景中的主要元素。 同样地,在专利文本中,我们需要准确地传达技术信息,就像在这个例子中,我们要准确地描述加工装置的各个部分及其功能。例如,我们描述了加工装置是用于切削加工被加工物的切削装置,以及被加工物的具体类型和其表面的特征。这些详细的描述对于理解发明的技术内容非常重要,就像在办公室场景中准确描述各个物品的位置和状态对于理解整个场景很重要一样。 回到文本翻译,我们按照要求进行了准确翻译,确保每个句子都能准确传达原文的意思。例如,“図3は、図1に示された加工装置の洗浄液供給ノズルなどを模式的に示す正面図である。” 被准确翻译为 “FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing a cleaning liquid supply nozzle and the like of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.”,这样的翻译能够让读者准确理解原文中关于图3的描述,即它是一个展示图1中加工装置的清洗液供应喷嘴等的正视图。 1に shown in FIG. 1 is a cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 to be processed by the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a wafer such as a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer having a substrate such as silicon, sapphire, or gallium. A plurality of division planned lines (not shown) intersecting each other are set on the surface 202 of the workpiece 200, and devices (not shown) are formed in each region partitioned by the division planned lines on the surface 202.

[0022] Examples of devices include integrated circuits such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) or LSIs (Large Scale Integrations), image sensors such as CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) or CMOSs ​​(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors), or memory (semiconductor memory devices).

[0023] In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 is cut along the planned division line to divide it into individual devices.

[0024] In this invention, the workpiece 200 is not limited to a wafer, but may also be, for example, a package substrate in which a plurality of device chips are arranged on a rectangular substrate and the device chips are covered with a molding resin, a ceramic plate, or a glass plate.

[0025] (Processing equipment) The processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 is a cutting apparatus that holds the workpiece 200 on a holding table 10 and cuts it along the planned division line with a cutting blade 21 (corresponding to a cutting tool) to divide the workpiece 200 into individual devices.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 comprises a holding table 10 that holds the workpiece 200 by suction on a holding surface 11, a cutting unit 20 which is a processing unit having a cutting blade 21 for cutting the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, an imaging unit 30 (shown in Figure 2) that photographs the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and a control unit 100. As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 is equipped with two cutting units 20, that is, a two-spindle dicer, a so-called facing dual type cutting apparatus.

[0027] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 includes a moving unit 40 that moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other. The moving unit includes at least a processing feed unit 41 that feeds the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction, an indexing feed unit 42 that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the X-axis direction, a cutting feed unit 43 that feeds the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction parallel to the vertical direction and perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and a rotational moving unit 44 that rotates the holding table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. In other words, the moving unit 40 moves the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20 relative to each other in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, Z-axis direction, and around the axis.

[0028] The machining feed unit 41 moves the holding table 10 and the rotary movement unit in the X-axis direction, which is the machining feed direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and the holding table 10 relatively along the X-axis direction. The indexing feed unit 42 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, which is the indexing feed direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and the holding table 10 relatively along the Y-axis direction. The depth of cut feed unit 43 moves the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction, which is the depth of cut feed direction, thereby moving the cutting unit 20 and the holding table 10 relatively along the Z-axis direction. The rotary movement unit is supported by the machining feed unit 41 and supports the holding table 10, and is arranged to move freely in the X-axis direction together with the holding table 10.

[0029] The machining feed unit 41, indexing feed unit 42, and cutting feed unit 43 are equipped with a well-known ball screw rotatably mounted around its axis, a well-known motor for rotating the ball screw around its axis, and a well-known guide rail for supporting the holding table 10 or cutting unit 20 so that it can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction. The rotary movement unit 44 is equipped with a motor for rotating the holding table 10 around its axis.

[0030] The holding table 10 is disc-shaped, and its holding surface 11 for holding the workpiece 200 is made of porous ceramic or the like. The holding table 10 is also provided by a machining feed unit 41 so as to be movable between the machining area 3 below the cutting unit 20 and the loading / unloading area 4, which is spaced apart from below the cutting unit 20 and into which the workpiece 200 is loaded and unloaded. The holding table 10 is also provided by a rotational movement unit 44 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0031] The holding table 10 has a holding surface 11 connected to a suction source (not shown), and the workpiece 200 placed on the holding surface 11 is sucked and held by suction from the suction source.

[0032] The cutting unit 20 is a machining unit in which a cutting blade 21 is fixed to a spindle 23 and cuts a workpiece 200 held on a holding table 10. Each cutting unit 20 is provided to move in the Y-axis direction by an indexing feed unit 42 and move in the Z-axis direction by a depth-of-cut feed unit 43 relative to the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10. The cutting unit 20 is provided on a support frame 5 erected from the main body 2 via the indexing feed unit 42 and the depth-of-cut feed unit 43. The cutting unit 20 allows the cutting blade 21 to be positioned at any position on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 by the indexing feed unit 42 and the depth-of-cut feed unit 43.

[0033] The cutting unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle housing 22 that is movable in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions by indexing feed unit 42 and depth feed unit 43, a spindle 23 that is rotatable around its axis in the spindle housing 22 and has the cutting blade 21 fixed to its tip, and a spindle motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 23 around its axis.

[0034] The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting wheel having a substantially ring shape. The cutting blade 21 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 23. In Embodiment 1, the cutting blade 21 is a so-called hub blade comprising an annular circular base and an annular cutting edge disposed on the outer edge of the circular base for cutting the workpiece 200. The cutting edge is made of abrasive grains such as diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and a bonding material (binder) such as metal or resin, and is formed to a predetermined thickness. In this invention, the cutting blade 21 may also be a so-called washer blade composed only of a cutting edge.

[0035] Furthermore, the axes of the cutting blade 21 and spindle 23 of the cutting unit 20 are set parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0036] The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the cutting unit 20 so as to move integrally with the cutting unit 20. The imaging unit 30 is equipped with an image sensor that captures the area to be divided of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 before cutting. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 captures the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 to obtain an image for performing alignment, such as aligning the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0037] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 includes an X-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis position detection unit for detecting the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis position detection unit and the Y-axis position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a reading head. The Z-axis position detection unit detects the position of the cutting unit 20 in the Z-axis direction using motor pulses. The X-axis position detection unit, the Y-axis position detection unit, and the Z-axis position detection unit output the position of the holding table 10 in the X-axis direction and the position of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting unit 20 in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction to the control unit 100.

[0038] In Embodiment 1, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis positions of the holding table 10 and cutting unit 20 of the processing device 1 are determined based on a predetermined reference position (not shown). In Embodiment 1, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis positions are determined by the distances in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions from the reference position. In Embodiment 1, the XY coordinate (a coordinate shown by the distance in the X-axis direction from the reference position indicating the X-axis position and the distance in the Y-axis direction from the reference position indicating the Y-axis position) of the processing device 1 may indicate an arbitrary position of the workpiece 200 held on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10.

[0039] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 includes a cassette elevator 50 on which a cassette (not shown) that houses multiple workpieces 200 before and after cutting is mounted, moves the cassette in the Z-axis direction, and a transport unit (not shown) that loads workpieces 200 into and out of the cassette and transports the workpieces 200 between the cassette and the holding table 10. The cassette is a storage container that can accommodate multiple workpieces 200 inside.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the processing apparatus 1 has a processing fluid supply nozzle 60 that supplies processing fluid 61. The processing fluid supply nozzle 60 supplies processing fluid 61, such as pure water, to the processing area 3 where the workpiece 200 is cut. In Embodiment 1, the processing fluid supply nozzle 60 comprises a shower nozzle 62 and a pair of blade nozzles 63.

[0041] The shower nozzle 62 has a nozzle that faces the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 in the X-axis direction. The shower nozzle 62 is supplied with cutting fluid 61 from a cutting fluid supply source (not shown). During cutting, the shower nozzle 62 supplies the cutting fluid 61 from its nozzle to the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0042] The blade nozzles 63 extend parallel to the X-axis direction and are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction. The blade nozzles 63 position the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 between them and have nozzles facing the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21. The blade nozzles 63 are supplied with cutting fluid 61 from a cutting fluid supply source (not shown). During cutting, the blade nozzles 63 supply the cutting fluid 61 from their nozzles to the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21.

[0043] The machining fluid supply nozzle 60 supplies machining fluid 61 to the cutting blade 21 from nozzles 62 and 63 during cutting, thereby supplying machining fluid 61 to the workpiece 200 held by suction on the holding table 10 located in the machining area 3. The machining fluid 61 supplied during cutting is scattered as a spray within the machining area 3 due to the rotation of the cutting blade 21, etc. In addition, the machining fluid 61 supplied during cutting may contain machining debris generated by cutting and adhere to the surface 202 of the workpiece 200.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70. The cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 supplies a cleaning fluid 71, such as pure water, to the surface 202 of the workpiece 200 that has been cut, thereby removing the processing fluid 61 containing processing debris adhering to the surface 202 of the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 is positioned between the processing area 3 and the loading / unloading area 4.

[0045] Next, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 will be described. Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the cleaning fluid supply nozzle and other components of the processing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle shown in Figure 3, viewed from below. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line VV in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 4.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 has a pair of support columns 72 positioned on both outer sides in the Y-axis direction of the movement path of the holding table 10 which moves in the X-axis direction by the processing feed unit 41, a main body portion 73, one or more nozzles 74 formed in the main body portion 73, and grooves 75 formed in the main body portion 73. The support columns 72 are each erected from the main body 2 of the apparatus and are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction. In this specification, the movement path of the holding table 10 refers to the movement trajectory of the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 which is processed and fed by the processing feed unit 41.

[0047] The main body 73 is provided with a nozzle 74, from which cleaning fluid 71 is supplied downward. The main body 73 is formed in a cylindrical shape (in Embodiment 1, cylindrical) with both ends 731 and 732 closed, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are supported by support columns 72, and is installed above the movement path in which the holding table 10 is machined and machined in the X-axis direction by the machining feed unit 41. The main body 73 extends in the Y-axis direction in its longitudinal direction, and its total length is longer than the outer diameter of the workpiece 200 held by the holding table 10 and the outer diameter of the holding table 10. Cleaning fluid 71 is supplied to the inside of the main body 73 from a cleaning fluid supply source (not shown) located inside.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the main body 73 has at least one nozzle 74 formed therein. As shown in Figure 5, the nozzle 74 penetrates the lower surface of the outer wall of the main body 73 and opens downwards to the main body 73. In Embodiment 1, the main body 73 has multiple nozzles 74 formed at intervals (equally spaced in Embodiment 1) along its longitudinal direction. The nozzles 74 eject the cleaning liquid 71 supplied to the inside of the main body 73 downwards. In this way, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 supplies the cleaning liquid 71 downwards from the nozzles 74.

[0049] The groove 75 is formed as a recess from the lower surface where the nozzle 74 of the main body 73 is formed, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the main body 73. The groove 75 guides the cleaning fluid 71 and processing fluid 61 adhering to the main body 73 to flow in the direction of extension of the main body 73. As shown in Figure 6, the groove 75 is formed as a recess from the lower surface of the main body 73 and does not penetrate the outer wall of the main body 73. In Embodiment 1, the groove 75 is formed across one end 731 of the main body 73 and the nozzle 74 closest to the one end 731, across adjacent nozzles 74 of the main body 73, across the other end 732 of the main body 73 and the nozzle 74 closest to the other end 732, and across both ends 731 and 732 of the main body 73.

[0050] However, in the present invention, the groove 75 does not have to be formed across both ends 731 and 732 of the main body 73, but may extend to the other end 732 that is inclined downwards. Also, the groove 75 may be formed so as to connect the edges of the openings of adjacent nozzles 74, or it may be formed with a gap between it and the edge of the opening of the nozzle 74. Furthermore, the groove 75 may be formed only in areas where the cleaning liquid 71 or processing liquid 61 adhering to the main body 73 is less likely to flow. Thus, in the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70, a groove 75 extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body 73 is formed on at least a part of the lower surface of the main body 73 where the nozzles 74 are formed.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 is installed with its main body 73 tilted horizontally (in the Y-axis direction) from one end 731 to the other end 732 in the Y-axis direction. Since both ends 731 and 732 of the main body 73 of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 are supported by a pair of support columns 72, the other end 732, which is the lower end of the main body 73, and the one end 731 are positioned outside (outward) in the Y-axis direction of the movement path compared to the holding table 10.

[0052] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, at least the lower surface of the main body portion 73 of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70, where the nozzle 74 is provided, is coated with fluororesin. In addition, in the present invention, minute irregularities may be formed on at least the lower surface of the main body portion 73 where the nozzle 74 is provided. In the present invention, the water repellency is improved by coating at least the lower surface of the main body portion 73 with fluororesin or by forming minute irregularities. Therefore, in the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70, liquids such as cleaning fluid 71 and processing fluid 61 do not fall on the way from one end 731 to the other end 732 of the main body portion 73, and the liquids can easily flow from one end to the other.

[0053] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 80, as shown in Figure 2. The processing chamber 80 is installed on the apparatus body 2 and surrounds the holding table 10 and the cutting unit 20. The processing chamber 80 is installed on the apparatus body 2 and surrounds the holding table 10 across the loading / unloading area 4 and the processing area 3. As shown in Figure 2, the processing chamber 80 includes a plurality of side plates 81 that are erected from the apparatus body 2 and connected to each other, a partition plate 82 that divides the processing chamber 80 into the loading / unloading area 4 and the processing area 3, and a ceiling plate 83 connected to the upper ends of the side plates 81.

[0054] The control unit 100 controls each component of the processing device 1 to cause the processing device 1 to perform processing operations on the workpiece 200. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing unit with a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device with memory such as ROM (read-only memory) or RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing unit of the control unit 100 performs calculations according to the computer program stored in the storage device and outputs control signals for controlling the processing device 1 to each component of the processing device 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0055] The control unit 100 is connected to a display unit, which consists of a liquid crystal display device that displays the status of machining operations and images, and an input unit used by the operator to register machining conditions. The input unit consists of a touch panel provided on the display unit.

[0056] Note that Figure 1 omits the imaging unit 30 and processing chamber 80, etc., and Figure 2 omits the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70.

[0057] (Machining operation) Next, the machining operation of the machining apparatus 1 will be described. In the machining apparatus 1 with the configuration described above, machining conditions are set in the control unit 100, and a cassette containing the workpiece 200 is installed in the cassette elevator 50. When the control unit 100 receives a command to start the machining operation from an operator or the like, the machining apparatus 1 starts the machining operation. When the machining operation starts, the control unit 100 controls the cutting unit 20 to rotate the spindle 23, i.e., the cutting blade 21, and the machining apparatus 1 supplies machining fluid 61 from the machining fluid supply source to the nozzles 62 and 63, and ejects the machining fluid 61 from the nozzles 62 and 63. At the same time, the machining apparatus 1 supplies cleaning fluid 71 from the cleaning fluid supply source to the main body 73 of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70, and ejects the cleaning fluid 71 from the nozzle 74.

[0058] During the processing operation, the processing device 1 controls the transport unit via the control unit 100 to take one workpiece 200 from the cassette and place the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. During the processing operation, the processing device 1 holds the workpiece 200 on the holding surface 11 by suction.

[0059] The processing apparatus 1 uses a control unit 100 to control a moving unit 40 to move the holding table 10 toward the processing area 3, move it to below the imaging unit 30, and the imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held by suction on the holding table 10 to perform alignment. During the processing operation, the processing apparatus 1 uses a control unit 100 to control the moving unit 40 and other components based on processing conditions to move the cutting blade 21 and the workpiece 200 relatively along the planned division line, causing the cutting blade 21 to cut into the planned division line of the workpiece 200 and perform cutting.

[0060] The processing device 1 cuts along the planned division lines of the workpiece 200 according to the processing conditions, dividing the workpiece 200 into individual devices. When processing the workpiece 200, the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 may have processing fluid 61, processing debris, and processing debris contained in the processing fluid 61 adhering to the main body 73. The adhering processing fluid 61 remains attached to the main body 73 due to surface tension and may fall off due to vibrations of the processing device 1.

[0061] When the processing device 1 has cut all the planned division lines of the workpiece 200, the control unit 100 controls the moving unit 40 to move the holding table 10 from the processing area 3 towards the loading / unloading area 4. At this time, as the holding table 10 passes below the main body 73 of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70, the surface 202 of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 is cleaned by the cleaning fluid 71. When the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 cleans the surface 202 of the workpiece 200, the cleaning fluid 71 containing processing debris may adhere to the main body 73. The adhered cleaning fluid 71 remains attached to the main body 73 due to surface tension and may fall off due to vibrations of the processing device 1.

[0062] During the machining operation, the machining device 1 stops the movement of the holding table 10 in the loading / unloading area 4 and stops the suction holding of the workpiece 200 on the holding table 10. During the machining operation, the machining device 1 has the control unit 100 control the transport unit to transport the workpiece 200 from the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10 into the cassette. The machining device 1 terminates the machining operation when all the workpieces 200 in the cassette have been cut.

[0063] Furthermore, in the processing device 1, the cleaning liquid 71 adhering to the main body 73 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 moves toward the other end 732, which is the lower end of the main body 73. In the processing device 1, the cleaning liquid 71 adhering to the main body 73 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 falls downward from the other end 732, which is the lower end of the main body 73, as shown in Figure 3. For this reason, the processing device 1 can prevent the cleaning liquid 71 falling from the main body 73 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 from adhering to the holding table 10 or the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10.

[0064] In the conventional cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 of the processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 7, the main body 73 is positioned horizontally (in the Y-axis direction), which can cause the cleaning fluid 71 falling from the main body 73 to fall from the main body 73 towards the holding table 10 or the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10. Figure 7 is a schematic front view showing the cleaning fluid supply nozzle and other components of a comparative example processing apparatus. In Figure 7, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in Embodiment 1, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0065] In the conventional cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 of the processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 7, when transporting the workpiece 200 to the holding table 10 before cutting, the cleaning fluid 71 may fall from the main body 73 and adhere to the workpiece 200 or the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. Furthermore, in the conventional cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 of the processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 7, after the workpiece 200 has been removed from the holding table 10 before cutting, the cleaning fluid 71 may fall from the main body 73 and adhere to the exposed holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. In addition, in the conventional cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 of the processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 7, when moving the holding table 10 without a workpiece 200 in it, the cleaning fluid 71 may fall from the main body 73 and adhere to the holding surface 11 of the holding table 10. Once the adhering cleaning fluid 71 has hardened, it is difficult to remove.

[0066] Therefore, in the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 described above, the main body 73 of the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70 is installed at an angle to the horizontal direction, so that the cleaning liquid 71 adhering to the main body 73 flows toward the other end 732, which is the lower end, due to the inclination. For this reason, in the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, the cleaning liquid 71 containing processing debris remains on the main body 73 due to surface tension, and when it falls, it falls from the other end 732, thus preventing it from dripping onto the workpiece 200 or the holding table 10.

[0067] As a result, the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 has the effect of suppressing at least one of the cleaning liquid 71 adhering to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70, processing debris contained in the cleaning liquid 71, processing liquid 61 adhering to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 70, or processing debris contained in the processing liquid 61 from falling onto the workpiece 200 or the holding table 10.

[0068] Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, the overall length of the main body 73 of the cleaning fluid supply nozzle 70 in the Y-axis direction is longer than the outer diameter of the holding table 10 and the outer diameter of the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10, and both ends 731 and 732 of the main body 73 are supported by a pair of support columns 72 that are located on both outer sides in the Y-axis direction of the movement path of the holding table 10. As a result, in the processing apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, both ends 731 and 732 of the main body 73 are positioned away from the holding table 10 and the workpiece 200 held on the holding table 10 in the Y-axis direction.

[0069] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, it can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the core principles of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Processing equipment 3 Processing area 10 Retention Table 20 Cutting Units (Processing Units) 21 Cutting blades (machining tools) 23 spindles 41 Machining feed unit 60 Processing fluid supply nozzles 61 Processing fluid 70 Cleaning fluid supply nozzle 71 Cleaning solution 73 Main body 74 spout 75 Groove 200 Workpiece 731 one end 732 Other end (lower end)

Claims

1. A holding table for holding the workpiece, A machining unit having a cutting blade for machining a workpiece held on the holding table, the cutting blade being fixed to a rotatable spindle, A machining feed unit that feeds the holding table in the X-axis direction, The holding table is installed above the movement path through which it is machined and fed in the X-axis direction, and comprises a main body extending in the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction, and one or more nozzles formed in the main body, and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle that supplies pure water, which is a cleaning liquid, downward from the nozzles, The processing apparatus is characterized in that the cleaning fluid supply nozzle is installed with its main body tilted vertically with respect to the horizontal direction such that it gradually slopes downward from one end in the Y-axis direction to the other.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing fluid supply nozzle for supplying processing fluid to a processing area for processing a workpiece.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the other end of the main body is positioned outward from the holding table.

4. At least a portion of the surface on which the nozzle is formed on the main body, The processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the main body is formed therein.

5. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least the lower surface of the main body is coated with fluororesin, or the water repellency is improved by forming minute irregularities on it.

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