Laser processing device

Abstract

In this laser processing device (100), a wafer storage position (P1), a wafer supply position (P2), a wafer collection position (P3), a coating transfer position (P4), and a cleaning transfer position (P5) are arranged on one straight line, and a wafer conveyance unit (20) moves a wafer (We) between the wafer storage position, the wafer supply position, the wafer collection position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position.

Description

Laser Processing Equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser processing device.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Laser processing apparatuses that irradiate a wafer with a laser to process it are known in the art. Such a laser processing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6137798, for example.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6137798 discloses a laser processing apparatus that processes wafers by irradiating them with a laser. The laser processing apparatus includes a cassette for storing wafers, a temporary storage area for temporarily storing wafers removed from the cassette, a protective film coating area for coating wafers before laser processing and cleaning wafers after laser processing, a carry-in / out unit for transporting wafers from the cassette to the temporary storage area, an upper arm for transporting wafers before laser processing from the temporary storage area to the protective film area, and a lower arm for transporting wafers after laser processing from the temporary storage area to the protective film area. The laser processing apparatus includes three wafer transport units: the carry-in / out unit, the upper arm, and the lower arm, for transporting wafers between the cassette, the temporary storage area, and the protective film area.

[0004] Patent No. 6137798

[0005] However, the laser processing apparatus of Japanese Patent No. 6137798 has three wafer transport units, namely, a carry-in / out unit, an upper arm, and a lower arm, for transporting wafers between the cassette, the temporary storage area, and the protective film area, which makes the apparatus configuration complicated. Therefore, there is a need for a laser processing apparatus that can transport wafers while suppressing the complexity of the apparatus configuration.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a laser processing apparatus that is capable of transporting wafers while preventing the apparatus configuration from becoming complicated.

[0007] A laser processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a wafer storage unit that stores wafers, a laser irradiation unit that processes the wafer by irradiating it with a laser, a wafer holding unit that holds the wafer when processing is performed by the laser irradiation unit, a wafer coating unit that coats the wafer before processing by the laser irradiation unit, a wafer cleaning unit that cleans the wafer after processing by the laser irradiation unit, and a single wafer transport unit that pulls the wafer out of the wafer storage unit and transports it, wherein a wafer storage position that stores the wafer in the wafer storage unit, a wafer supply position that supplies the wafer to the wafer holding unit, a wafer recovery position that recovers the wafer from the wafer holding unit, a coating transfer position that transfers the wafer to the wafer coating unit, and a cleaning transfer position that transfers the wafer to the wafer cleaning unit are arranged on a straight line, and the wafer transport unit moves the wafer between the wafer storage position, the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the laser processing apparatus has a wafer storage position for storing a wafer in a wafer storage unit, a wafer supply position for supplying a wafer to a wafer holding unit, a wafer recovery position for recovering a wafer from the wafer holding unit, a coating transfer position for transferring a wafer to a wafer coating unit, and a cleaning transfer position for transferring a wafer to a wafer cleaning unit, all aligned in a straight line. A single wafer transport unit moves wafers between the wafer storage position, the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position. This eliminates the need for multiple wafer transport units, as the single wafer transport unit can move wafers between the wafer storage position, the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position. As a result, wafers can be transported without increasing the complexity of the apparatus configuration.

[0009] The laser processing apparatus according to the above aspect preferably includes a transfer head disposed at each of the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position, and holding and raising and lowering the wafer. With this configuration, the transfer head can easily supply the wafer to the wafer holding unit at the wafer supply position, recover the wafer from the wafer holding unit at the wafer recovery position, transfer the wafer to the wafer coating unit at the coating transfer position, and transfer the wafer to the wafer cleaning unit at the cleaning transfer position.

[0010] In this case, the transfer head preferably does not move the wafer horizontally but raises and lowers the wafer, which eliminates the need to provide the transfer head with a mechanism for moving the wafer horizontally, thereby preventing the transfer head from becoming complicated in configuration.

[0011] The laser processing apparatus according to the above aspect preferably includes a control unit that controls the processing of the Nth wafer by the laser irradiation unit and at least one of cleaning the N-1th wafer by the wafer cleaning unit and coating the N+1th wafer by the wafer coating unit to be performed in parallel. With this configuration, the time for processing the Nth wafer by the laser irradiation unit can be overlapped with at least one of the time for cleaning the N-1th wafer by the wafer cleaning unit and the time for coating the N+1th wafer by the wafer coating unit, thereby improving productivity.

[0012] The laser processing apparatus according to the above aspect preferably includes a control unit that controls the withdrawal of the (N+1)th wafer from the wafer storage unit and supplying it to the wafer coating unit while the (N-1)th wafer is being cleaned by the wafer cleaning unit. This configuration allows the (N+1)th wafer to be supplied to the wafer coating unit while the (N-1)th wafer is being cleaned by the wafer cleaning unit, thereby reducing the time required for wafer coating and cleaning. As a result, productivity can be improved.

[0013] The laser processing apparatus according to the above aspect preferably includes a wafer coating cleaning unit that integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit, and the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are common positions for transferring wafers to the wafer coating cleaning unit. With this configuration, by providing a wafer coating cleaning unit that integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit, it is not necessary to provide separate wafer coating units and wafer cleaning units. As a result, the apparatus configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated. Furthermore, because the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are common positions for transferring wafers to the wafer coating cleaning unit, even in a configuration in which a wafer coating cleaning unit that integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit is provided, wafers can be transported without increasing the apparatus configuration.

[0014] In this case, the system preferably includes a transfer head positioned at at least one of the wafer supply position and the wafer recovery position, which holds and raises and lowers the wafer, and a control unit that controls the removal of the (N+1)th wafer from the wafer storage unit and supplying it to the transfer head while the (N-1)th wafer is being cleaned by the wafer coating and cleaning unit. With this configuration, the (N+1)th wafer can be supplied to the transfer head while the (N-1)th wafer is being cleaned by the wafer coating and cleaning unit. Therefore, after the (N-1)th wafer is cleaned by the wafer coating and cleaning unit, the (N+1)th wafer supplied to the transfer head can be quickly supplied to the wafer coating and cleaning unit. As a result, the time required for wafer coating and cleaning can be reduced, thereby improving productivity.

[0015] In the laser processing apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the wafer transport unit preferably includes a transport chuck. With this configuration, the wafer can be chucked by the transport chuck, making it possible to transport the wafer easily.

[0016] In the laser processing apparatus according to the above aspect, the laser irradiation unit preferably performs grooving to divide an insulating film provided on the wafer. With this configuration, it is possible to transport the wafer while preventing the configuration of the apparatus for grooving the wafer from becoming complicated.

[0017] According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to transport wafers while preventing the device configuration from becoming complicated.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a laser processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a coating unit of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a cleaning unit of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing transfer heads at a wafer supply position and a wafer recovery position of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view showing transfer heads at a coating transfer position and a cleaning transfer position of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic view (1) for explaining wafer processing of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view (2) for explaining wafer processing of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view (3) for explaining wafer processing of the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic view for explaining a case where an N+1th wafer is supplied to the coating unit while an N-1th wafer is being cleaned in the laser processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a laser processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a coating cleaning unit of the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view showing transfer heads at a common coating transfer position and a cleaning transfer position of the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (1) for explaining wafer processing in the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram (2) for explaining wafer processing in the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram (3) for explaining wafer processing in the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a case where the (N+1)th wafer is supplied to the transfer head while the (N-1)th wafer is being cleaned in the laser processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] First Embodiment The configuration of a laser processing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0021] 1, the laser processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that performs laser processing on a wafer We. Specifically, the laser processing apparatus 100 is a grooving apparatus that performs grooving to divide an insulating film provided on the wafer We. The wafer We is a thin, circular plate formed from crystals of a semiconductor material that is used to make semiconductor integrated circuits.

[0022] The laser processing apparatus 100 includes a wafer storage section 10, a single wafer transport section 20, a laser irradiation section 30, a wafer holding section 40, a wafer coating section 50, a wafer cleaning section 60, transfer heads 71, 72, 73 and 74, and a control section 80.

[0023] The wafer storage unit 10 stores wafers We. The wafer storage unit 10 can store multiple wafers We. Specifically, the wafer storage unit 10 has multiple storage spaces arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction). That is, the wafer storage unit 10 can store multiple wafers We in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the wafer storage unit 10 can move the wafers We in the vertical direction.

[0024] The wafer transport unit 20 pulls out the wafer We from the wafer storage unit 10 and transports it in the horizontal direction (Y direction). Specifically, the wafer transport unit 20 pulls out the unprocessed wafer We from the wafer storage unit 10 onto the transport rails 21 and transports it. The wafer transport unit 20 also transports the processed wafer We on the transport rails 21 and stores it in the wafer storage unit 10. The transport rails 21 are provided to extend along the transport direction (Y direction) of the wafer We. A pair of transport rails 21 are provided. The pair of transport rails 21 are provided spaced apart in the horizontal direction (X direction) perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0025] The wafer transfer unit 20 includes a transfer chuck. Specifically, the wafer transfer unit 20 has a chuck unit 22 that holds the wafer We. If a ring frame is provided on the wafer We, the chuck unit 22 grips and holds the edge of the ring frame by clamping it in the vertical direction (Z direction). The wafer transfer unit 20 also has a Y-direction movement mechanism 23 that moves the wafer transfer unit 20 in the Y direction. The Y-direction movement mechanism 23 has a servo motor and moves the wafer transfer unit 20 in the horizontal direction (Y direction) under the control of the control unit 80.

[0026] The laser irradiation unit 30 performs processing by irradiating the wafer We with a laser. Specifically, the laser irradiation unit 30 includes a laser light source that generates laser light and an optical member that adjusts the optical axis direction and focal position of the laser light. An imaging unit is also provided near the laser irradiation unit 30 to capture images of the processing state by the laser. The laser irradiation unit 30 performs grooving to divide an insulating film provided on the wafer We.

[0027] The wafer holding unit 40 holds the wafer We when processing is performed by the laser irradiation unit 30. Specifically, the wafer holding unit 40 sucks and holds the wafer We placed on its upper surface. The wafer holding unit 40 also sucks and holds the portion corresponding to the wafer We, and also holds the ring frame by sandwiching it. The wafer holding unit 40 is movable in the horizontal direction and rotatable around a rotation axis in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the laser irradiated from the laser irradiation unit 30 onto the wafer We.

[0028] The wafer coating unit 50 coats the wafer We before processing by the laser irradiation unit 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the wafer coating unit 50 includes a spin chuck 51, a coating nozzle 52, and a hot air nozzle 53. The spin chuck 51 holds and rotates the wafer We. The spin chuck 51 holds the wafer We by suction and rotates it about a vertical rotation axis. The coating nozzle 52 supplies a protective film liquid (water-soluble resin) to the wafer We to form a protective film that protects the wafer We from debris generated during processing by the laser irradiation unit 30. The coating nozzle 52 rotates about a vertical rotation axis to supply the protective film liquid to the wafer We. The hot air nozzle 53 supplies hot air to the wafer We to dry the wafer We. The hot air nozzle 53 rotates about a vertical rotation axis to supply hot air to the wafer We.

[0029] The wafer coating unit 50 rotates the coating nozzle 52 while rotating the wafer We on the spin chuck 51, and supplies the protective film liquid to the circuit surface of the wafer We. This causes the protective film liquid to be applied to the circuit surface of the wafer We. While rotating the wafer We on the spin chuck 51, the wafer coating unit 50 rotates the hot air nozzle 53, and supplies hot air to the circuit surface of the wafer We on which the protective film liquid has been applied. This causes the circuit surface of the wafer We on which the protective film liquid has been applied to dry.

[0030] The wafer cleaning unit 60 cleans the wafer We after it has been processed by the laser irradiation unit 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the wafer cleaning unit 60 includes a spin chuck 61, a cleaning nozzle 62, and a hot air nozzle 63. The spin chuck 61 holds and rotates the wafer We. The spin chuck 61 holds the wafer We by suction and rotates it about a vertical rotation axis. The cleaning nozzle 62 supplies cleaning water to the wafer We to clean the protective film and debris adhering to the protective film. The cleaning nozzle 62 rotates about a vertical rotation axis to supply the cleaning water to the wafer We. The hot air nozzle 63 supplies hot air to the wafer We to dry the wafer We. The hot air nozzle 63 rotates about a vertical rotation axis to supply hot air to the wafer We.

[0031] The wafer cleaning unit 60 rotates the cleaning nozzle 62 while rotating the wafer We on the spin chuck 61, and supplies cleaning water to the circuit surface of the wafer We. This washes away the protective film formed on the circuit surface of the wafer We and debris adhering to the protective film. While rotating the wafer We on the spin chuck 61, the wafer cleaning unit 60 rotates the hot air nozzle 63 to supply hot air to the circuit surface of the wafer We to which the cleaning water has been applied. This dries the circuit surface of the wafer We to which the cleaning water has been applied.

[0032] 1 , in the first embodiment, a wafer storage position P1 for storing a wafer We in the wafer storage unit 10, a wafer supply position P2 for supplying a wafer We to the wafer holding unit 40, a wafer recovery position P3 for recovering the wafer We from the wafer holding unit 40, a coating transfer position P4 for transferring the wafer We to the wafer coating unit 50, and a cleaning transfer position P5 for transferring the wafer We to the wafer cleaning unit 60 are aligned on a straight line. The wafer transport unit 20 moves the wafer We between the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, the coating transfer position P4, and the cleaning transfer position P5.

[0033] The wafer storage position P1, wafer recovery position P3, wafer supply position P2, coating transfer position P4, and cleaning transfer position P5 are arranged in this order from the wafer storage unit 10 side (Y2 direction side) toward the wafer cleaning unit 60 side (Y1 direction side). In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the wafer supply position P2 is located on the Y1 direction side of the wafer recovery position P3, but the wafer supply position P2 may also be located on the Y2 direction side of the wafer recovery position P3. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1 , the wafer recovery position P3 and the wafer supply position P2 may be interchanged. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 1 , the cleaning transfer position P5 is located on the Y1 direction side of the coating transfer position P4, but the cleaning transfer position P5 may also be located on the Y2 direction side of the coating transfer position P4. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1 , the coating transfer position P4 and the cleaning transfer position P5 may be interchanged. In this case, the positions of the wafer coating unit 50 and the wafer cleaning unit 60 are interchanged.

[0034] The transfer heads 71, 72, 73, and 74 are respectively disposed at a wafer supply position P2, a wafer recovery position P3, a coating transfer position P4, and a cleaning transfer position P5. The transfer heads 71, 72, 73, and 74 hold and raise and lower the wafer We. Specifically, the transfer heads 71, 72, 73, and 74 do not move the wafer We in the horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction), but raise and lower the wafer We in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0035] The transfer head 71 transfers the wafer We at the wafer supply position P2. Specifically, the transfer head 71 is transported by the wafer transport unit 20 to a position directly below the transfer head 71, and transfers the unprocessed wafer We placed on the transport rails 21 from the transport rails 21 to the wafer holder 40, which has been moved directly below the transfer head 71. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 71.

[0036] The transfer head 72 transfers the wafer We at the wafer recovery position P3. Specifically, the transfer head 72 transfers the processed wafer We, which has been moved by the wafer holder 40 to directly below the transfer head 72, from the wafer holder 40 to the transport rails 21. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 72.

[0037] 4, a common lifting mechanism 75 is provided for lifting both the transfer and loading heads 71 ​​and 72. The transfer and loading head 71 is provided with a suction hand 711 that suctions the wafer We and a cylinder 712 that moves the suction hand 711 up and down (Z direction). The transfer and loading head 72 is provided with a suction hand 721 that suctions the wafer We and a cylinder 722 that moves the suction hand 721 up and down.

[0038] The lifting mechanism 75 simultaneously moves both the transfer head 71 (the suction hand 711 and the cylinder 712) and the transfer head 72 (the cylinder 722 and the suction hand 721) in the vertical direction (Z direction). The lifting mechanism 75 has a servo motor, and moves both the transfer head 71 and the transfer head 72 in the vertical direction under the control of the control unit 80.

[0039] The suction hand 711 of the transfer head 71 sucks and holds the wafer We by the action of negative pressure. The cylinder 712 of the transfer head 71 expands and contracts by air pressure, moving the suction hand 711 connected to the tip in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0040] The suction hand 721 of the transfer head 72 sucks and holds the wafer We by the action of negative pressure. The cylinder 722 of the transfer head 72 expands and contracts by air pressure, moving the suction hand 721 connected to the tip in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1 , the transfer head 73 transfers a wafer We at a coating delivery position P4. Specifically, the transfer head 73 is transported by the wafer transport unit 20 to a position directly below the transfer head 73, and transfers the uncoated wafer We placed on the transport rails 21 from the transport rails 21 to the wafer coating unit 50 located directly below the transfer head 73. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 73. Furthermore, the transfer head 73 transfers the coated wafer We from the wafer coating unit 50 to the transport rails 21. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 73.

[0042] The transfer head 74 transfers the wafer We at the cleaning transfer position P5. Specifically, the transfer head 74 is transported by the wafer transport unit 20 to a position directly below the transfer head 74, and transfers the uncleaned wafer We placed on the transport rails 21 from the transport rails 21 to the wafer cleaning unit 60 located directly below the transfer head 74. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 74. Furthermore, the transfer head 74 transfers the coated wafer We from the wafer cleaning unit 60 to the transport rails 21. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 74.

[0043] 5, a common lifting mechanism 76 is provided for lifting both the transfer and loading heads 73 and 74. The transfer and loading head 73 is provided with a suction hand 731 that suctions the wafer We and a cylinder 732 that moves the suction hand 731 up and down (Z direction). The transfer and loading head 74 is provided with a suction hand 741 that suctions the wafer We and a cylinder 742 that moves the suction hand 741 up and down.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 76 simultaneously moves both the transfer head 73 (the suction hand 731 and the cylinder 732) and the transfer head 74 (the cylinder 742 and the suction hand 741) in the vertical direction (Z direction). The lifting mechanism 76 has a servo motor, and moves both the transfer head 73 and the transfer head 74 in the vertical direction under the control of the control unit 80.

[0045] The suction hand 731 of the transfer head 73 sucks and holds the wafer We by the action of negative pressure. The cylinder 732 of the transfer head 73 expands and contracts by air pressure, moving the suction hand 731 connected to the tip in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0046] The suction hand 741 of the transfer head 74 sucks and holds the wafer We by the action of negative pressure. The cylinder 742 of the transfer head 74 expands and contracts by air pressure, moving the suction hand 741 connected to the tip in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0047] The control unit 80 is configured to control each unit of the laser processing apparatus 100. The control unit 80 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit having a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. A control program for controlling the laser processing apparatus 100 is stored in the storage unit.

[0048] 6 to 8 , the control unit 80 controls the coating of the wafer We by the wafer coating unit 50, the processing of the coated wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30, and the cleaning of the processed wafer We by the wafer cleaning unit 60. In this case, the control unit 80 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 and at least one of cleaning of the N−1th wafer We by the wafer cleaning unit 60 and coating of the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating unit 50 to be performed in parallel. In the first embodiment, the control unit 80 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 and the cleaning of the N−1th wafer We by the wafer cleaning unit 60 and the coating of the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating unit 50 to be performed in parallel.

[0049] In FIG. 6A, the control unit 80 controls the wafer storage unit 10 to move the wafer We1 in the vertical direction (Z direction) to the height of the transport rail 21. Then, the control unit 80 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to pull the wafer We1 from the wafer storage unit 10 onto the transport rail 21. Then, in FIG. 6B, the control unit 80 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 to directly below the transfer head 73. Then, the control unit 80 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck of the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 directly below the transfer head 73. Then, the control unit 80 retracts the wafer transport unit 20 to a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. Then, the control unit 80 controls the transfer head 73 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below it, and raises the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 732 to bring the suction hand 731 into contact with the wafer We1. Then, the control unit 80 applies negative pressure to the suction hand 731, causing the suction hand 731 to suction the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21. Then, the control unit 80 retracts the cylinder 732 to lift the wafer We1 that has been sucked onto the suction hand 731. Then, the control unit 80 retracts the transport rails 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0050] 6C, the control unit 80 lowers the transfer head 73 using the lifting mechanism 76 to lower the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 731. The control unit 80 then extends the cylinder 732 to place the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 731 on the spin chuck 51 of the wafer coating unit 50. The control unit 80 then causes the spin chuck 51 of the wafer coating unit 50 to hold the wafer We1 by suction. The control unit 80 then causes the coating nozzle 52 of the wafer coating unit 50 to supply and apply a protective film liquid to the wafer We1. After the application of the protective film liquid is completed, the control unit 80 then causes the hot air nozzle 53 of the wafer coating unit 50 to supply hot air to the wafer We1 to dry it. After the drying is completed, the control unit 80 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0051] 6(D), the control unit 80 causes the transfer head 73 to suction and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 51 of the wafer coating unit 50, and then lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 732 to bring the suction hand 731 into contact with the wafer We. The control unit 80 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 731, causing the suction hand 731 to suction the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 51 of the wafer coating unit 50. The control unit 80 then raises the transfer head 73 using the lifting mechanism 76, thereby lifting the wafer We1 that has been suctioned to the suction hand 731. The control unit 80 then returns the transport rail 21 to its original position from a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 80 then places the wafer We1 that has been suctioned to the suction hand 731 on the transport rail 21. Then, the control unit 80 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 to a position directly below the transfer head 71. Then, the control unit 80 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck of the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 directly below the transfer head 71. Then, the control unit 80 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to retreat to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0052] 6(E), the control unit 80 causes the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below, and then lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 712 to bring the suction hand 711 into contact with the wafer We1. The control unit 80 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 753a, causing the suction hand 711 to suck and hold the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21. The control unit 80 then retracts the cylinder 712 to lift the wafer We1 sucked by the suction hand 711. The control unit 80 then retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0053] 6(F), the control unit 80 lowers the transfer head 71 using the lifting mechanism 75, thereby lowering the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 721. The control unit 80 then extends the cylinder 712 to place the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 711 on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved to a position directly below the transfer head 71. The control unit 80 then causes the wafer holding unit 40 to hold the wafer We1 by suction. The control unit 80 then moves the wafer holding unit 40, which is holding the wafer We1, to a processing position where the laser irradiation unit 30 performs laser processing on the wafer We1. The control unit 80 then causes the laser irradiation unit 30 to irradiate the wafer We1 held by the wafer holding unit 40 with a laser to perform processing.

[0054] While laser processing is being performed on wafer We1 held by wafer holder 40, control unit 80 controls preparation of wafer We2 to be laser processed next. That is, in FIG. 6(G), while laser processing is being performed on wafer We1, control unit 80 causes wafer transport unit 20 to pull wafer We2 from wafer storage unit 10 onto transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 6(H), control unit 80 causes wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We2 on transport rails 21 to directly below transfer head 73. Then, in the same manner as described above, control unit 80 causes transfer head 73 to transfer wafer We2 from transport rails 21 to wafer coating unit 50. Then, in FIG. 6(I), control unit 80 causes wafer coating unit 50 to coat wafer We2. In this way, the control unit 80 controls the laser irradiation unit 30 to process the Nth wafer We1 and the wafer coating unit 50 to coat the (N+1)th wafer We2 in parallel.

[0055] 7A, the control unit 80, similar to the above, causes the transfer head 73 to transfer the wafer We2 from the wafer coating unit 50 onto the transport rails 21, and causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We2 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. Then, similar to the above, the control unit 80 causes the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below, and lifts the wafer We1.

[0056] Then, when the laser processing of the previous wafer We1 is completed, the control unit 80 replaces the wafer We1 on the wafer holder 40 with the wafer We2.

[0057] In FIG. 7B, the control unit 80 moves the wafer holding unit 40 to a position directly below the transfer head 72. Then, in FIG. 7C, the control unit 80 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 80 then causes the transfer head 72 to suction and hold the wafer We1 on the wafer holding unit 40, and lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 722 to bring the suction hand 721 into contact with the wafer We. The control unit 80 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 721, causing the suction hand 721 to suction the wafer We1 on the wafer holding unit 40. The control unit 80 then causes the lifting mechanism 75 to lift the transfer head 72, thereby lifting the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 721.

[0058] 7(D), the control unit 80 similarly places the wafer We2, which has been sucked onto the suction hand 711 of the transfer head 71, on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved directly below the transfer head 71. The control unit 80 then causes the wafer holding unit 40 to suck and hold the wafer We2. After the exchange of wafer We1 with wafer We2 is complete, the control unit 80 returns the transport rail 21 to its original position from a position that does not interfere with the transfer of wafer We1. The control unit 80 also moves the wafer holding unit 40, which is holding the wafer We2, to a processing position where the laser irradiation unit 30 performs laser processing on the wafer We2. The control unit 80 then causes the laser irradiation unit 30 to irradiate the wafer We2 held by the wafer holding unit 40 with a laser to perform processing.

[0059] 7E, the control unit 80 places the wafer We1, which has been sucked onto the suction hand 721, on the transport rail 21. The control unit 80 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 to a position directly below the transfer head 74. The control unit 80 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck on the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 directly below the transfer head 74. The control unit 80 then retracts the wafer transport unit 20 to a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 80 then causes the transfer head 74 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below, and lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 742 to bring the suction hand 741 into contact with the wafer We1. Then, the control unit 80 applies negative pressure to the suction hand 741, causing the suction hand 741 to suction the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21. Then, the control unit 80 contracts the cylinder 742 to lift the wafer We1 that has been sucked onto the suction hand 741. Then, the control unit 80 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0060] 7F, the control unit 80 lowers the transfer head 74 using the lifting mechanism 76 to lower the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 741. The control unit 80 then extends the cylinder 742 to place the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 741 on the spin chuck 61 of the wafer cleaning unit 60. The control unit 80 then causes the spin chuck 61 of the wafer cleaning unit 60 to hold the wafer We1 by suction. The control unit 80 then causes the cleaning nozzle 62 of the wafer cleaning unit 60 to supply cleaning water to the wafer We1 to clean it. After the cleaning with the cleaning water is completed, the control unit 80 then causes the hot air nozzle 63 of the wafer cleaning unit 60 to supply hot air to the wafer We1 to dry it. After the drying is completed, the control unit 80 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. In this way, the control unit 80 controls the laser irradiation unit 30 to process the Nth wafer We2 and the wafer cleaning unit 60 to clean the N-1th wafer We1 in parallel.

[0061] 7(G), the control unit 80 causes the transfer head 74 to suck and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 61 of the wafer cleaning unit 60, and then lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 80 extends the cylinder 742 to bring the suction hand 741 into contact with the wafer We. The control unit 80 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 741, causing the suction hand 741 to suck and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 61 of the wafer cleaning unit 60. The control unit 80 then causes the lifting mechanism 76 to lift the transfer head 74, thereby lifting the wafer We1 sucked by the suction hand 741. The control unit 80 then returns the transport rail 21 to its original position from a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0062] 7H, the control unit 80 places the wafer We1 sucked by the suction hand 741 on the transport rails 21. The control unit 80 then controls the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 to the wafer storage unit 10 and store the wafer We1 in the wafer storage unit 10.

[0063] Furthermore, while laser processing is being performed on wafer We2 held by wafer holder 40, control unit 80 controls preparation of wafer We3, which is the next wafer to be laser processed. That is, in FIG. 7I, while laser processing is being performed on wafer We2, control unit 80 causes wafer transport unit 20 to pull wafer We3 from wafer storage unit 10 onto transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 8A, control unit 80 causes wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We3 on transport rails 21 to directly below transfer head 73. Then, in the same manner as described above, control unit 80 causes transfer head 73 to transfer wafer We3 from transport rails 21 to wafer coating unit 50. Then, in FIG. 8B, control unit 80 causes wafer coating unit 50 to coat wafer We3, in the same manner as described above. In this way, the control unit 80 controls the laser irradiation unit 30 to process the Nth wafer We2 and the wafer coating unit 50 to coat the (N+1)th wafer We3 in parallel.

[0064] 8(C), the control unit 80 similarly controls the transfer head 73 to transfer the wafer We3 from the wafer coating unit 50 onto the transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 8(D), the control unit 80 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We3 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. Then, similarly to the above, the control unit 80 controls the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below it, and lifts the wafer We1.

[0065] Then, when the laser processing of the previous wafer We2 is completed, the control unit 80 replaces the wafer We2 on the wafer holder 40 with the wafer We3.

[0066] In FIG. 8E, the control unit 80 moves the wafer holding unit 40 to a position directly below the transfer head 72, as described above. Then, in FIG. 8F, the control unit 80 causes the transfer head 72 to suction and hold the wafer We2 on the wafer holding unit 40, and raises the wafer We2, as described above. Then, in FIG. 8G, the control unit 80 places the wafer We3, which is held by the suction hand 711 of the transfer head 71, on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved to a position directly below the transfer head 71, as described above. Then, in FIG. 8H, the control unit 80 processes the wafer We2 held by the wafer holding unit 40 by irradiating it with a laser from the laser irradiation unit 30, as described above. Then, in FIG. 8I, the control unit 80 controls the laser irradiation unit 30 to process the Nth wafer We3 and the wafer cleaning unit 60 to clean the N-1th wafer We2 in parallel, as described above. Then, in the same manner as described above, the control unit 80 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to store the wafer We2 in the wafer storage unit 10. By repeating this operation, the coating, laser processing, and cleaning are performed on each of the multiple wafers We stored in the wafer storage unit 10.

[0067] 9 to ensure that coating by the wafer coating unit 50 is completed during laser processing by the laser irradiation unit 30. That is, while the wafer cleaning unit 60 is cleaning the (N-1)th wafer We, the control unit 80 controls the wafer storage unit 10 to extract the (N+1)th wafer We and supply it to the wafer coating unit 50.

[0068] 9A, the control unit 80 performs laser processing on wafer We2 and cleans wafer We1 while causing the wafer transport unit 20 to pull out wafer We3 from the wafer storage unit 10 onto the transport rails 21. In FIG. 9B, the control unit 80 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We3 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 73. The control unit 80 then causes the transfer head 73 to suction and hold the wafer We3 directly below, and raises the wafer We3. In FIG. 9C, the control unit 80 then causes the transfer head 73 to place the wafer We3 suctioned by the transfer head 73 on the spin chuck 51 of the wafer coating unit 50. The control unit 80 then causes the wafer coating unit 50 to coat the wafer We3. In this way, while the wafer cleaning unit 60 is cleaning the (N-1)th wafer We1, the control unit 80 controls the wafer storage unit 10 to extract the (N+1)th wafer We3 and supply it to the wafer coating unit 50. Furthermore, while the wafer cleaning unit 60 is cleaning the (N-1)th wafer We1, the control unit 80 controls the wafer coating unit 50 to coat the (N+1)th wafer We3.

[0069] (Effects of First Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0070] In the first embodiment, as described above, the wafer storage position P1 where the wafer We is stored in the wafer storage unit 10, the wafer supply position P2 where the wafer We is supplied to the wafer holding unit 40, the wafer recovery position P3 where the wafer We is recovered from the wafer holding unit 40, the coating transfer position P4 where the wafer We is delivered to the wafer coating unit 50, and the cleaning transfer position P5 where the wafer We is delivered to the wafer cleaning unit 60 are aligned in a straight line, and a single wafer transport unit 20 moves the wafer We between the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, the coating transfer position P4, and the cleaning transfer position P5. This allows the single wafer transport unit 20 to move the wafer We between the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, the coating transfer position P4, and the cleaning transfer position P5, eliminating the need for multiple wafer transport units 20. As a result, the wafer We can be transported without complicating the device configuration.

[0071] In the first embodiment, as described above, transfer heads 71 ​​to 74 are provided at the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, the coating transfer position P4, and the cleaning transfer position P5, respectively, to hold and raise and lower the wafer We. This allows the transfer heads 71 ​​to 74 to easily supply the wafer We from the wafer supply position P2 to the wafer holding unit 40, recover the wafer We from the wafer holding unit 40 at the wafer recovery position P3, transfer the wafer We to the wafer coating unit 50 at the coating transfer position P4, and transfer the wafer We to the wafer cleaning unit 60 at the cleaning transfer position P5.

[0072] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the transfer heads 71 ​​to 74 do not move the wafer We in the horizontal direction, but rather raise and lower the wafer We. This eliminates the need to provide the transfer heads 71 ​​to 74 with a mechanism for moving the wafer We in the horizontal direction, thereby preventing the configuration of the transfer heads 71 ​​to 74 from becoming complicated.

[0073] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, a control unit 80 is provided that controls the processing of the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 and at least one of cleaning of the N-1th wafer We by the wafer cleaning unit 60 and coating of the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating unit 50 to be performed in parallel. This makes it possible to overlap the time for processing the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 with at least one of the time for cleaning the N-1th wafer We by the wafer cleaning unit 60 and the time for coating the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating unit 50, thereby improving productivity.

[0074] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, a control unit 80 is provided that controls the withdrawal of the (N+1)th wafer We from the wafer storage unit 10 and supply to the wafer coating unit 50 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer cleaning unit 60. This allows the (N+1)th wafer We to be supplied to the wafer coating unit 50 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer cleaning unit 60, thereby reducing the time required to coat and clean the wafers We. As a result, productivity can be improved.

[0075] In the first embodiment, as described above, the wafer transfer unit 20 includes a transfer chuck, which allows the wafer We to be chucked by the transfer chuck, thereby facilitating transfer of the wafer We.

[0076] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, the laser irradiation unit 30 performs grooving to divide the insulating film provided on the wafer We. This makes it possible to transport the wafer We while preventing the configuration of the device that performs grooving on the wafer We from becoming complicated.

[0077] 10 to 16, the configuration of a laser processing apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the laser processing apparatus 200 includes a wafer coating cleaning unit 250. Note that in the second embodiment, detailed description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0078] (Laser Processing Apparatus) As shown in FIG. 10 , the laser processing apparatus 100 includes a wafer storage unit 10, a single wafer transport unit 20, a laser irradiation unit 30, a wafer holding unit 40, a wafer coating cleaning unit 250, transfer heads 71, 72, and 273, and a control unit 280.

[0079] The wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 includes a spin chuck 251, a coating nozzle 252, a cleaning nozzle 253, and a hot air nozzle 254. The spin chuck 251, the coating nozzle 252, the cleaning nozzle 253, and the hot air nozzle 254 have the same configurations as the spin chuck 51 (61), the coating nozzle 52, the cleaning nozzle 62, and the hot air nozzle 53 (63) of the first embodiment, respectively.

[0080] 10 , in the second embodiment, the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are a common position P204 (hereinafter referred to as the coating cleaning transfer position P204). In the second embodiment, the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, and the coating cleaning transfer position P204 are aligned on a straight line. The wafer transport unit 20 moves the wafer We between the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, and the coating cleaning transfer position P204.

[0081] The transfer head 273 is disposed at the film cleaning transfer position P204. The transfer head 273 holds and raises and lowers the wafer We. Specifically, the transfer head 273 does not move the wafer We in the horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction), but raises and lowers the wafer We in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0082] The transfer head 273 transfers the wafer We at the coating cleaning transfer position P204. Specifically, the transfer head 273 is transported by the wafer transport unit 20 to a position directly below the transfer head 273, and transfers the uncoated wafer We placed on the transport rails 21 from the transport rails 21 to the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 located directly below the transfer head 273. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 273. Furthermore, the transfer head 273 transfers the coated wafer We from the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to the transport rails 21. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retract to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 273.

[0083] The transfer head 273 is transported by the wafer transport unit 20 to a position directly below the transfer head 273, and transfers the uncleaned wafer We placed on the transport rails 21 from the transport rails 21 to the coating cleaning unit 260 located directly below the transfer head 273. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retreat to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 273. The transfer head 273 transfers the coated wafer We from the coating cleaning unit 260 to the transfer rails 21. At this time, the pair of transport rails 21 move outward in the Y direction to retreat to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer head 273.

[0084] 12, an elevation mechanism 276 is provided to raise and lower the transfer and loading head 273. The transfer and loading head 273 is also provided with a suction hand 2731 that suctions the wafer We. The elevation mechanism 276 has a servo motor, and moves the transfer and loading head 273 in the vertical direction (Z direction) under the control of the control unit 80. The suction hand 2731 of the transfer and loading head 273 suctions and holds the wafer We by applying negative pressure.

[0085] 13 to 15 , the control unit 280 controls the wafer We to be coated by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, the coated wafer We to be processed by the laser irradiation unit 30, and the processed wafer We to be cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. In this case, the control unit 280 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 and at least one of cleaning of the N−1th wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 and coating of the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to be performed in parallel. In the second embodiment, the control unit 280 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We by the laser irradiation unit 30 and the cleaning of the N−1th wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 and the coating of the N+1th wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to be performed in parallel.

[0086] 13A, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to pull the wafer We1 from the wafer storage unit 10 onto the transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 13B, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 273. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck on the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 directly below the transfer head 273. The control unit 280 then retracts the wafer transport unit 20 to a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then causes the transfer head 273 to suction and hold the wafer We1 directly below it, and raises the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 280 causes the lifting mechanism 276 to lower the transfer head 273, bringing the suction hand 2731 into contact with the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 2731, causing the suction hand 2731 to suction the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21. The control unit 280 then causes the lifting mechanism 276 to raise the transfer head 273, thereby lifting up the wafer We1 that has been sucked onto the suction hand 2731. The control unit 280 then retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0087] 13C, the control unit 280 lowers the transfer head 273 using the lifting mechanism 276, thereby lowering the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 2731. The control unit 280 then places the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 2731 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250. The control unit 280 then causes the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 to hold the wafer We1 by suction. The control unit 280 then causes the coating nozzle 252 of the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 to supply and coat the protective film liquid onto the wafer We1. After the application of the protective film liquid is completed, the control unit 280 then causes the hot air nozzle 254 of the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 to supply hot air to the wafer We1 to dry the wafer We1. When the drying is completed, the control unit 280 moves the transport rails 21 back to a position where they do not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0088] 13(D), the control unit 280 causes the transfer head 273 to suck and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, and then lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 280 causes the lifting mechanism 276 to lower the transfer head 273, bringing the suction hand 2731 into contact with the wafer We. The control unit 280 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 2731, causing the suction hand 2731 to suck and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. The control unit 280 then causes the lifting mechanism 276 to lift the transfer head 273, thereby lifting the wafer We1 sucked by the suction hand 2731. The control unit 280 then returns the transport rail 21 to its original position from a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. Then, the control unit 280 places the wafer We1, which has been sucked onto the suction hand 2731, on the transport rails 21. Then, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. Then, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck on the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 directly below the transfer head 71. Then, the control unit 280 retreats the wafer transport unit 20 to a position where it will not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1.

[0089] 13(E), the control unit 280 causes the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below, and then raises the wafer We1. Then, in FIG. 13(F), the control unit 280 causes the lifting mechanism 75 to lower the transfer head 71, which then lowers the wafer We1 sucked by the suction hand 721 and places it on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved directly below the transfer head 71. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer holding unit 40 to suck and hold the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then moves the wafer holding unit 40, which is holding the wafer We1, to a processing position where the laser irradiation unit 30 performs laser processing on the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then causes the laser irradiation unit 30 to irradiate the wafer We1 held by the wafer holding unit 40 with a laser to perform processing.

[0090] While laser processing is being performed on wafer We1 held by wafer holder 40, control unit 280 controls preparation of wafer We2 to be laser processed next. That is, in FIG. 13(G), while laser processing is being performed on wafer We1, control unit 280 causes wafer transport unit 20 to pull wafer We2 out of wafer storage unit 10 onto transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 13(H), control unit 280 causes wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We2 on transport rails 21 to directly below transfer head 273. Then, in the same manner as described above, control unit 280 causes transfer head 273 to transfer wafer We2 from transport rails 21 to wafer coating cleaning unit 250. Then, in FIG. 13(I), control unit 280 causes wafer We2 to be coated by wafer coating cleaning unit 250, in the same manner as described above. In this way, the control unit 280 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We1 by the laser irradiation unit 30 and the coating of the N+1th wafer We2 by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to be carried out in parallel.

[0091] 14A, the control unit 280, similar to the above, causes the transfer head 273 to transfer the wafer We2 from the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 onto the transport rails 21, and then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We2 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. Then, similar to the above, the control unit 280 causes the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below, and then lifts the wafer We1.

[0092] Then, when the laser processing of the previous wafer We1 is completed, the control unit 280 replaces the wafer We1 on the wafer holder 40 with the wafer We2.

[0093] 14B, the control unit 280 moves the wafer holding unit 40 to a position directly below the transfer head 72. Then, in FIG. 14C, the control unit 280 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then causes the transfer head 72 to suction and hold the wafer We1 on the wafer holding unit 40, and lifts the wafer We1. Specifically, the control unit 280 extends the cylinder 722 to bring the suction hand 721 into contact with the wafer We. The control unit 280 then applies negative pressure to the suction hand 721, causing the suction hand 721 to suction the wafer We1 on the wafer holding unit 40. The control unit 280 then causes the lifting mechanism 75 to lift the transfer head 72, thereby lifting the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 721.

[0094] 14(D), the control unit 280 similarly places the wafer We2, which has been sucked onto the suction hand 711 of the transfer head 71, on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved directly below the transfer head 71. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer holding unit 40 to suck and hold the wafer We2. After the exchange of wafers We1 and We2 is complete, the control unit 280 returns the transport rail 21 to its original position from a position that does not interfere with the transfer of wafer We1. The control unit 280 also moves the wafer holding unit 40, which is holding the wafer We2, to a processing position where the laser irradiation unit 30 performs laser processing on the wafer We2. The control unit 280 then causes the laser irradiation unit 30 to irradiate the wafer We2 held by the wafer holding unit 40 with a laser beam to perform processing.

[0095] 14(E), the control unit 280 places the wafer We1, which has been sucked onto the suction hand 721, on the transport rail 21. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 to directly below the transfer head 273. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to release the chuck on the wafer We1 and place the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 directly below the transfer head 273. The control unit 280 then retracts the wafer transport unit 20 to a position that does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. The control unit 280 then causes the transfer head 273 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below it, as described above, and lifts the wafer We1.

[0096] 14(F), the control unit 280 controls the lifting mechanism 276 to lower the transfer head 273, which lowers the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 2731, and places the wafer We1 held by the suction hand 741 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. The control unit 280 then controls the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to hold the wafer We1 by suction. The control unit 280 then controls the cleaning nozzle 253 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to supply cleaning water to the wafer We1 to clean it. After the cleaning with the cleaning water is completed, the control unit 280 controls the hot air nozzle 254 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to supply hot air to the wafer We1 to dry it. After the drying is completed, the control unit 280 retracts the transport rail 21 to a position where it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer We1. In this way, the control unit 280 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We2 by the laser irradiation unit 30 and the cleaning of the N-1th wafer We1 by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to be carried out in parallel.

[0097] 14(G), the control unit 280 causes the transfer head 273 to suction and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, and then raises the wafer We1, as described above. Then, in FIG. 14(H), the control unit 280 causes the wafer We1, which has been suctioned by the suction hand 741, to be placed on the transport rails 21. The control unit 280 then causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21 to the wafer storage unit 10 and store the wafer We1 in the wafer storage unit 10.

[0098] Furthermore, while laser processing is being performed on wafer We2 held by wafer holder 40, control unit 280 controls preparation of wafer We3, which is to be laser processed next. That is, in FIG. 14I, while laser processing is being performed on wafer We2, control unit 280 causes wafer transport unit 20 to pull wafer We3 out of wafer storage unit 10 onto transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 15A, control unit 280 causes wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We3 on transport rails 21 to directly below transfer head 273. Then, in the same manner as described above, control unit 280 causes transfer head 273 to transfer wafer We3 from transport rails 21 to wafer coating cleaning unit 250. Then, in FIG. 15B, control unit 280 causes wafer We3 to be coated by wafer coating cleaning unit 250, in the same manner as described above. In this way, the control unit 280 controls the processing of the Nth wafer We2 by the laser irradiation unit 30 and the coating of the N+1th wafer We3 by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 to be carried out in parallel.

[0099] 15(C), the control unit 280 similarly controls the transfer head 273 to transfer the wafer We3 from the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 onto the transport rails 21. Then, in FIG. 15(D), the control unit 280 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We3 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. Then, similarly to the above, the control unit 280 controls the transfer head 71 to suck and hold the wafer We1 directly below it, and lifts the wafer We1.

[0100] Then, when the laser processing of the previous wafer We2 is completed, the control unit 280 replaces the wafer We2 on the wafer holder 40 with the wafer We3.

[0101] 15(E), the control unit 280 moves the wafer holding unit 40 to a position directly below the transfer head 72, as described above. Then, in FIG. 15(F), the control unit 280 causes the transfer head 72 to suction and hold the wafer We2 on the wafer holding unit 40, as described above, and raises the wafer We2. Then, in FIG. 15(G), the control unit 280 causes the wafer We3, which has been sucked by the suction hand 711 of the transfer head 71, to be placed on the wafer holding unit 40, which has been moved to a position directly below the transfer head 71, as described above. Then, in FIG. 15(H), the control unit 280 processes the wafer We2 held by the wafer holding unit 40 by irradiating it with a laser from the laser irradiation unit 30, as described above. 15(I), the control unit 280 controls the laser irradiation unit 30 to process the Nth wafer We3 and the wafer coating and cleaning unit 250 to clean the N-1th wafer We2 in parallel, as described above. Then, the control unit 280 controls the wafer transport unit 20 to store the wafer We2 in the wafer storage unit 10, as described above. By repeating this operation, the coating, laser processing, and cleaning are performed on each of the multiple wafers We stored in the wafer storage unit 10.

[0102] 16 to ensure that the coating by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 is completed during the laser processing by the laser irradiation unit 30. That is, the control unit 280 controls the wafer storage unit 10 to extract the (N+1)th wafer We and supply it to the transfer head 71 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250.

[0103] In FIG. 16A, the control unit 280 performs laser processing on wafer We2 and cleans wafer We1 while causing the wafer transport unit 20 to pull out wafer We3 from the wafer storage unit 10 onto the transport rails 21. In FIG. 16B, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport wafer We3 on the transport rails 21 to directly below the transfer head 71. The control unit 280 then causes the transfer head 71 to suction and hold the wafer We3 directly below, and raises the wafer We3. In FIG. 16C, the control unit 280 then causes the transfer head 273 to suction and hold the wafer We1 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, and raises the wafer We1. In FIG. 16D, the control unit 280 then causes the suction hand 2731 to place the wafer We1 on the transport rails 21. Then, the control unit 280 causes the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We1 on the transport rail 21 to the wafer storage unit 10 and store it in the wafer storage unit 10 .

[0104] 16(E), the control unit 280 places the wafer We3 held by the suction hand 711 on the transport rail 21. The control unit 280 then controls the wafer transport unit 20 to transport the wafer We3 from the transport rail 21 to directly below the transfer head 273. The control unit 280 then controls the transfer head 273 to hold the wafer We3 on the transport rail 21 by suction, and raises the wafer We3. Then, in FIG. 16(F), the control unit 280 places the wafer We3 held by the transfer head 273 on the spin chuck 251 of the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250. The control unit 280 then controls the wafer coating / cleaning unit 250 to coat the wafer We2. In this way, the control unit 280 controls the wafer storage unit 10 to extract the (N+1)th wafer We3 and supply it to the transfer head 71 while the (N-1)th wafer We1 is being cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250.

[0105] Here, a comparison of the time taken will be described between cases where the control of pulling out the (N+1)th wafer We from the wafer storage unit 10 and supplying it to the transfer head 71 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 is performed and cases where it is performed. That is, a comparison of the time taken will be described between cases where the first control operation shown in Figures 14(B) to 14(I) and Figures 15(A) to 15(D) is performed and cases where the second control operation shown in Figures 14(B) to 14(E), Figures 16(A) to 16(F), Figures 15(C) and 15(D) is performed.

[0106] The time required for each operation is as follows: Z: Time required for moving the wafer We from the upper ends of the transfer heads 71, 72, and 273 to the height of the transport rail 21; 2Z: Time required for the wafer We to travel back and forth between the upper ends of the transfer heads 71, 72, and 273 and the wafer holding unit 40 or the wafer coating cleaning unit 250; S: Time required for cleaning the wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250; H: Time required for coating the wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250; E: Time required for moving the wafer storage unit 10 up and down; C: Time required for moving the wafer We from the wafer storage unit 10 to the transfer head 72 by the wafer transport unit 20, time required for moving the wafer We from the transfer head 72 to the transfer head 71 by the wafer transport unit 20, and time required for moving the wafer We from the transfer head 71 to the transfer head 273 by the wafer transport unit 20; Q: Time required for moving the wafer We between the transfer heads 71 ​​and 72 by the wafer holding unit 40.

[0107] In the first control operation, the time of the operation in FIG. 14(B) is represented by Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(C) is represented by Q. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(D) is represented by Z+Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(E) is represented by 4C+2Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(F) is represented by S. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(G) is represented by Z+2Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(H) is represented by 6C. The time of the operation in FIG. 14(I) is represented by C / 2+E+C / 2. The time of the operation in FIG. 15(A) is represented by 6C+Z+Z+2Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 15(B) is represented by H. The time of the operation in FIG. 15(C) is represented by Z+2Z+Z+Z. The time of the operation in FIG. 15(D) is represented by 2C+Z+Z.

[0108] In the second control operation, the time for the operations in Figures 14(B) to 14(E) is the same as that in the first control operation. The time for the operations in Figures 16(A) and 16(B) is represented by Max(3C+4C+Z+Z,S). The time for the operation in Figure 16(C) is represented by Z+2Z+Z. The time for the operation in Figure 16(D) is represented by 6C+2C. The time for the operation in Figure 16(E) is represented by Z+Z+2C+Z+Z+2Z+Z. The time for the operation in Figure 16(F) is represented by H. The time for the operations in Figures 15(C) and 15(D) is the same as that in the first control operation.

[0109] In the first control action, the time of the action different from the second control action is the time of the action of Fig. 14(F), the time of the action of Fig. 14(H), the time of the action of Fig. 14(I), and the time of the action of Fig. 15(A). Adding these times together gives S + 13C + E + 5Z.

[0110] In the second control action, the time for the action different from the first control action is the time for the action in Fig. 16(B), the time for the action in Fig. 16(D), and the time for the action in Fig. 16(E). Adding these times together gives Max(3C+4C+Z+Z,S)+10C+7Z.

[0111] The time difference Sa between the first control action and the second control action is expressed by the following equation (1): Sa=(S+13C+E+5Z)-(Max(3C+4C+Z+Z,S)+10C+7Z)=S+E+3C-2Z-Max(3C+4C+Z+Z,S) (1)

[0112] When 5C+2Z<S, Sa is expressed by the following formula (2), and when 5C+2Z≧S, Sa is expressed by the following formula (3): Sa=S+E+3C-2Z-S=E+3C-2Z (2) Sa=S+E+3C-2Z-5C-2Z=S+E-2C-4Z (3)

[0113] In the case of formula (2) (i.e., when the cleaning time is long), if the time (3C) for the wafer transport unit 20 to move the wafer We over three sections plus the time (E) for the wafer storage unit 10 to move the wafer We (E+3C) is longer than the time (2Z) for the transfer heads 71, 72, and 273 to raise and lower the wafer We, then the time for the second control operation will be shorter than the time for the first control operation. In practice, since E and Z are small, the time for the second control operation is always shorter than the time for the first control operation.

[0114] In the case of formula (3) (i.e., when the cleaning time is short), E and Z are actually small, so if the time (S) for cleaning the wafer We by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 is longer than the time (2C) for the wafer transport unit 20 to move the wafer We over two sections, the time for the second control operation will be shorter than the time for the first control operation. The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0115] (Effects of Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0116] In the second embodiment, as described above, the wafer storage position P1 where the wafer We is stored in the wafer storage unit 10, the wafer supply position P2 where the wafer We is supplied to the wafer holding unit 40, the wafer recovery position P3 where the wafer We is recovered from the wafer holding unit 40, and the coating cleaning transfer position P204 where the wafer We is delivered to the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 are aligned in a straight line, and the single wafer transport unit 20 moves the wafer We between the wafer storage position P1, the wafer supply position P2, the wafer recovery position P3, and the coating cleaning transfer position P204. This makes it possible to transport the wafer We while preventing the device configuration from becoming too complicated, similar to the first embodiment.

[0117] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, a wafer coating cleaning unit 250 is provided that integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit, and the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are a common position P204 where the wafer We is transferred to the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. By providing the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 that integrally includes a wafer coating unit and a wafer cleaning unit, it is not necessary to provide separate wafer coating units and wafer cleaning units. As a result, the device configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated. Furthermore, because the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are a common position P204 where the wafer is transferred to the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, even in a configuration where the wafer coating cleaning unit 250 that integrally includes a wafer cleaning unit and a wafer coating unit is provided, the wafer We can be transported without increasing the device configuration.

[0118] Furthermore, the second embodiment is provided with a transfer head 71 disposed at the wafer supply position P2 and holding and elevating the wafer We, and a control unit 280 that controls the removal of the (N+1)th wafer from the wafer storage unit 10 and supplying it to the transfer head 17 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. This allows the (N+1)th wafer We to be supplied to the transfer head 71 while the (N-1)th wafer We is being cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. Therefore, after the (N-1)th wafer We is cleaned by the wafer coating cleaning unit 250, the (N+1)th wafer We supplied to the transfer head 71 can be quickly supplied to the wafer coating cleaning unit 250. As a result, the time required for coating and cleaning the wafer We can be reduced, thereby improving productivity. Other advantages of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0119] [Modifications] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and further includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0120] For example, in the first and second embodiments, the laser irradiation unit performs grooving to divide the insulating film provided on the wafer, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the laser irradiation unit may perform cutting to cut the wafer (such as half-cutting and full-cutting).

[0121] In the first and second embodiments, the wafer transport unit grips and holds the ring frame of the wafer, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the wafer transport unit may hold the ring frame of the wafer by suction.

[0122] In the first and second embodiments, the transfer head holds the wafer by suction, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the transfer head may grip and hold the wafer.

[0123] In the first and second embodiments, the transfer head does not move the wafer in the horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the transfer head may move the wafer in the horizontal direction.

[0124] In the second embodiment, the control unit controls the wafer storage unit to extract the (N+1)th wafer and supply it to the transfer head at the wafer supply position while the wafer coating cleaning unit is cleaning the (N-1)th wafer, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the control unit may also control the wafer storage unit to extract the (N+1)th wafer and supply it to the transfer head at the wafer recovery position while the wafer coating cleaning unit is cleaning the (N-1)th wafer.

[0125] 10 Wafer storage section 20 Wafer transport section 30 Laser irradiation section 40 Wafer holding section 50 Wafer coating section 60 Wafer cleaning section 71 to 74, 273 Transfer head 80, 280 Control section 100, 200 Laser processing device 250 Wafer coating and cleaning section P1 Wafer storage position P2 Wafer supply position P3 Wafer recovery position P4 Coating delivery position P5 Cleaning delivery position P204 Coating and cleaning delivery position We Wafer

Claims

1. A laser processing apparatus comprising: a wafer storage unit for storing wafers; a laser irradiation unit for irradiating a wafer with a laser to perform processing; a wafer holding unit for holding a wafer when processing is performed by the laser irradiation unit; a wafer coating unit for coating a wafer before processing is performed by the laser irradiation unit; a wafer cleaning unit for cleaning a wafer after processing is performed by the laser irradiation unit; and a single wafer transfer unit for pulling out a wafer from the wafer storage unit and transferring the wafer, wherein a wafer storage position for storing a wafer in the wafer storage unit, a wafer supply position for supplying a wafer to the wafer holding unit, a wafer recovery position for recovering a wafer from the wafer holding unit, a coating transfer position for delivering a wafer to the wafer coating unit, and a cleaning transfer position for delivering a wafer to the wafer cleaning unit are arranged in a straight line, and the wafer transfer unit moves a wafer between the wafer storage position, the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position.

2. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer head disposed at each of the wafer supply position, the wafer recovery position, the coating transfer position, and the cleaning transfer position for holding and lifting a wafer.

3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transfer head does not move the wafer in the horizontal direction and lifts the wafer.

4. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for performing control to concurrently perform at least one of processing of the Nth wafer by the laser irradiation unit, cleaning of the (N - 1)th wafer by the wafer cleaning unit, and coating of the (N + 1)th wafer by the wafer coating unit.

5. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for performing control to pull out the (N + 1)th wafer from the wafer storage unit and supply it to the wafer coating unit during cleaning of the (N - 1)th wafer by the wafer cleaning unit.

6. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wafer coating and cleaning unit integrally including the wafer coating unit and the wafer cleaning unit, wherein the coating transfer position and the cleaning transfer position are common positions for delivering a wafer to the wafer coating and cleaning unit.

7. A transfer head that is disposed at at least one of the wafer supply position and the wafer recovery position, holds a wafer, and moves it up and down; and a control unit that controls to draw out the (N + 1)-th wafer from the wafer storage unit and supply it to the transfer head during the cleaning of the N-th wafer by the wafer film cleaning unit. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wafer transfer unit includes a transfer chuck.

9. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser irradiation unit performs grooving processing for dividing an insulating film provided on a wafer.

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