Disk-shaped substrate processing device, disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system, disk-shaped substrate processing method, and disk-shaped substrate manufacturing method

Abstract

Provided is a disk-shaped substrate processing device for performing processing at the time of manufacturing disk-shaped substrates, the processing device having a determination unit that determines a bending direction of each of the disk-shaped substrates, and an inversion unit that aligns the bending directions of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates on the basis of the determination by the determination unit.

Description

Disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus, disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system, disk-shaped substrate processing method, and disk-shaped substrate manufacturing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing apparatus for a disk-shaped substrate, a manufacturing system for a disk-shaped substrate, a processing method for a disk-shaped substrate, and a manufacturing method for a disk-shaped substrate.

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-10952 describes a control system for a double-sided polishing machine that polishes the top and bottom surfaces of an object to be polished by sandwiching the object between an upper platen and a lower platen and rotating the upper platen and the lower platen.

[0003] In the technology described in JP 2021-10952 A, the TOP surface workload required for polishing the TOP surface and the BOT surface workload required for polishing the BOT surface are calculated, and the polishing conditions are controlled so that the difference between the calculated TOP surface workload and the BOT surface workload falls within a predetermined range. It is said that this enables rapid control of the flatness of the substrate with high precision.

[0004] By controlling the flatness of the substrate in this manner, when further processing, such as polishing, is carried out in a subsequent step, processing conditions can be made uniform, thereby increasing the yield of the substrate.

[0005] However, in the technology described in JP 2021-10952 A, polishing conditions are set separately for both sides of the object to be polished, which makes the control complicated.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a disk-shaped substrate processing device, a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system, a disk-shaped substrate processing method, and a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing method that do not require complex control and can improve the yield of disk-shaped substrates.

[0007] The present disclosure includes the following aspects. <1> A disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus having a determination unit that determines a curvature direction of a disk-shaped substrate, and an aligning unit that aligns the curvature direction of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates based on the determination by the determination unit. <2> The disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to <1>, wherein the aligning unit includes an inversion unit that aligns the curvature direction of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates by inverting the disk-shaped substrates. <3> The disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to <1> or <2>, wherein the determination unit is capable of measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrates, and includes a sorting unit that sorts the plurality of disk-shaped substrates according to the degree of curvature. <4> The disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to <3>, which has a storage unit that stores the disk-shaped substrates sorted by the sorting unit into different cases according to the degree of curvature. <5> The disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the determination unit is capable of measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate, and includes a sorting unit that selects the disk-shaped substrates whose degree of curvature exceeds a threshold. <6> A disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system comprising: a first polishing unit that polishes disk-shaped substrates; a determination unit that determines the curvature direction of the disk-shaped substrates polished by the first polishing unit; an aligning unit that aligns the curvature direction of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates based on the determination by the determination unit; and a second polishing unit that polishes the disk-shaped substrates whose curvature directions have been aligned by the aligning unit. <7> A disk-shaped substrate processing method, comprising determining the curvature direction of a disk-shaped substrate, and aligning the curvature direction of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates based on the determination. <8> The disk-shaped substrate processing method according to <7>, wherein the curvature direction of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates is aligned by flipping the disk-shaped substrates. <9> The method for treating disk-shaped substrates according to <7> or <8>, comprising measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrates, and sorting the plurality of disk-shaped substrates according to the degree of curvature. <10> The method for treating disk-shaped substrates according to <9>, comprising storing the sorted disk-shaped substrates in different cases according to the degree of curvature. <11> The method for treating disk-shaped substrates according to any one of <7> to <9>, comprising measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrates, and selecting the disk-shaped substrates whose degree of curvature exceeds a threshold.<12> A method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate, comprising: performing a first polishing on a disk-shaped substrate; determining the curvature direction of the disk-shaped substrate after the first polishing; aligning the curvature direction of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates based on the determination; and performing a second polishing on the disk-shaped substrates whose curvature directions have been aligned.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, complicated control is not required, and the yield of disk-shaped substrates can be improved.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 2B is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 2B is a front view showing a method for measuring the flatness of a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 3A is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 3B is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 4A is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 4B is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a magnetic disk substrate as an example of a disk-shaped substrate. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a reversing processing unit in a disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 7A is a side view showing a gripping unit in a disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 7B is a side view showing a gripping unit in a disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 7C is a side view showing a gripping unit in a disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Fig. 8A is a front view showing an inversion unit in the disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment. Fig. 8B is a front view showing the inversion unit in the disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the inversion unit and storage unit in the disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing a control device in the disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flowchart of substrate processing in the disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. When embodiments are described with reference to drawings in the present disclosure, the configuration of the embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the sizes of components in each drawing are conceptual, and the relative size relationships between components are not limited to the relationships shown in each drawing.

[0011] In the following description of the drawings, like parts are designated by like reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, and the thickness ratio of each device and each component, differ from the actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined by taking into consideration the following explanation. Furthermore, there are parts in which the dimensional relationships and ratios differ between the drawings. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, the number of each component element of the present disclosure is not limited to one, and multiple elements may be present.

[0012] In the following embodiments, components (including element steps, etc.) are not essential unless otherwise specified. The same applies to numerical values ​​and their ranges, and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0013] In the present disclosure, numerical ranges indicated using "to" include the numerical values ​​before and after "to" as the minimum and maximum values, respectively.

[0014] In the numerical ranges described in stages in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit value described in one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit value of another numerical range described in stages. Furthermore, in the numerical ranges described in this disclosure, the upper or lower limit value of that numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples.

[0015] In the present disclosure, when components are contained, each component may contain multiple types of corresponding substances. When multiple types of substances corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the content or amount of each component means the total content or amount of the multiple types of substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified.

[0016] In the present disclosure, the particles corresponding to each component may contain multiple types of particles. When multiple types of particles corresponding to each component are present in the composition, the particle size of each component means the value for a mixture of the multiple types of particles present in the composition, unless otherwise specified.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the terms "layer" and "film" include cases where the layer or film is formed over the entire area when the area in which the layer or film is present is observed, as well as cases where the layer or film is formed over only a portion of the area.

[0018] <Overall Configuration of Disk-Shaped Substrate Manufacturing System> The overall configuration of a disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0019] The disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12 is a system used to manufacture the magnetic disk substrate 102 shown in FIG. 2A . In the present disclosure, the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12 may be configured to include one or more other devices necessary for manufacturing disk-shaped substrates. In this embodiment, the magnetic disk substrate 102 is a substrate for a hard disk, but it may also be a substrate used for other purposes. A through-hole 104 is formed in the center of the magnetic disk substrate 102. However, the central through-hole 104 does not have to be present.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2B , the magnetic disk substrate 102 has a base material 106. The base material 106 is, for example, an aluminum plate, an aluminum alloy plate, or the like. In the present disclosure, the base material 106 is not limited to this, and a glass plate or the like may also be adopted. Hereinafter, aluminum plates, aluminum alloy plates, glass plates, and the like will be collectively referred to as base material 106. Plating layers 108A, 108B are formed on a first surface and a second surface of the base material 106. The plating layers 108A, 108B are, for example, electroless nickel-phosphorus plating. In this case, the surface to be polished may be the plating layers 108A, 108B.

[0021] The magnetic disk substrate 102 shown in FIG. 2B is not curved or has a small degree of curvature. Such a magnetic disk substrate 102 is sometimes referred to as an ideal substrate. In contrast, the magnetic disk substrate 102 shown in FIG. 2C has a greater degree of curvature, with the first surface being convex, compared to the magnetic disk substrate 102 shown in FIG. 2B. For example, if the plating layer 108A on the first surface is thick and the plating layer 108B on the second surface is thin due to polishing, the compressive stress acting on the first surface is relatively large and the compressive stress acting on the second surface is relatively small. As such, if there is a difference in compressive stress between the first and second surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102, the magnetic disk substrate 102 will curve. In other words, the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102 will decrease. Furthermore, factors other than the difference in plating thickness between the first and second surfaces may also decrease the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102.

[0022] 2C is also an explanatory diagram defining the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102. The flatness in the disclosed technology can be expressed as a combination of the maximum value of the difference in unevenness between the first surface and the second surface of the magnetic disk substrate 102 and a positive or negative sign indicating the convex direction.

[0023] The flatness value can be measured using two planes PL1 and PL2 shown in FIG. 2C. Plane PL1 and plane PL2 are parallel, with plane PL1 contacting the first surface and plane PL2 contacting the second surface. The maximum distance L1 from plane PL1 to the first surface and the maximum distance L2 from plane PL2 to the second surface can be measured, and the difference ΔL = L1 - L2 can be used as an index of flatness. The unit of flatness in this case is μm. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A, the surface is curved convexly toward the first surface, and the positive and negative signs of the flatness are + (plus). In the examples shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B, the surface is curved convexly toward the second surface, and the positive and negative signs of the flatness are - (minus).

[0024] In the disclosed technology, a first threshold and a second threshold smaller than the first threshold are set for the absolute value of this flatness value. Then, magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness exceeds the first threshold are sorted out from magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness is equal to or less than the first threshold. Specifically, magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness is equal to or less than the first threshold can be flattened in the second polishing section 18 in a subsequent process to a degree that does not pose a problem for actual use. In contrast, magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness exceeds the first threshold are significantly curved to a degree that is unsuitable for actual use, even after polishing by the second polishing section 18, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this way, magnetic disk substrates 102 with a large degree of curvature are sorted out from magnetic disk substrates 102 with a small degree of curvature.

[0025] Furthermore, in the disclosed technology, as will be described later, magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness is equal to or less than a second threshold value are separated from magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute value of flatness exceeds the second threshold value. As a result, the polishing conditions in the second polishing unit 18 are changed for magnetic disk substrates 102 whose flatness exceeds the second threshold value and magnetic disk substrates 102 whose flatness is equal to or less than the second threshold value.

[0026] The definition of the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102 is not limited to the above. For example, the flatness can be determined from the distance from a geometric plane to the first and second surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102, the number of interference fringes that appear when light is irradiated onto the first and second surfaces, the amount of polishing when the first and second surfaces are polished, etc. As a measuring unit for measuring the flatness, any of these various flatness measuring devices may be used. For example, the definition of JIS B 0621-1984 "Definition and Display of Geometric Deviation" or ASME Y14.5-2018 "Dimensioning and Tolerance" can also be applied to the flatness.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12 includes a first polishing section 14 , a reversal processing section 16 , and a second polishing section 18 .

[0028] The first polishing unit 14 polishes both surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102 on which the plating layers 108A and 108B are formed. The polishing by the first polishing unit 14 is the first polishing of the disclosed technology. By the first polishing, both surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102 are polished. The magnetic disk substrate 102 polished by the first polishing unit 14 is transported to the reversal processing unit 16. The magnetic disk substrate 102 processed by the reversal processing unit 16 is sent to the second polishing unit 18. In the second polishing unit 18, both surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102 are polished.

[0029] <Reversal Processing Unit> The reversal processing unit 16 has a determination unit 20, a transfer unit 22, a reversal unit 24, and a storage unit 26. The reversal processing unit 16 is an example of a processing device for disk-shaped substrates of the disclosed technology. The reversal processing unit 16 is also an example of a sorting unit and a separation unit of the disclosed technology.

[0030] 6, the determination unit 20 has a measurement device 30 that measures the direction of curvature and flatness for each magnetic disk substrate 102. In the disclosed technology, the various flatnesses described above can be used as the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102. As the measurement device 30, a device that can measure each flatness can be used.

[0031] The determining unit 20 is controlled by a control device 28 shown in Fig. 10. Information on the direction of curvature and flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102 measured by the determining unit 20 is sent to the control device 28.

[0032] The transfer section 22 includes a transfer rail 32 and a gripping unit 34. The transfer rail 32 runs continuously from the first polishing section 14 to the reversing section 24 of the reversing processing section 16. There may be one or more gripping units 34 (two in the example shown in FIG. 6). The gripping units 34 are movably attached to the transfer rail 32. The gripping units 34 are controlled by the control device 28 shown in FIG. 10. For example, each gripping unit 34 is controlled to move from the position of the measuring device 30 to the position of one of multiple (three in the example shown in FIG. 6) reversing devices 44 shown on the right side of FIG. 6. In a configuration including multiple gripping units 34, the gripping units 34 are controlled by the control device 28 to prevent interference or collision between each other as they move along the transfer rail 32.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C , the gripping unit 34 has a pair of claws 36 and a rotating member 38. The pair of claws 36 open and close by supplying and discharging air, etc. As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C , when the pair of claws 36 are open, the pair of claws 36 can be inserted into the through-hole 104 of the magnetic disk substrate 102. In this state, by widening the gap between the pair of claws 36, the pair of claws 36 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 104, and the magnetic disk substrate 102 can be held. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 7A , when the pair of claws 36 are closed, the pair of claws 36 can be inserted into the through-hole 104 of the magnetic disk substrate 102, but the pair of claws 36 do not come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 104 and do not hold the magnetic disk substrate 102.

[0034] The pair of claws 36 are attached to the tip side of a rotating member 38. The rotating member 38 rotates the pair of claws 36 around a rotation axis 40 extending horizontally. This rotation allows the pair of claws 36 to take a first position SP1 shown in Fig. 7B and a second position SP2 shown by a solid line in Fig. 7C. In the first position SP1, the pair of claws 36 extend downward from the transfer rail 32. In the second position SP2, the pair of claws 36 extend horizontally.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 8A, the reversing section 24 has a support beam 42, a reversing device 44, and a clamping unit 46. The support beam 42 extends in the same direction as the arrangement of three cases 52 in the storage section 26, which will be described later. The number of clamping units 46 is the same as the number of cases 52, and in the example shown in Fig. 8A, there are three clamping units 46. Each clamping unit 46 has a pair of clamping arms 48. The reversing device 44 rotates the pair of clamping arms 48 by an angle of 180 degrees around a reversing shaft 50.

[0036] The pair of clamping arms 48 can be positioned between a clamping position NP1 and a clamping release position NP2 by rotating around the support shaft 48A. At the clamping position NP1, the pair of clamping arms 48 are close to each other and can clamp the magnetic disk substrate 102 from the outer periphery. At the clamping release position NP2, the pair of clamping arms 48 are in a more spread-out position than at the clamping position NP1 and release the clamping of the magnetic disk substrate 102. The opening and closing operations of the pair of clamping arms 48 are controlled by the control device 28.

[0037] In this embodiment, the magnetic disk substrate 102 can be inverted by rotating the pair of clamping arms 48 while clamping the magnetic disk substrate 102 in the inversion unit 24. The inversion unit 24 is a part that aligns the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 by inverting the magnetic disk substrates 102 when the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 are not aligned. The inversion unit 24 is an example of an alignment unit of the disclosed technology.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 8B and 9 , the storage section 26 is a section for storing multiple cases 52. In the example shown in FIGS. 8B and 9 , three cases 52 are stored. All of the cases 52 are rectangular in plan view. Each case 52 has multiple storage spaces 52S, each of which stores multiple magnetic disk substrates 102. The multiple storage spaces 52S are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the case 52. Hereinafter, these three cases will be referred to as a first product case 52A, a second product case 52B, and a non-product case 52C. The number of storage spaces 52S in each case 52 is, for example, a number that corresponds to the unit of processing or treatment in the next process. As an example, when polishing 50 magnetic disk substrates 102 in the second polishing section 18, the number of storage spaces 52S in each case 52 is any number between 25 and 50.

[0039] Both the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B are cases for storing magnetic disk substrates 102 that can be flattened by the second polishing unit 18 to a level suitable for use as a product. Specifically, the first product case 52A stores magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute flatness value is less than the second threshold. The second product case 52B stores magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute flatness value exceeds the second threshold and is equal to or less than the first threshold. In contrast, the non-product case 52C stores magnetic disk substrates 102 whose absolute flatness value exceeds the first threshold. That is, in the storage unit 26, the magnetic disk substrates 102 are sorted and stored in the corresponding cases based on the determination result by the determination unit 20. Note that FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 9 show a state in which the magnetic disk substrates 102 are stored in the corresponding cases 52. For this reason, the magnetic disk substrates 102 inside the cases 52 are represented by dashed lines in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

[0040] The storage section 26 is provided with a receiving member 56 and a slide mechanism 80. The receiving member 56 can be raised and lowered by an elevator (not shown). When the receiving member 56 is at a raised position PP1 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8B , it can come into contact with the magnetic disk substrate 102, which is held between the pair of clamping arms 48, from below. When the magnetic disk substrate 102 is released from the clamping by the pair of clamping arms 48 in this state, the receiving member 56 supports the magnetic disk substrate 102. When the receiving member 56 is lowered to a lowered position PP2 indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 8B (also indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 8A ), the magnetic disk substrate 102 is stored in a predetermined position in the case 52.

[0041] The slide mechanism 80 slides each of the cases 52 in the direction in which the storage spaces 52S of the cases 52 are arranged (in the direction of the arrow S). By sliding the cases 52 in this manner, a predetermined storage space 52S among the multiple storage spaces 52S is positioned below the pair of clamping arms 48. In other words, it is possible to store the magnetic disk substrate 102 clamped by the clamping arms 48 in a specific storage space 52S.

[0042] 1 , a conveying device 54 may be disposed between the storage section 26 and the second polishing section 18. The conveying device 54 conveys the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B to the second polishing section 18, and conveys the non-product case 52C to the recovery section 58. Note that, without providing such a conveying device 54, for example, an operator may convey the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B to the second polishing section 18, and convey the non-product case 52C to the recovery section 58.

[0043] In the second polishing section 18, the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the first product case 52A and the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the second product case 52B are polished under different polishing conditions. Specifically, the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the first product case 52A have a higher flatness than the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the second product case 52B. Therefore, the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the second product case 52B are polished under polishing conditions that will result in a finished flatness that is approximately the same as that of the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the first product case 52A. In this way, in the second polishing section 18, both the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the first product case 52A and the magnetic disk substrates 102 housed in the second product case 52B are polished under polishing conditions that are appropriate for each, and are flattened to a level that allows them to be used as products.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 28.

[0045] The control device 28 includes a computer 60. The computer 60 includes a processor 62, a memory 64, a storage 66, an input device 68, an output device 70, a storage medium reader 72, and a communication I / F (Interface) 74. These elements are connected to each other via a bus 76 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0046] The storage 66 stores a substrate processing program 78 for executing substrate processing, which will be described later. The processor 62 is capable of executing various programs and controlling each element. Specifically, the processor 62 reads the program from the storage 66 and executes the program using the memory 64 as a work area. In other words, the processor 62 controls each element and performs various arithmetic operations in accordance with the program stored in the storage 66.

[0047] The memory 64 can temporarily store programs and various data as a work area.

[0048] The storage 66 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc., and stores various programs and various data. These programs include not only application programs such as the substrate processing program described above, but also an operating system.

[0049] The input device 68 is a device for making various inputs to the computer 60. The input device 68 includes operation switches, operation buttons, etc., and may also include a keyboard used in a personal computer, a pointing device such as a mouse, etc.

[0050] The output device 70 is a device for outputting various types of information from the computer 60, and includes, for example, a display, an indicator lamp, a speaker, etc. A touch panel display can also be used as the output device 70, in which case the touch panel display also functions as the input device 68.

[0051] The storage medium reader 72 is a device that reads data stored in various storage media and writes data to storage media, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, a Blu-ray Disc, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

[0052] The communication I / F 74 is an interface for communicating with other devices, and is compliant with standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface).

[0053] In this embodiment, the communication I / F 74 can control the first polishing unit 14, the inversion processing unit 16, and the second polishing unit 18 and acquire information about their respective statuses by communicating with each of these units. This communication may be wireless or wired.

[0054] Next, the operation of the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12 of this embodiment, and the disk-shaped substrate processing method and manufacturing method will be described.

[0055] When manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate using the disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system 12, the magnetic disk substrate 102 is manufactured according to the flow shown in FIG. 11, as an example.

[0056] In step S110, the control device 28 controls the first polishing unit 14 to perform the first polishing of the magnetic disk substrate 102. By the first polishing, both surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102 are polished in the first polishing unit 14. The magnetic disk substrate 102 polished by the first polishing unit 14 is transported to the reversing processing unit 16. In the reversing processing unit 16, the magnetic disk substrate 102 is gripped by the gripping unit 34.

[0057] In step S112, the control device 28 controls the measuring device 30 to measure the direction of curvature and the flatness for each magnetic disk substrate 102. Information on the direction of curvature and the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102 measured by the measuring device 30 is transmitted to the control device 28.

[0058] In step S114, the control device 28 assigns a predetermined label to the magnetic disk substrate 102 according to the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102. Specifically, a label of "3" is assigned to a magnetic disk substrate 102 whose absolute value of flatness exceeds a first threshold. A label of "1" is assigned to a magnetic disk substrate 102 whose absolute value of flatness is equal to or less than a second threshold. A label of "2" is assigned to a magnetic disk substrate 102 whose absolute value of flatness is greater than the second threshold and equal to or less than the first threshold. Furthermore, for the magnetic disk substrate 102 to which a label of "1" or "2" has been assigned, a label of "+" or "-" is added according to the direction of curvature shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D. That is, the magnetic disk substrate 102 is assigned one of the labels "+1", "-1", "+2", "-2", or "3".

[0059] In step S116, the control device 28 controls the transfer section 22 in accordance with the label attached to the magnetic-disk substrate 102, and transfers the gripping unit 34 to a position above one of the first product case 52A, the second product case 52B, and the non-product case 52C. Specifically, for example, in the case of the gripping unit 34 holding a magnetic-disk substrate 102 labeled "+1" and "-1," the control device 28 transfers the gripping unit 34 above the first product case 52A. On the other hand, in the case of the gripping unit 34 holding a magnetic-disk substrate 102 labeled "+2" and "-2," the control device 28 transfers the gripping unit 34 above the second product case 52B. In the case of the gripping unit 34 holding a magnetic-disk substrate 102 labeled "3," the control device 28 transfers the gripping unit 34 above the non-product case 52C. Then, the gripping unit 34 and the clamping unit 46 are controlled so that the magnetic disk substrate 102 is transferred from the gripping unit 34 to the clamping unit 46 .

[0060] In step S118, the control device 28 controls the inverting device 44 to align the curvature direction of the magnetic-disk substrate 102. Specifically, in the case of a clamping unit 46 that clamps a magnetic-disk substrate 102 labeled "-1" or "-2," for example, the inverting device 44 rotates the pair of clamping arms 48 of the clamping unit 46 by 180 degrees around the inverting axis 50. As a result, the magnetic-disk substrate 102 clamped between the pair of clamping arms 48 is inverted. In contrast, in the case of a clamping unit 46 that clamps a magnetic-disk substrate 102 labeled "+1" or "+2," the inverting device 44 does not rotate the pair of clamping arms 48 of the clamping unit 46. As a result, the magnetic-disk substrate 102 whose flatness is equal to or less than the second threshold is positioned above the first product case 52A with the curvature direction aligned. Similarly, the magnetic-disk substrates 102 whose flatness exceeds the second threshold and is equal to or smaller than the first threshold are positioned above the second product case 52B with the same curvature direction, whereas the magnetic-disk substrates 102 whose flatness exceeds the first threshold are positioned above the non-product case 52C regardless of the curvature direction.

[0061] In step S120, the control device 28 controls the pair of clamping arms 48 and the receiving member 56 to store the magnetic disk substrate 102 in the corresponding case 52. Specifically, when receiving the magnetic disk substrate 102 from the clamping unit 46, the control device 28 raises the corresponding receiving member 56 to the raised position PP. Then, with the upper part of the receiving member 56 in contact with the magnetic disk substrate 102, the control device 28 moves the pair of clamping arms 48 to the release position NP2. This releases the clamping of the magnetic disk substrate 102 by the clamping arms 48, and the magnetic disk substrate 102 is supported from below by the receiving member 56. In this state, the control device 28 lowers the receiving member 56 to the lowered position PP2. This allows the magnetic disk substrate 102 to be stored in a predetermined position in the case 52.

[0062] 1 may be included. In a configuration including the conveying device 54, the flow for manufacturing the magnetic disk substrate 102 proceeds to step S122. In step S122, the control device 28 controls the conveying device 54 to convey the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B to the second polishing section 18, and convey the non-product case 52C to the recovery section 58. In a configuration without the conveying device 54, for example, a worker conveys the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B to the second polishing section 18, and conveys the non-product case 52C to the recovery section 58.

[0063] In step S124, the control device 28 controls the second polishing unit 18 to perform the second polishing on the magnetic disk substrate 102. By the second polishing, both surfaces of the magnetic disk substrate 102 are polished again in the second polishing unit 18.

[0064] In this embodiment, the magnetic disk substrates 102 are carried into the second polishing unit 18 with the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 aligned in both the first product case 52A and the second product case 52B. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 are not aligned, the second polishing by the second polishing unit 18 can flatten the magnetic disk substrates 102 without requiring complex control, improving the yield of the magnetic disk substrates 102. Because the magnetic disk substrates 102 are flattened, the accuracy and stability of measurement are high when measuring the electromagnetic conversion characteristics.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first product case 52A contains magnetic disk substrates 102 whose flatness is equal to or less than the second threshold, and the second product case 52B contains magnetic disk substrates 102 whose flatness is greater than the second threshold and equal to or less than the first threshold, and these substrates are then carried into the second polishing section 18. In this way, magnetic disk substrates 102 whose flatness is within a predetermined range are carried into the second polishing section 18, so that the degree and frequency of adjustment of the polishing amount can be reduced, and the flattening operation is easy.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the second threshold is an example of an index for setting the degree of polishing of the magnetic disk substrate 102 in the second polishing unit 18. That is, when the absolute value of the flatness of the magnetic disk substrate 102 exceeds the second threshold and is equal to or less than the first threshold, the second polishing unit 18 performs polishing to make the magnetic disk substrate 102 more flat, compared to when the absolute value is equal to or less than the second threshold. However, even in a configuration in which the second threshold is not set, if, for example, the first threshold is set, it is possible to determine whether or not a magnetic disk substrate 102 whose flatness exceeds the first threshold is unsuitable for use as a product even after polishing in the second polishing unit 18.

[0067] Alternatively, the first threshold value may not be set, and the magnetic disk substrates 102 may be inverted based on the positive or negative flatness of the magnetic disk substrates 102 to align the curvature directions. For example, if it is known in advance that the flatness of the magnetic disk substrates 102 polished by the first polishing unit 14 has been flattened to an extent that does not exceed the first threshold value, the magnetic disk substrates 102 do not need to be selected based on the first threshold value. However, even in this case, by aligning the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 based on the positive or negative flatness of the magnetic disk substrates 102, the polishing conditions in the second polishing unit 18 can be made uniform, thereby improving the product yield.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the inverting unit 24 is exemplified as an aligning unit of the disclosed technology. That is, the inverting unit 24 inverts specific magnetic disk substrates 102 among the multiple magnetic disk substrates 102, thereby aligning the curvature directions of the multiple magnetic disk substrates 102. Conversely, it is also possible to align the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 without inverting them. For example, even if the magnetic disk substrates 102 are housed in different cases 52 (see FIG. 9 ) depending on the curvature direction of the magnetic disk substrates 102 determined by the determining unit 20, in other words, the positive or negative sign, the curvature directions are aligned in each case 52. In this case, it is sufficient that the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 are aligned for each case 52, and any curvature direction is acceptable. For example, when the curvature directions of the magnetic disk substrates 102 are to be aligned in a specific direction during polishing in the second polishing unit 18, it is also possible to invert each of the housed magnetic disk substrates 102 at once by inverting the cases 52.

[0069] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-107708, filed on July 3, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

A processing apparatus for a disk-shaped substrate that performs processing during the manufacture of the disk-shaped substrate, a determination unit for determining the curvature direction of the disk-shaped substrate; an alignment unit that aligns the curvature directions of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates based on the determination by the determination unit; A processing apparatus for a disk-shaped substrate. 　 The apparatus for treating disk-shaped substrates according to claim 1 , wherein the aligning unit includes an inverting unit that inverts the disk-shaped substrates to align the curvature directions of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates. 　 the determination unit is capable of measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate, 3. The apparatus for treating disk-shaped substrates according to claim 1, further comprising a sorting unit for sorting the plurality of disk-shaped substrates according to the degree of curvature. 　 The apparatus for treating disk-shaped substrates according to claim 3 , further comprising a storage section for storing the disk-shaped substrates separated by the separation section in different cases according to the degree of curvature. 　 the determination unit is capable of measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate, 5. The disk-shaped substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sorting unit that sorts out the disk-shaped substrates whose degree of curvature exceeds a threshold value. 　 a first polishing unit that polishes a disk-shaped substrate; a determination unit that determines a curvature direction of the disk-shaped substrate polished by the first polishing unit; an alignment unit that aligns the curvature directions of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates based on the determination by the determination unit; a second polishing unit that polishes the disk-shaped substrate whose curvature direction has been aligned by the alignment unit; A disk-shaped substrate manufacturing system having the above structure. 　 A method for processing a disk-shaped substrate during manufacturing of the disk-shaped substrate, comprising: Determining the direction of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate; The method for processing a disk-shaped substrate aligns the curvature directions of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates based on the determination. 　 The method for processing a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 7 , wherein the curvature directions of a plurality of the disk-shaped substrates are made uniform by inverting the disk-shaped substrates. 　 measuring the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate; 9. The method for treating a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 7, further comprising sorting the plurality of disk-shaped substrates according to the degree of curvature. 　 The method for treating a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 9 , wherein the separated disk-shaped substrates are stored in different cases depending on the degree of curvature. 　 Measure the degree of curvature of the disk-shaped substrate; 10. The method for treating a disk-shaped substrate according to claim 7, further comprising the step of selecting the disk-shaped substrates whose degree of curvature exceeds a threshold value. 　 A first polishing is performed on the disk-shaped substrate; determining a curvature direction of the disk-shaped substrate after the first polishing; Based on the determination, the curvature directions of the plurality of disk-shaped substrates are aligned; The method for manufacturing a disk-shaped substrate further comprises performing a second polishing on the disk-shaped substrate whose curvature direction has been aligned.

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