Cleaning device

Abstract

This cleaning device cleans a workpiece fixed to the inner side of a frame via a holding member that is tape or a flat plate, the cleaning device comprising: a stage part having a placement surface on which the workpiece is placed together with the frame; and a protective cover for protecting the frame placed on the placement surface from a cleaning liquid. This protective cover has a cover main body and a seal part. The cover main body is a portion configured in an annular shape, and covers the entire frame around the workpiece while exposing the workpiece during cleaning of the workpiece. The seal part is a portion configured by providing an annular seal member on an inner peripheral edge of the cover main body. The protective cover is configured such that the seal part comes into contact with the holding member between the workpiece and the frame, or the seal part comes into contact with a peripheral edge portion of the workpiece, during cleaning of the workpiece.

Description

Cleaning device 【0001】 The present invention relates to a cleaning technique for workpieces such as wafers. 【0002】 Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for cleaning a workpiece such as a wafer while rotating it with a cleaning liquid. 【0003】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-094511, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-148311 【0004】 The cleaning technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 above may also be applied when cleaning a workpiece while it is fixed to a frame via a dicing tape. In that case, there was a problem that the frame was contaminated by the cleaning liquid (including processing powder scattered from the workpiece during cleaning). If the frame was contaminated, there was a risk that the workpiece after cleaning would be contaminated by foreign matter adhering to the frame. 【0005】 Therefore, it is conceivable to clean the frame using a new cleaning liquid after cleaning the workpiece. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for cleaning a frame with a cleaning liquid. However, if an attempt is made to further clean the frame after cleaning the workpiece, problems such as an increase in the number of steps, contamination of the workpiece with the cleaning liquid during cleaning of the frame, and further deterioration of the frame by the cleaning liquid may occur. 【0006】 Therefore, an object of the present invention is to protect the frame from contamination by the cleaning liquid even when cleaning a workpiece while it is fixed to a frame. 【0007】The cleaning apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration (Aspect 1). The cleaning apparatus is a device for cleaning a workpiece fixed to the inside of a frame via a holding member which is a tape or a flat plate, and comprises a stage portion having a mounting surface on which the workpiece is placed together with the frame, and a protective cover which protects the frame placed on the mounting surface from cleaning liquid. The protective cover has a cover body and a sealing portion. Here, the cover body is an annular portion which, when cleaning a workpiece, exposes the workpiece while covering the entire frame around the workpiece. The sealing portion is a portion formed by providing an annular sealing member on the inner peripheral edge of the cover body, and the protective cover is configured such that when cleaning a workpiece, the sealing portion contacts the holding member between the workpiece and the frame, or the sealing portion contacts the peripheral edge of the workpiece. 【0008】 According to the above embodiment 1, by bringing the sealing portion into contact with the holding member between the workpiece and the frame, it becomes possible to cover the frame with the cover body while sealing the space between the workpiece and the frame with the sealing portion. Therefore, when cleaning the workpiece, the protective cover can prevent cleaning fluid (including processing powder scattered from the workpiece during cleaning) from splashing onto the frame. Furthermore, by bringing the sealing portion into contact with the peripheral edge of the workpiece, the peripheral edge of the workpiece can also be covered by the protective cover in addition to the frame, protecting it from the cleaning fluid. 【0009】 The cleaning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 described above may have the following configuration (Embodiment 2). The stage may be configured so that the mounting surface can rotate. The protective cover may also be configured to rotate together with the stage when the stage rotates (when the mounting surface rotates). 【0010】 According to the above embodiment 2, even when the stage is rotated during workpiece cleaning, it is possible to maintain protection of the frame from the cleaning fluid by the protective cover. 【0011】The cleaning device according to embodiment 1 or 2 described above may have the following configuration (embodiment 3). The cleaning device may further include a first lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism is a mechanism that enables the lifting and lowering of a protective cover in a first direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, and can move the protective cover between a separated position and a covered position. Here, the separated position is the position of the protective cover when the cover body is separated from the mounting surface in the first direction. The covered position is the position of the protective cover when the entire frame is covered by the cover body when a workpiece is placed on the mounting surface together with the frame. Specifically, the stage portion has a peripheral portion that extends outward from the mounting surface, and the first lifting mechanism includes an arm portion and a first movable portion. The arm portion is a portion that supports the protective cover and is provided so as to be slidable through the peripheral portion of the stage portion in the first direction. The first movable part is a part that can move in a first direction, and is capable of contacting the arm from the side opposite the protective cover and lifting the arm by further upward movement thereafter, and moving away from the arm by further downward movement after the protective cover has been moved to the covering position. 【0012】 According to embodiment 3 described above, by lifting the arm portion with the first movable portion and moving the protective cover to a separated position, the space between the stage portion and the protective cover can be opened, and as a result, the workpiece can be loaded and unloaded while fixed to the frame. Furthermore, by lowering the first movable portion and separating it from the arm portion, the stage portion can be rotated without interference of the first movable portion with the arm portion while the protective cover is in the covering position. 【0013】The cleaning device according to embodiment 3 described above may have the following configuration (embodiment 4). The cleaning device may further include a second lifting mechanism. The second lifting mechanism is a mechanism that enables the frame to be raised and lowered in a first direction and comprises a pin portion and a second movable portion. Multiple pin portions are provided around the mounting surface, and each has a leg portion that is slidably provided so as to penetrate the peripheral edge portion of the stage portion in the first direction, and a head portion that is positioned on the protective cover side and supports the outer peripheral edge portion of the frame. The second movable portion is movable in the first direction and is capable of contacting all pin portions from the side opposite to the protective cover and lifting the pin portions by further rising thereafter, and moving away from the pin portions by further lowering after the frame has been placed on the mounting surface. 【0014】 According to embodiment 4 described above, by moving the second movable part, the pin part can be moved to a transfer position where the head is located above the mounting surface in the first direction and the frame is transferred, and to a mounting position where the frame is placed on the mounting surface. This makes it possible to transfer the frame at a position above the mounting surface (transfer position) (transfer of the frame between the frame transport device and the cleaning device), and as a result, the loading and unloading of the frame becomes easier. Furthermore, by lowering the second movable part and moving it away from the pin part, the workpiece can be placed on the stage, and the stage can be rotated without interference of the second movable part with the pin part. 【0015】 The cleaning device according to the above embodiment 4 may have the following configuration (embodiment 5). The first movable part and the second movable part may use a single movable part common to them, and the arm part may be one whose length in the first direction is longer than that of the pin part. As a result, the common movable part first comes into contact with the arm part during the upward process, and then comes into contact with the pin part as it rises further. 【0016】According to embodiment 5 described above, by making the first movable part and the second movable part common, the configuration of the two lifting mechanisms (first lifting mechanism and second lifting mechanism) for the protective cover and the pin part can be simplified. Furthermore, in embodiment 5 described above, by adjusting the lengths of the arm part and the pin part, it is possible to raise and lower the protective cover and the pin part in the appropriate order and timing using only one movable part. Specifically, by using an arm part that is longer in the first direction than the pin part, the common movable part first comes into contact with the arm part during the process of rising, and then comes into contact with the pin part midway as it rises further. 【0017】 This design allows the protective cover to start rising first when opening it, and then, after it has advanced a certain distance, to start rising the pin section and move it to the transfer position. Conversely, when closing the protective cover, the lowering of the protective cover and the lowering of the pin section are started simultaneously, and then the pin section is moved to the mounting position first (i.e., the frame is placed on the mounting surface), and then the protective cover is lowered further to the covering position. 【0018】 A cleaning device according to any of the above embodiments 3 to 5 may have the following configuration (embodiment 6). The cleaning device may further include a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism is a mechanism that pulls the protective cover towards the mounting surface and fixes it after the protective cover has moved to the covering position, and comprises a suction pad and a suction mechanism. The suction pad is installed on the back of the cover body of the protective cover and contacts the peripheral edge of the stage when the protective cover moves to the covering position. The suction mechanism is a mechanism that creates negative pressure inside the suction pad when the suction pad is in contact with the peripheral edge of the stage. When the suction pad is in contact with the peripheral edge of the stage, it elastically deforms due to the negative pressure inside the pad caused by the suction mechanism, and as a result the protective cover is pulled towards the mounting surface, and the sealing portion is pressed against the holding member or workpiece. 【0019】According to embodiment 6 described above, the elastic force (rebound force) of the suction pad can prevent or mitigate collisions of the sealing portion with the mounting surface that may occur when the protective cover is lowered to the covering position. As a result, damage to the sealing portion that may occur due to collision with the mounting surface can be prevented. Furthermore, the suction force of the suction mechanism causes the suction pad to elastically deform against its own elastic force (rebound force), thereby allowing the sealing portion to be pressed against the holding member or workpiece. As a result, when the sealing portion is in contact with the holding member between the workpiece and the frame, the protective cover can be fixed on the stage with the space between the workpiece and the frame securely sealed by the sealing portion. Furthermore, when the sealing portion is in contact with the peripheral edge of the workpiece, the protective cover can be fixed on the stage with the space between the peripheral edge of the workpiece and the frame securely protected from the cleaning solution. 【0020】 According to the present invention, even when cleaning the workpiece while it is fixed to the frame, the frame can be protected from contamination by the cleaning solution. 【0021】 Figure 1(A) is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment, and Figure 1(B) is a conceptual block diagram showing the configuration of the cleaning device. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged right half of the cross-sectional view of Figure 1(A). Figure 3(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning device, and Figure 3(B) is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged right half of the cross-sectional view. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation continuing from Figure 3(B). Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation continuing from Figure 4. Figure 6(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation continuing from Figure 5, and Figure 6(B) is an enlarged view showing the J1 region in the partial cross-sectional view, with the first and second lifting mechanisms omitted. Figure 7(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation continuing from Figure 6(A), and Figure 7(B) is an enlarged view showing the J2 region in the partial cross-sectional view, with the first and second lifting mechanisms omitted. 【0022】[1] Embodiment Figure 1(A) is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing a cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment, and Figure 1(B) is a block diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the cleaning apparatus. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged right half of the cross-sectional view of Figure 1(A). The cleaning apparatus of this embodiment is a device for cleaning a workpiece W (such as a wafer or substrate; see Figure 3(A)) fixed to the inside of a frame 101 via tape 102 (such as dicing tape), and comprises a stage section 1, a protective cover 2, a first lifting mechanism 3, a second lifting mechanism 4, a fixing mechanism 5, and a control device 6. The configuration of each part will be described in detail below. Note that instead of tape 102, a flat plate such as a thin plastic plate (film) may be used as a holding member for fixing the workpiece W to the inside of the frame 101. 【0023】 <Stage Section> The stage section 1 has a mounting surface 10a (the upper surface in Figure 1(A); see also Figures 4 and 5) on which the workpiece W to be cleaned is placed together with the frame 101. In this embodiment, the stage section 1 has a central portion 11 on which the mounting surface 10a is formed, and a peripheral portion 12 that extends outward from the mounting surface 10a. As will be described in detail later, this peripheral portion 12 is used to support the arm portion 31 of the first lifting mechanism 3, to support the pin portion 41 of the second lifting mechanism 4, and to suction-fix the protective cover 2 by the fixing mechanism 5. 【0024】The stage unit 1 is equipped with a chuck mechanism. This chuck mechanism is for adsorbing and fixing the tape 102 to which the workpiece W is attached to the mounting surface 10a when the workpiece W is placed on the mounting surface 10a. In this embodiment, the chuck mechanism is a mechanism that fixes the tape 102 to the mounting surface 10a in close contact with it by vacuum suction. Specifically, an annular sealing portion 13 (such as a V-ring) is provided along the periphery of the mounting surface 10a, and the frame 101 is placed on this sealing portion 13 so that the space between the tape 102 and the mounting surface 10a can be sealed by the sealing portion 13. Then, in this state, vacuum suction is performed by a suction device 14 (see Figure 1(B)) through a suction port (not shown) provided on the mounting surface 10a, so that the tape 102 can be fixed to the mounting surface 10a in close contact with it. Note that the chuck mechanism may be appropriately changed to one that adsorbs and fixes the tape 102 to the mounting surface 10a by electrostatic chuck or the like. 【0025】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stage unit 1 is configured to allow rotation of its mounting surface 10a. Specifically, the rotating shaft 201 is supported by a bearing 202 (such as a ball bearing or roller bearing), and the rotating shaft 201 is connected to the back surface 10b of the stage unit 1 (the surface opposite to the mounting surface 10a; the bottom surface in Figure 1(A)). More specifically, the stage unit 1 is connected to the rotating shaft 201 so that the center of the mounting surface 10a is the center of rotation. Note that the rotating shaft 201 may be supported by a sliding bearing instead of a bearing 202. Also, the rotation of the stage unit 1 (rotation of the mounting surface 10a) may be achieved by a different configuration (rotating means) that is not limited to the configuration in which the rotating shaft 201 supported by a bearing 202 or a sliding bearing is connected to the stage unit 1. 【0026】 <Protective Cover> The protective cover 2 is a cover that protects the frame 101 placed on the mounting surface 10a from the cleaning liquid used to clean the workpiece W (including processing powder scattered from the workpiece W during cleaning). 【0027】Specifically, the protective cover 2 has a cover body 21 and a sealing portion 22 (see Figures 1(A) and 2). Here, the cover body 21 is an annular portion and is configured to have an opening 210 that exposes the workpiece W to the inside when the workpiece W is being cleaned (see Figure 7(A)), and is configured to cover the entire frame 101 around the workpiece W. Specifically, the opening 210 is formed in the cover body 21 such that, when viewed from a first direction D1 perpendicular to the mounting surface 10a, the center of the opening 210 coincides with the center of the mounting surface 10a of the stage portion 1. The sealing portion 22 is a portion configured by providing an annular sealing member (such as a lip seal) around the entire circumference of the inner periphery of the cover body 21, and is configured to seal the space between the workpiece W and the frame 101 around the entire circumference by contacting the tape 102 between them when the workpiece W is being cleaned (see Figures 7(A) and 7(B)). Furthermore, the cover body 21 and the sealing portion 22 may be integrally constructed. 【0028】 In this embodiment, even when the stage unit 1 is rotated during cleaning of the workpiece W, the protective cover 2 is configured to rotate integrally with the stage unit 1 when the stage unit 1 is rotated (when the mounting surface 10a is rotated) in order to maintain the protection of the frame 101 from the cleaning fluid (covering of the frame 101 and sealing between the workpiece W and the frame 101). Details of the configuration that makes this possible will be revealed in the following description. 【0029】<First Lifting Mechanism> The first lifting mechanism 3 is a mechanism that enables the lifting and lowering of the protective cover 2 in a first direction D1 perpendicular to the mounting surface 10a, and is configured to move the protective cover 2 between a separated position Ps1 (see Figures 2 and 3(B)) and a covered position Ps2 (see Figure 6(A)). Here, the separated position Ps1 is the position of the protective cover 2 when the cover body 21 is separated from the mounting surface 10a in the first direction D1, and is the position when the cover body 21 is separated from the mounting surface 10a by a distance greater than the distance that allows for the loading and unloading of the workpiece W (specifically, the loading and unloading of the workpiece W while it is fixed to the frame 101). The covered position Ps2 is the position of the protective cover 2 when the entire frame 101 is covered by the cover body 21 when the workpiece W is mounted on the mounting surface 10a together with the frame 101. 【0030】 Specifically, the first lifting mechanism 3 comprises an arm portion 31, a first movable portion 32, and a translational drive unit 33 (see Figures 1(A) to 2). Here, the arm portion 31 is the part that supports the protective cover 2 and is slidably provided so as to penetrate the peripheral portion 12 of the stage portion 1 in the first direction D1. The first movable portion 32 is a part that can move (translate) in the first direction D1 and is configured to allow contact with the arm portion 31 from the opposite side of the protective cover 2 (see Figure 5) and subsequent lifting of the arm portion 31 by further upward movement (see Figures 4 and 3(B)), and separation from the arm portion 31 by further downward movement after the protective cover 2 has been moved to the covering position Ps2 (see Figure 6(A)). The driving force for moving (translating) the first movable portion 32 in the first direction D1 in this manner is obtained from the translational drive unit 33 (see Figure 1(B)). 【0031】In this embodiment, multiple arm portions 31 are provided around the mounting surface 10a (for example, two on the left and right as shown in Figure 1(A)), and their upper ends are connected to the back surface 21a of the cover body 21 (the bottom surface in the example of Figure 1(A)). Furthermore, all of these arm portions 31 are configured to have the same length in the first direction D1 (in other words, when the cover body 21 is placed horizontally, the lower ends of all the arm portions 31 are aligned at the same height). In addition, the first movable portion 32 is made of an annular member (an annular flat plate in the example of Figure 1(A)), and is horizontally positioned so that it can move up and down along the rotation axis 201 with the rotation axis 201 passing through its inside. This allows all the lower ends of the arm portions 31 to simultaneously contact the upper surface 32a of the first movable portion 32 while it is being raised, and conversely, when the first movable portion 32 is being lowered, all the lower ends of the arm portions 31 can be separated from the upper surface 32a of the first movable portion 32 during the process. 【0032】 With this first lifting mechanism 3, the arm portion 31 is lifted by the first movable portion 32 and the protective cover 2 is moved to the separated position Ps1 (see Figure 3(B)), which opens the space between the stage portion 1 and the protective cover 2. As a result, the workpiece W can be loaded and unloaded while fixed to the frame 101. Furthermore, by lowering the first movable portion 32 and separating it from the arm portion 31 (see Figure 6(A)), the protective cover 2 is moved to the covering position Ps2, and the stage portion 1 can be rotated by the rotary drive unit 203 (see Figure 1(B)) without interference of the first movable portion 32 with the arm portion 31. Moreover, when the protective cover 2 is raised and lowered in the first direction D1, the positional relationship of the protective cover 2 with the stage portion 1 can always be maintained in the same state (specifically, when viewed from the first direction D1 perpendicular to the mounting surface 10a of the stage portion 1, the center of the opening 210 of the protective cover 2 coincides with the center of the mounting surface 10a). 【0033】 <Second Lifting Mechanism> The second lifting mechanism 4 is a mechanism that enables the frame 101 to be raised and lowered in the first direction D1, and comprises a pin portion 41 and a second movable portion 42 (see Figures 1(A) and 2). 【0034】Each pin portion 41 has a leg portion 411 and a head portion 412 (see Figure 2). The leg portion 411 is provided to slide through the peripheral edge portion 12 of the stage portion 1 in the first direction D1. The head portion 412 is a portion that supports the outer peripheral edge of the frame 101 (see Figure 3(B)). The pin portion 41 is positioned with its head portion 412 facing the protective cover 2. Multiple such pin portions 41 are provided around the mounting surface 10a. Specifically, there are three or more pin portions 41 so that the outer peripheral edge of the frame 101 can be supported at least three points. 【0035】 On the other hand, in this embodiment, the first movable part 32 described above is also used as the second movable part 42 (see Figure 2). In other words, the first movable part 32 and the second movable part 42 use a single movable part common to both. The first movable part 32, which also functions as the second movable part 42, is configured to be able to contact all the pin portions 41 from the side opposite to the protective cover 2 (see Figure 4) and to lift the pin portions 41 by further rising thereafter (see Figure 3(B)), and to move away from the pin portions 41 by further lowering after the frame 101 is placed on the mounting surface 10a (see Figures 5 and 6(A)). 【0036】Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pin portions 41 are configured to have the same length in the first direction D1. In addition, the lower limit of the range of motion of the pin portions 41 is defined to be the same position in the first direction D1 for all pin portions 41 (in other words, all lower ends are aligned at the same height when the pin portion 41 reaches the lower limit), and these pin portions 41 are always biased toward that position (the lower limit of the range of motion). In the example shown in Figure 2, a flange portion 430 is provided on the leg portion 411, which is slidably housed in the cylinder 431, and the flange portion 430 is biased downward by a compression spring 432 within the cylinder 431 to enable such movement of the pin portions 41. As a result, when raising the first movable part 32, which also functions as the second movable part 42, the lower ends of all the pin portions 41 are brought into contact with its upper surface 32a simultaneously, and conversely, when lowering the first movable part 32, the lower ends of all the pin portions 41 are separated from the upper surface 32a of the first movable part 32 during the process. 【0037】 With this second lifting mechanism 4, by moving the first movable part 32, which also functions as the second movable part 42, all the pin parts 41 can be moved to a transfer position Pt1 (see Figure 3(B)) where the frame 101 is transferred, and to a mounting position Pt2 (see Figure 4) where the frame 101 is placed on the mounting surface 10a, while maintaining the state in which their heads 412 are aligned to the same position (height) in the first direction D1. 【0038】This makes it possible to transfer the frame 101 at a position (transfer position Pt1) above the mounting surface 10a (transfer of the frame 101 between the frame transport device (not shown) and the cleaning device), and as a result, the loading and unloading of the frame 101 becomes easier. Specifically, when loading or unloading the frame 101, by opening the protective cover 2 and moving the pin portion 41 to the transfer position Pt1, the loading of the frame 101 can be completed simply by moving the frame 101 horizontally to the transfer position Pt1 with the frame transport device (not shown) and placing it on the head 412 of the pin portion 41. Furthermore, the unloading of the frame 101 can be completed simply by slightly lifting the frame 101 from the head 412 of the pin portion 41 with the frame transport device (not shown) and pulling it horizontally from the transfer position Pt1. 【0039】 In this embodiment, a projection 414 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the head 412 on all pin portions 41 (see Figure 2). This projection 414 allows for positioning of the frame 101 when it is placed on the head 412 at the transfer position Pt1, and also prevents the frame 101 from falling off the head 412 (see Figure 3(B)). 【0040】 Furthermore, with the second lifting mechanism 4 described above, by lowering the first movable part 32 and separating it from the pin part 41 (see Figure 6(A)), the placement of the workpiece W onto the stage part 1 can be completed, and the stage part 1 can be rotated by the rotary drive unit 203 (see Figure 1(B)) without interference of the first movable part 32 with the pin part 41. 【0041】 Specifically, by lowering the first movable part 32 (a movable part common to the first lifting mechanism 3 and the second lifting mechanism 4) and separating it from both the pin part 41 and the arm part 31 (see Figure 6(A)), the frame 101 can be covered with the protective cover 2 while the workpiece W is placed on the mounting surface 10a of the stage part 1. Furthermore, the stage part 1 can be rotated without the first movable part 32 interfering with either the pin part 41 or the arm part 31 (in other words, with the stage part 1 completely separated from the first movable part 32). 【0042】 Also, by making the first movable part 32 and the second movable part 42 common as in the present embodiment, the configurations of the two elevating mechanisms (the first elevating mechanism 3 and the second elevating mechanism 4) for the protection cover 2 and the pin part 41 can be simplified. 【0043】 And in the present embodiment, by adjusting the lengths of the arm part 31 and the pin part 41, it is configured such that the protection cover 2 and the pin part 41 can be moved up and down in an appropriate order and timing by only one movable part (here, the first movable part 32). Specifically, an arm part 31 having a length in the first direction D1 longer than that of the pin part 41 is used, whereby the first movable part 32 (the common movable part) first abuts against the arm part 31 in the ascending process (see FIG. 5), and then abuts against the pin part 41 in the middle by ascending further (see FIG. 4). 【0044】 Thereby, when opening the protection cover 2, first, the ascent of the protection cover 2 is started (see FIG. 5), and after it has advanced to a certain extent, the ascent of the pin part 41 can be started and moved to the delivery position Pt1 (see FIGS. 4 and 3(B)). Conversely, when closing the protection cover 2, the descent of the protection cover 2 and the descent of the pin part 41 are started simultaneously (see FIG. 3(B)), and then, after moving the pin part 41 to the placement position Pt2 (that is, after placing the frame 101 on the placement surface 10a; see FIG. 4), the protection cover 2 can be further descended and moved to the covering position Ps2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6(A)). 【0045】 <Fixing mechanism> The fixing mechanism 5 is a mechanism that pulls the protection cover 2 toward the placement surface 10a and fixes it after the protection cover 2 has moved to the covering position Ps2 (see FIGS. 6(B) and 7(B)), and includes a suction pad 51 and a suction mechanism 52 (see FIGS. 1(A) to 2). 【0046】The suction pad 51 is a bellows-shaped pad with a suction port 51a formed at its tip, and is installed on the back surface 21a (the lower surface in the example of FIG. 2) of the cover body 21 of the protective cover 2 with the suction port 51a facing the stage portion 1. Also, the suction pad 51 is configured such that when the protective cover 2 moves to the covering position Ps2, the suction port 51a can contact the peripheral portion 12 of the stage portion 1 without any gap (see FIG. 6(B)). 【0047】 The suction mechanism 52 is a mechanism that creates a negative pressure inside the suction pad 51 in a state where the suction port 51a of the suction pad 51 contacts the peripheral portion 12 without any gap. Specifically, the suction mechanism 52 includes a suction port (not shown) formed at the contact location of the suction pad 51 on the peripheral portion 12, and a suction device 520 (such as a vacuum pump; see FIG. 1(B)) that reduces the pressure inside the suction pad 51 by suction (including vacuum suction) through the suction port. 【0048】 In the present embodiment, a plurality of suction pads 51 are provided at equal intervals around the opening 210 of the cover body 21, and when the protective cover 2 is arranged at the covering position Ps2 (see FIG. 6(B)), all of their suction ports 51a are configured to be in a state of contacting the peripheral portion 12 of the stage portion 1 without any gap. Also, suction ports (not shown) are formed one by one at the contact locations of those suction pads 51 on the peripheral portion 12 of the stage portion 1, and when all the suction ports 51a are contacting the peripheral portion 12 without any gap, the suction mechanism 52 can create a negative pressure inside all the suction pads 51 by suction. 【0049】 As a result, all the suction pads 51 are elastically deformed by the differential pressure with the outside due to the negative pressure inside the pads (see FIG. 7(B)), whereby the protective cover 2 is attracted toward the mounting surface 10a, and the seal portion 22 comes into a state of being pressed against the tape 102. 【0050】With this fixing mechanism 5, the elastic force (rebound force) of the suction pad 51 can prevent or mitigate the collision of the sealing portion 22 with the mounting surface 10a that may occur when the protective cover 2 is lowered to the covering position Ps2 (see Figure 6(B)). As a result, damage to the sealing portion 22 that may occur due to collision with the mounting surface 10a can be prevented. In addition, the suction force of the suction mechanism 52 causes the suction pad 51 to elastically deform against the elastic force (rebound force) of the pad, thereby pressing the sealing portion 22 against the tape 102 (see Figure 7(B)). As a result, the protective cover 2 can be fixed on the stage portion 1 with the space between the workpiece W and the frame 101 securely sealed by the sealing portion 22. 【0051】 <Control device> The control device 6 (see Figure 1(B)) consists of a processing device (CPU, etc., not shown) and a storage device (RAM, ROM, etc., not shown), and controls each part of the cleaning device (first lifting mechanism 3, second lifting mechanism 4, fixing mechanism 5, etc.) according to a control program installed in the cleaning device. In this embodiment, the following cleaning process is performed by the control device 6. 【0052】 Here, the control program described above may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory) before being installed in the cleaning device, or it may be stored in a downloadable state on another server or the like. Furthermore, the control processing (such as cleaning processing) performed by the control device 6 is not limited to being implemented in software by executing the program, but may also be implemented in hardware by processing circuits built within the cleaning device. 【0053】 The cleaning process begins when the first movable part 32, which also functions as the second movable part 42, is raised to move the protective cover 2 to the separated position Ps1 and the pin part 41 to the transfer position Pt1 (see Figure 2). Then, a frame transport device (not shown) moves the frame 101 (the frame 101 to which the workpiece W is fixed) horizontally to the transfer position Pt1 and transfers it onto the head 412 of the pin part 41, thereby completing the loading of the frame 101 into the cleaning device (see Figures 3(A) and 3(B)). 【0054】 When the cleaning process begins, the control device 6 controls the translation drive unit 33 to start the descent of the first movable part 32, which also functions as the second movable part 42. This causes the protective cover 2 to descend from the separated position Ps1, while simultaneously moving the pin portion 41 from the transfer position Pt1 to the mounting position Pt2 (see Figure 4). As a result, the frame 101 is placed on the mounting surface 10a together with the workpiece W before the protective cover 2 reaches the covering position Ps2. 【0055】 Subsequently, the control device 6 further lowers the first movable part 32, thereby separating the head 412 of the pin part 41 from the frame 101 (see Figure 5). As a result, the frame 101 is completely resting on the seal part 13, and the space between the tape 102 and the mounting surface 10a is sealed by the seal part 13. In this state, the control device 6 drives the suction device 14 to perform vacuum suction, thereby fixing the tape 102 in close contact with the mounting surface 10a. 【0056】 Then, the control device 6 further lowers the first movable part 32, thereby separating it from the lower end of the pin part 41 (see Figure 5), and further separating it from the arm part 31 (see Figure 6(A)). As a result, the protective cover 2 moves to the covering position Ps2, and as a result, all the suction pads 51 are in a state where their suction openings 51a are in contact with the peripheral portion 12 of the stage part 1 without any gaps (see Figures 6(A) and 6(B)). In this state, the control device 6 drives the suction device 520 to perform suction (including vacuum suction), thereby creating negative pressure inside the pads and elastically deforming them due to the differential pressure with the outside (see Figure 7(B)). As a result, the protective cover 2 is pulled towards the mounting surface 10a, and the sealing portion 22 is pressed against the tape 102. Consequently, the protective cover 2 is fixed on the stage portion 1 with the space between the workpiece W and the frame 101 securely sealed by the sealing portion 22. 【0057】This makes it possible to cover the frame 101 with the cover body 21 while reliably sealing the space between the workpiece W and the frame 101 with the sealing portion 22 (see Figure 7(B)). Therefore, when cleaning the workpiece W, the protective cover 2 can prevent cleaning fluid (including processing powder scattered from the workpiece W during cleaning) from splashing and reaching the frame 101. 【0058】 Furthermore, as described above, by separating the first movable part 32 from the arm part 31, the first movable part 32 becomes separated from both the pin part 41 and the arm part 31 (see Figure 7(A)). Therefore, the stage part 1 can be rotated without the first movable part 32 interfering with either the pin part 41 or the arm part 31 (in other words, with the stage part 1 completely separated from the first movable part 32). 【0059】 Therefore, the control device 6 rotates the stage unit 1 by controlling the rotary drive unit 203, thereby rotating the workpiece W. While rotating the stage unit 1, the control device 6 pours cleaning fluid from above the protective cover 2, thereby cleaning the workpiece W with the cleaning fluid. At this time, the frame 101 is covered by the cover body 21 of the protective cover 2, and the space between it and the workpiece W is securely sealed by the seal portion 22. Therefore, even if cleaning fluid (including processing powder scattered from the workpiece W during cleaning) is scattered, it will be reliably blocked by the protective cover 2 before it reaches the frame 101. 【0060】After cleaning the workpiece W, the control device 6 maintains the rotation of the stage unit 1, using centrifugal force to blow away and remove any cleaning fluid adhering to the surface of the workpiece W and the tape 102. At this time, the control device 6 may increase the rotation speed of the stage unit 1 to increase the centrifugal force compared to the cleaning process. In addition, means such as air blowing or drying may be used in combination or as a substitute for the removal of the cleaning fluid. Subsequently, the control device 6 stops the rotation of the stage unit 1 and then controls the translation drive unit 33 to start the upward movement of the first movable unit 32. As a result, the first movable unit 32 initially comes into contact with the arm unit 31 during the upward movement process (see Figure 5). From this state, the control device 6 further raises the first movable unit 32, thereby lifting the arm unit 31 with the first movable unit 32. As a result, the protective cover 2 moves toward the separated position Ps1, thereby opening the space between the stage unit 1 and the protective cover 2. 【0061】 Subsequently, the first movable part 32 comes into contact with all the pins 41 as it rises (see Figure 4). The control device 6 raises the first movable part 32 further from this state, thereby lifting all the pins 41 together with the arm part 31, and thereby moving the pins 41 from the mounting position Pt2 to the transfer position Pt1, and at the same time moving the protective cover 2 to the separated position Ps1 (see Figures 3(A) and 3(B)). From this state, the frame 101 is pulled out from the transfer position Pt1 by a frame transport device (not shown). 【0062】 [2] Modified Versions [2-1] First Modified Version In the cleaning device described above, the second movable part 42 is not limited to the case where the first movable part 32 is also used as the second movable part 42, but may be configured separately from the first movable part 32. In that case, the translational drive unit 33 for the first movable part 32 may be used for the movement (translation) of the second movable part 42, or a separate translational drive unit may be used. 【0063】[2-2] Second Modified Example In the cleaning apparatus described above, the protective cover 2 may be configured such that the sealing portion 22 contacts the peripheral portion of the workpiece W, thereby covering the peripheral portion of the workpiece W in addition to the frame 101 and protecting it from the cleaning fluid. In this case, the fixing mechanism 5 presses the sealing portion 22 against the workpiece W, and as a result, the protective cover 2 is fixed on the stage portion 1 in a state in which both the peripheral portion of the workpiece W and the frame 101 can be reliably protected from the cleaning fluid. 【0064】 The above-described embodiments and modifications should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, rather than by the above-described embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. 【0065】 Furthermore, the subject matter of the invention may not be limited to a cleaning device, but may also be a part of the components of the cleaning device, or a part or all of the cleaning process (including the corresponding cleaning method) performed using the cleaning device, or even a program for performing them. 【0066】 1 Stage section 2 Protective cover 3 First lifting mechanism 4 Second lifting mechanism 5 Fixing mechanism 6 Control device W Workpiece 10a Mounting surface 10b Back 11 Central section 12 Peripheral section 13 Seal section 14 Suction device 21 Cover body 21a Back 22 Seal section 31 Arm section 32 First movable section 32a Top surface 33 Translational drive section 41 Pin section 42 Second movable section 51 Suction pad 51a Suction port 52 Suction mechanism D1 First direction 101 Frame 102 Tape 201 Rotating shaft 202 Bearing 203 Rotation drive section 210 Opening 411 Leg section 412 Head section 414 Projection 430 Flange section 431 Cylinder 432 Compression spring 520 Suction device Ps1 Separation position Ps2 Covering position Pt1 Transfer position Pt2 Placement position

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning a workpiece fixed to the inside of a frame via a holding member, which is a tape or a flat plate, comprising: a stage portion having a mounting surface on which the workpiece is placed together with the frame; and a protective cover for protecting the frame placed on the mounting surface from cleaning fluid, wherein the protective cover comprises: an annular cover body that covers the entire frame around the workpiece while exposing the workpiece during cleaning; and an annular sealing portion provided on the inner periphery of the cover body, which contacts the holding member between the workpiece and the frame, or contacts the peripheral edge of the workpiece during cleaning.

2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage portion is configured to allow rotation of the mounting surface, and the protective cover rotates together with the stage portion when the stage portion rotates.

3. A cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a mechanism that enables the raising and lowering of the protective cover in a first direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the mechanism that can move the protective cover to a separated position in the first direction where the cover body is separated from the mounting surface, and to a covered position where, when the workpiece is placed on the mounting surface together with the frame, the entire frame is covered by the cover body, wherein the stage portion has a peripheral portion that extends outward from the mounting surface, and the first raising and lowering mechanism comprises an arm portion that supports the protective cover and is slidably provided so as to penetrate the peripheral portion in the first direction, and a first movable portion that is movable in the first direction and is capable of lifting the arm portion by contacting the arm portion from the opposite side of the protective cover and further raising thereafter, and separating the protective cover from the arm portion by further lowering after the protective cover has been moved to the covered position.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, further comprising a second lifting mechanism that enables the frame to be raised and lowered in the first direction, the second lifting mechanism comprising: a plurality of pin portions provided around the mounting surface, each having a leg portion that is slidably provided so as to penetrate the peripheral edge portion in the first direction, and a head portion that is positioned on the protective cover side and supports the outer peripheral edge portion of the frame; and a second movable portion that is movable in the first direction and is capable of contacting all of the pin portions from the side opposite to the protective cover and lifting the pin portions by further rising thereafter, and moving away from the pin portions by further lowering after the frame has been placed on the mounting surface described above.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the first movable part and the second movable part use a single movable part common to them, and the arm part has a length in the first direction that is longer than that of the pin part, so that the common movable part first contacts the arm part during the upward movement, and then contacts the pin part midway as it rises further.

6. A cleaning device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising a fixing mechanism for pulling and fixing the protective cover toward the aforementioned mounting surface after the protective cover has moved to the covering position, wherein the fixing mechanism comprises: an adhesive pad installed on the back surface of the cover body of the protective cover and in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the stage when the protective cover moves to the covering position; and a suction mechanism that creates negative pressure inside the adhesive pad when the adhesive pad is in contact with the peripheral edge portion, wherein the adhesive pad elastically deforms when it is in contact with the peripheral edge portion due to the negative pressure created inside the pad by the suction mechanism, thereby pulling the protective cover toward the aforementioned mounting surface, so that the sealing portion is pressed against the holding member or the workpiece.

Images