JP2004074382A - Machining device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a machining device preventing rapid temperature change in a machining region even if an opening of a cover means covering the machining region is opened. <P>SOLUTION: This machining device is provided with a chuck table disposed in the machining region and retaining a workpiece, a machining means machining the workpiece retained by the chuck table, a workpiece carry-in-and-out means carrying in/out the workpiece relative to the chuck table, a cover means provided with an opening covering the machining region and allowing the going-in-and-out of the workpiece carry-in-and-out means, a shutter means opening/closing the opening of the cover means, and a suction means sucking air inside the cover means. The suction means comprises a suction member provided with a suction port and a suction duct communicating the suction member with a suction source, and the suction member is disposed near the opening of the cover means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus such as a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A semiconductor wafer serving as a substrate on which circuits such as ICs and LSIs are stacked is obtained by slicing a silicon ingot into a wafer, grinding both sides of the sliced semiconductor wafer with a lapping device or a double-side grinding device, and then polishing the semiconductor wafer with a polishing device. It is formed by a processing technique called so-called wafer making in which the surface is polished to a mirror surface.
[0003]
It takes a considerable amount of time to polish the surface of a semiconductor wafer to a mirror surface by the above-described polishing apparatus, and there is a problem that productivity is poor. In order to reduce the polishing time by this polishing apparatus, before polishing the surface of the semiconductor wafer ground by the above-described lapping apparatus or double-side grinding apparatus, a chuck table arranged in a processing area and holding a workpiece, The surface of a semiconductor wafer is polished using a polishing apparatus having polishing means for polishing a workpiece held by the chuck table and workpiece transfer means for loading and unloading the workpiece to and from the chuck table. The process is being implemented. Such a polishing apparatus covers a processing area in order to prevent scattering of dust generated by the polishing action of the polishing means, and has a cover means provided with an opening for allowing the workpiece loading / unloading means to enter and exit; Shutter means for opening and closing the opening of the cover means, and suction for sucking air in the cover means on the opposite side of the polishing means to the negative side so that dust in the cover means does not leak into the clean room. Means.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the opening of the cover means is opened by operating the shutter means to carry out the polished workpiece after the polishing operation is completed, the outside air flows into the cover means from the opening at a stretch. The temperature inside changes sharply. FIG. 5 shows the temperature change in the cover means from the time when the shutter was opened, which was about 23 degrees at the end of the polishing operation, but about one second from the time when the opening of the cover means was opened. The temperature reaches the outside air (20 degrees). As described above, when the temperature of the processing area in the cover means changes abruptly, there is a problem that the processing conditions for the next workpiece are distorted due to the thermal contraction of the constituent members in the cover means.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and a main technical problem of the present invention is a processing method capable of preventing a rapid temperature change in a processing area even when an opening of a cover means for covering the processing area is in an open state. It is to provide a device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the main technical problem, according to the present invention, a chuck table provided in a processing area and holding a workpiece, processing means for processing the workpiece held by the chuck table, Workpiece loading / unloading means for loading / unloading a workpiece to / from the chuck table, cover means having an opening for covering the processing area and permitting the loading / unloading of the workpiece loading / unloading means, and cover means A shutter device for opening and closing the opening, and a suction device for sucking air in the cover device,
The suction means includes a suction member having a suction port and a suction duct communicating the suction member and a suction source,
The suction member is disposed near the opening of the cover means;
A processing device is provided.
[0007]
The suction port of the suction member is preferably formed in a slit shape along the periphery of the opening, and is preferably provided downward along the upper side of the opening.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a processing apparatus configured according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0009]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a polishing apparatus as a processing apparatus configured according to the present invention.
The illustrated polishing apparatus comprises an apparatus housing, generally designated by the numeral 2. The device housing 2 has a rectangular main body 21 that is elongated and an upright wall 22 that is provided at a rear end (upper right end in FIG. 1) of the main part 21 and extends substantially vertically upward. I have. In the illustrated embodiment, two grinding lines 2a and 2b are provided in parallel in the apparatus housing 2 configured as described above. Since the respective mechanisms constituting the two grinding lines 2a and 2b are substantially the same, the same mechanisms will be described with the same reference numerals.
A pair of guide rails 221 and 221 extending in the vertical direction are provided on the front surface of the upright wall 22 that forms the device housing 2. The grinding unit 3 is mounted on the pair of guide rails 221 and 221 so as to be vertically movable.
[0010]
The polishing unit 3 includes a moving base 31 and a spindle unit 32 mounted on the moving base 31. The movable base 31 is provided with a pair of legs 311, 311 vertically extending on both sides of the rear surface, and slidably engages the pair of guide rails 221, 221 with the pair of legs 311, 311. Guide grooves are formed. As described above, a support portion 313 protruding forward is provided on the front surface of the movable base 31 slidably mounted on the pair of guide rails 221 and 221 provided on the upright wall 22. The spindle unit 32 as a polishing means is attached to the support portion 313.
[0011]
The spindle unit 32 includes a spindle housing 321 mounted on the support 313, a rotary spindle 322 rotatably disposed on the spindle housing 321, and a servomotor as a drive source for driving the rotary spindle 322 to rotate. 323, and the output shaft of the servo motor 323 is operatively connected to the rotary spindle 322. The lower end of the rotary spindle 322 projects downward beyond the lower end of the spindle housing 321, and a polishing tool 325 is attached to the lower end. The spindle unit 32 configured as described above and mounted on the movable base 31 is provided at a rear portion of the main portion 21 of the apparatus housing 2 to move the polishing area (processing area) 20 in the vertical direction.
[0012]
The polishing apparatus in the illustrated embodiment includes a polishing unit feed mechanism 4 for moving the polishing unit 3 in a vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to a mounting surface of a chuck table described later) along the pair of guide rails 221 and 221. Have. The polishing unit feed mechanism 4 includes a male screw rod 41 disposed on the front side of the upright wall 22 and extending substantially vertically. The male screw rod 41 is rotatably supported at its upper end and lower end by bearing members 42 and 43 attached to the upright wall 22. The upper bearing member 42 is provided with a pulse motor 44 as a drive source for rotationally driving the male screw rod 41, and the output shaft of the pulse motor 44 is operatively connected to the male screw rod 41. A connecting portion (not shown) projecting rearward from the center portion in the width direction is also formed on the rear surface of the movable base 31, and a penetrating female screw hole extending in the vertical direction is formed in this connecting portion. The male screw rod 41 is screwed into the female screw hole. Therefore, when the pulse motor 44 rotates forward, the moving base 31, that is, the polishing unit 3 is lowered, and when the pulse motor 44 rotates reversely, the moving base 31, that is, the polishing unit 3 is raised.
[0013]
A substantially rectangular immersion part 211 is formed at the rear of the main part 21 of the apparatus housing 2, and chuck tables 5, 5 are arranged in a polishing area (processing area) 20 provided in the immersion part 211. I have. The chuck table includes a chuck plate support substrate 51 and a chuck plate 51 mounted on the chuck support substrate 51. For example, an object to be processed is placed on a mounting surface that is a surface of the chuck plate 51. The disc-shaped semiconductor wafer is suction-held by suction means (not shown). The chuck table 5 is configured to be rotatable by a rotation mechanism (not shown).
[0014]
At the front side of the chuck tables 5 and 5 in the main portion 21 of the apparatus housing 2, cassette mounting areas 6 and 6, a conveyance means arrangement area 7, and temporary storage areas 8 and 8 are provided. Cassettes 60, 60 for accommodating circular workpieces such as semiconductor wafers are mounted in the cassette mounting areas 6, 6, respectively. A workpiece transfer means 70 is provided in the transfer means arrangement area 7. The workpiece transfer means 70 unloads and transports the workpieces stored in the cassettes 60 and 60 to the temporary storage areas 8 and 8, and transfers the ground workpieces to the temporary storage areas 8 and 8. To the cassettes 60, 60. In the temporary storage regions 8, 8, a center alignment and cleaning mechanism 80 having a centering function of the workpiece unground from the cassettes 60, 60 and a cleaning function of the workpiece after grinding, 80 are provided.
[0015]
Work loading / unloading means 9, 9 are arranged between the temporary placement areas 8, 8 and the chuck tables 5, 5, respectively. The workpiece loading / unloading means 9, 9 holds the workpiece before grinding center-aligned by the center alignment and cleaning mechanisms 80, 80 disposed in the temporary storage areas 8, 8, on the chuck table 5, 5 and the workpiece after grinding on the chuck table 5 is carried out to the center alignment and cleaning mechanisms 80 and 80. The workpiece loading / unloading means 9 may be a well-known suction-type transport mechanism that is generally used.
[0016]
The polishing apparatus in the illustrated embodiment includes a cover means 10 disposed on the main part 21 of the apparatus housing 2 and covering a polishing area (processing area) 20. The cover means 10 is box-shaped as a whole and has an upper wall 101, a front wall 102, and both side walls 103, 103. The both side walls 103, 103 of the cover means 10 have shoulder surfaces 103a, 103a facing downward at the middle in the vertical direction, and the lower halves of the side walls 103, 103 are brought into close contact with both side surfaces of the immersion part 211, 103a, 103a are mounted on the upper surfaces of both side edges of the main portion 21 of the housing 2. The front wall 102 of the cover means 10 is provided with rectangular openings 102a, 102a for allowing the work carrying-in / out means 9, 9 to enter and exit. Circular openings 101a, 101a for allowing the polishing tool 325 to pass therethrough are formed in the upper wall 101 of the cover means 10, and cylindrical members 104, 104 extending upward from the periphery of the circular openings 101a, 101a are provided. Have been. Substantially half of the cylindrical members 104, 104 and a part of the upper wall 101 are formed separately from the upper wall 101, and constitute maintenance inspection doors 105, 105 that can be opened and closed around the outer sides.
[0017]
The polishing apparatus in the illustrated embodiment includes a shutter means 11 for closing and opening rectangular openings 102a, 102a provided in a front wall 102 of the cover means 10, as shown in FIG. The shutter means 11 includes rectangular shutters 111, 111 arranged on the front side of the front wall 102 and having a size to close the rectangular openings 102a, 102a, and an air cylinder 112 for operating the shutters 111, 111 in the vertical direction. , 112. The air cylinders 112, 112 are mounted on brackets (not shown) mounted on the apparatus housing 2, and their piston rods 112a, 112a are connected to the shutters 111, 111. Therefore, by operating the air cylinders 112, the shutters 111, 111 can be moved up and down.
[0018]
The polishing apparatus in the illustrated embodiment includes a suction unit 12 that suctions air in the cover unit 10. The suction means 12 includes suction members 121, 121 disposed near openings 102a, 102a on the lower surface of the upper wall 101, and suction ducts 122, 122 communicating with the suction members 121, 121 and a suction source (not shown). Consists of As shown in FIG. 3, the suction members 121, 121 include hollow suction portions 121a, 121a, and connection portions 121b, 121b formed at one end of the suction portions 121a, 121a. The suction portions 121a, 121a are formed to have a length longer than the widths of the openings 102a, 102a, and have slit-shaped suction ports 121c, 121c formed along the upper side of the openings 102a, 102a on the bottom wall thereof. Is formed. The connection portions 121b, 121b are provided with connection ducts 121d, 121d on the upper wall thereof. The suction members 121, 121 configured as described above are integrally formed of an appropriate synthetic resin, and the suction unit 121a, the suction unit 121a are formed in the opening 102a, Arranged along the upper side of 102a. Therefore, the slit-shaped suction ports 121c, 121c provided in the suction units 121a, 121a are provided downward along the upper sides of the openings 102a, 102a. Further, the connection ducts 121d, 121d are inserted through holes (not shown) formed at the front center of the upper wall 101 constituting the cover means 10, and are projected above the upper wall 101. One ends of the suction ducts 122, 122 are connected to the connection ducts 121d, 121d, respectively.
[0019]
The polishing apparatus in the illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and its processing operation will be described below mainly with reference to FIG.
The semiconductor wafer, which is a workpiece before grinding stored in the cassette 60 mounted on the cassette mounting area 6, is transported by vertical movement and forward / backward movement of the workpiece transporting means 70, and the temporary storage area 8. Is placed on the center table 81 of the center alignment and cleaning mechanism 80 disposed in the first position. The semiconductor wafer placed on the center table 81 is centered, and is placed on the chuck table 5 by the turning operation of the workpiece loading / unloading means 9. At this time, the air cylinders 112, 112 of the shutter means 11 actuate the shutters 111, 111 upward as shown by solid lines in FIG. 2, and the openings 102a, 102a of the cover means 10 are in the open state. The workpiece loading / unloading means 9 transports a semiconductor wafer as a workpiece onto the chuck table 5 through the openings 102a, 102a. The semiconductor wafer placed on the chuck table 5 as described above is suction-held on a chuck plate 51 constituting the chuck table 5 by suction means (not shown). When the workpiece loading / unloading means 9 has transported the semiconductor wafer as the workpiece onto the chuck table 5, the workpiece loading / unloading means 9 is returned to the home position shown in FIG. As described above, when the semiconductor wafer is sucked and held on the chuck table 5 and the workpiece loading / unloading means 9 is returned to the home position shown in FIG. 1, the air cylinders 112 of the shutter means 11 are moved. The shutters 111, 111 are actuated downward as shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 2 to close the openings 102a, 102a of the cover means 10.
[0020]
Next, the chuck table 5 holding the semiconductor wafer as the workpiece is rotated, and the polishing tool 325 being driven to rotate presses the semiconductor wafer on the chuck table 5 with a predetermined pressure. The semiconductor wafer is polished. Abrasive powder is generated by the polishing action and scatters into the cover means 10. The abrasive powder is sucked from suction ports 121c provided on the suction members 121 of the suction means 12, and is passed through the suction ducts 122. It is discharged to the dust treatment device that is the suction source.
[0021]
When the grinding is completed as described above, the polishing tool 325 is separated upward from the semiconductor wafer on the chuck table 5, and the rotation of the polishing tool 325 and the chuck table 5 is stopped. Note that even when the polishing tool 325 is separated upward, the lower portion of the spindle housing 321 is at a position facing the cylindrical member 104 of the cover means 10. Next, the air cylinders 112, 112 of the shutter means 11 actuate the shutters 111, 111 upward as shown by solid lines in FIG. 2 to open the openings 102a, 102a of the cover means 10. When the openings 102a, 102a of the cover means 10 are opened, outside air tends to enter the cover means 10 through the openings 102a, 102a. However, slit-shaped suction ports 121c, 121c are formed in the bottom walls of the suction portions 121a, 121a of the suction members 121, 121 constituting the suction means 12 downward along the upper sides of the openings 102a, 102a. Therefore, the outside air entering the openings 102a, 102a forms an air curtain that flows in a layered manner toward the suction ports 121c, 121c as indicated by arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that the temperature of the processing area in the cover means 10 decreases. It does not change rapidly. FIG. 4 shows the temperature change in the cover means 10 from the time when the shutters 111 and 111 were opened. The temperature was about 23 degrees at the end of the polishing operation, but 3 seconds from the time when the shutters were opened. Even after the passage, the temperature is about 22 degrees, and there is no rapid temperature change. Therefore, the next workpiece can be conveyed to the chuck table 5 before the temperature in the cover means 10 is lowered, and it is possible to prevent the processing conditions from going out of order due to the heat shrinkage of the components inside the cover means 10.
[0022]
Thereafter, the suction and holding of the semiconductor wafer, which is the polished workpiece, on the chuck table 5 is released, and the ground semiconductor wafer whose suction and holding has been released is carried out by the workpiece loading / unloading means 9 to be removed. It is placed on the center table 81 of the positioning and cleaning mechanism 80. The polished semiconductor wafer conveyed to the center alignment and cleaning mechanism 90 in this way is subjected to spinner cleaning and dried. The semiconductor wafer, which has been transported to the center alignment and cleaning mechanism 90 and has been washed and dried and has been ground, is stored in a predetermined position of the cassette 60 by the workpiece transporting means 70.
[0023]
As described above, the present invention has been described based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a polishing apparatus is shown. However, the present invention is widely applied to other processing apparatuses that perform processing such as cutting by suction-holding a workpiece on a chuck table. Can be applied.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
The processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects.
That is, the suction means for sucking the air in the cover means covering the processing area includes a suction member provided with a suction port and a suction duct communicating the suction member and the suction source, and the suction member is provided near the opening of the cover means. Since the air curtain is formed in the opening even if the opening is opened after the processing, the processing area does not undergo a rapid temperature change. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the processing conditions from going out of order due to the thermal shrinkage of the constituent members in the cover means caused by the rapid temperature change in the processing area.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a polishing apparatus as a processing apparatus configured according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a cover unit provided in the polishing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suction member constituting suction means provided in the polishing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a temperature change in a cover means provided in the polishing apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a temperature change in a cover means provided in a conventional polishing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
2: Equipment housing 211: Working fluid tray 3: Polishing unit 31: Moving base 32: Spindle unit 4: Grinding unit feed mechanism 41: Male screw rod 44: Pulse motor 5: Chuck table 51: Chuck plate support substrate 52: Chuck plate 6: Cassette mounting area 60: Cassette 7: Transport means arrangement area 70: Workpiece transport means 8: Temporary placement area 80: Center alignment and cleaning mechanism 81: Center table 9: Workpiece loading / unloading means 10: Cover means 101: Upper wall 102: Front wall 102a: Opening 103: Side wall 105: Door 11: Shutter means 111: Shutter 112: Air cylinder 11: Suction means 121: Suction member 121: Suction unit 121c: Suction port 122: Suction duct

Claims (4)

A chuck table disposed in a processing area for holding a workpiece, processing means for performing processing on the workpiece held on the chuck table, and loading and unloading the workpiece to and from the chuck table A carry-out means, a cover means having an opening which covers the processing area and allows the work-piece carry-in / out means to enter and exit; a shutter means for opening and closing the opening of the cover means; A suction device for sucking air,
The suction means includes a suction member having a suction port and a suction duct communicating the suction member and a suction source,
The suction member is disposed near the opening of the cover means;
A processing device characterized by the above-mentioned. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction port of the suction member is formed in a slit shape along a periphery of the opening. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction port of the suction member is provided downward along an upper side of the opening. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises a polishing means provided with a rotatable polishing tool.

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