JP2014079822A - Processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the possibility of adhesion of foreign matter and prevent deterioration of suction force of a fan by separating waste fluid of a processing fluid mixed with exhaust gas from a processing chamber from the exhaust gas.SOLUTION: A processing apparatus is provided with an exhaust passage communicating with the processing chamber at one end and with the fan at the other end to discharge an atmosphere of the inside of the processing chamber and separation means of separating, from the exhaust gas, waste fluid containing processed waste and contained in exhaust gas. The separation means comprises a separation chamber 54, a suction port 58 communicating with the processing chamber, a discharge port 60 communicating with the fan, a waste fluid discharge port 62 formed at the lower end of the separation chamber, and a waste fluid discharge passage 68 connected to the waste fluid discharge port. The waste fluid contained in the exhaust gas is discharged through the waste fluid discharge port into the waste fluid discharge passage by a swirling air flow produced in the separation chamber by the exhaust gas sucked from the suction port, and the exhaust gas is discharged through the gas discharge port. A water-sealing part 72 is formed in the waste fluid discharge passage to prevent back flow of the gas toward the fan in the waste fluid discharge passage.

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly, to a processing apparatus including a fan and an exhaust path for exhausting an atmosphere in a processing chamber.

  In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, lattice-shaped division lines are set on the surface of a wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon or gallium arsenide, and devices such as ICs and LSIs are formed in each region partitioned by the division lines. .

  Such a wafer is divided into a large number of device chips by cutting along the scheduled dividing line after the back surface is ground and thinned to a predetermined thickness. The device chip thus obtained is packaged with resin or ceramics and mounted on various electric devices.

  As a device that divides a wafer, a cutting device that cuts a rotating cutting blade into a wafer along a planned dividing line is generally used, and a grinding wheel that rotates on the back surface of the wafer is used for grinding the back surface of the wafer. A grinding device for pressing and grinding is used.

  In a processing apparatus such as this type of cutting apparatus or grinding apparatus, a configuration in which a workpiece held by a chuck table is processed in a sealed processing chamber by a processing means such as a cutting blade or a grinding wheel.

  In the processing, the processing is performed while supplying the processing liquid to the processing point where the processing means contacts the workpiece. The machining fluid is supplied for the purpose of removing the machining waste generated by machining from the workpiece or cooling the machining point, and the machining fluid mixed with the machining waste is discharged out of the machining apparatus as waste liquid.

  On the other hand, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is exhausted outside the apparatus through a duct (exhaust passage), and a fan is provided in the middle of the duct to suck the atmosphere in the processing chamber into the duct and send it to the exhaust port. Some processing apparatuses include a duct and a fan (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-124165).

JP 2000-124165 A

  By the way, in the processing apparatus having such a configuration, when processing liquid (waste liquid) mixed with processing waste is mixed into the exhaust from the processing chamber, processing waste adheres to the fan, and the rotation of the fan is reduced or vibration is generated. As a result, the suction force may be reduced.

  Also, in the case of a machining device that circulates and uses the machining fluid circulation path (circulation line), the machining fluid is discharged from the circulation line when the machining fluid enters the exhaust from the machining chamber. Therefore, there is a problem that the machining fluid must be replenished frequently.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to separate the processing liquid (waste liquid) mixed in the exhaust from the processing chamber from the exhaust so that foreign matter adheres to the fan. It is intended to provide a machining apparatus capable of reducing fears, preventing a reduction in the suction force of a fan, and reducing the disappearance of the machining liquid when the machining liquid is circulated and used.

  According to the present invention, a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a processing means for processing the workpiece held by the chuck table, and a processing liquid supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the processing means and the workpiece. A processing chamber that surrounds the chuck table, the processing means, and the processing fluid supply means, and an exhaust passage that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber with one end communicating with the processing chamber and the other end communicating with a fan. A wastewater containing processing waste contained in the exhaust gas that is disposed in the exhaust passage between the processing chamber and the fan and flows into the exhaust passage from the processing chamber. Separation means for separating from a gas is further provided, and the separation means is formed on a side surface of the upper chamber, which is composed of a funnel-shaped lower chamber and a cylindrical upper chamber rising from the upper end of the lower chamber. The processed An air inlet communicating with the upper chamber, a gas exhaust port communicating with the fan formed at the upper end of the upper chamber, a waste liquid exhaust port formed at the lower end of the lower chamber, and a waste liquid exhaust connected to the waste liquid exhaust port And the waste liquid contained in the exhaust is discharged to the waste liquid discharge path through the waste liquid discharge port by generating a swirl airflow in the separation chamber by the exhaust sucked from the intake port. In addition, the exhaust is discharged through the gas discharge port, and a water seal is formed in the waste liquid discharge path to prevent the gas from flowing back toward the fan in the waste liquid discharge path. Is provided.

  Preferably, the waste liquid discharge path includes a first waste liquid discharge path that has one end connected to the waste liquid discharge port and extends downward from above, and an upper position in which one end is positioned above the other end of the first waste liquid discharge path. A second waste liquid discharge path extending downward from the first, and a bent portion connecting the other end of the first waste liquid discharge path and the one end of the second waste liquid discharge path. It is formed by storing liquid in the bent portion.

  Since the processing apparatus of the present invention has a water sealing portion formed in the waste liquid discharge path, there is no possibility that the gas flows backward toward the fan in the waste liquid discharge path and the waste liquid is wound up in the separation chamber. The exhaust and the waste liquid can be effectively separated in the interior.

  In addition, since a partition is provided between the air inlet and the gas outlet, exhaust gas containing waste liquid sucked from the air inlet can be prevented from flowing out to the fan through the gas outlet. It is possible to reduce the fan's suction power.

It is an external appearance perspective view of a cutting device. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part of a cutting device. It is a perspective view of a separation chamber. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the separation chamber, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view of the waste liquid discharge path of the first embodiment connected to the separation chamber, and FIG. 5B is a vertical sectional view of the waste liquid discharge path of the second embodiment connected to the separation chamber. is there.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, an external perspective view of a cutting device (dicing device) 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a kind of processing device, is shown. On the front side of the cutting apparatus 2, an operation panel 4 is provided for an operator to input instructions to the apparatus such as machining conditions.

  The wafer W to be cut is attached to a dicing tape T that is an adhesive tape, and the outer peripheral edge of the dicing tape T is attached to an annular frame F. As a result, the wafer W is supported by the annular frame F via the dicing tape T, and a plurality of wafers (for example, 25 sheets) are accommodated in the wafer cassette 6. The wafer cassette 6 is placed on a cassette elevator 8 that can move up and down.

  Behind the wafer cassette 6, a loading / unloading means 10 for unloading the wafer W before cutting from the wafer cassette 6 and loading the wafer after cutting into the wafer cassette 6 is disposed. Between the wafer cassette 8 and the loading / unloading means 10, a temporary placement area 12, which is an area on which a wafer to be carried in / out, is temporarily placed, is provided. Positioning means 14 for positioning at a certain position is provided.

  In the vicinity of the temporary placement area 12, transport means 16 having a turning arm that sucks and transports the frame F integrated with the wafer W is disposed, and the wafer W carried to the temporary placement area 12 is It is sucked by the transport means 16 and transported onto the chuck table 18 and is sucked by the chuck table 18 and is held on the chuck table 18 by fixing the frame F by a plurality of clamps 19.

  The chuck table 18 is configured to be rotatable and reciprocally movable in the X-axis direction, and an alignment unit 20 that detects a street of the wafer W to be cut is located above the movement path of the chuck table 18 in the X-axis direction. It is arranged.

  The alignment unit 20 includes an imaging unit 22 that images the surface of the wafer W, and can detect a street to be cut by processing such as pattern matching based on an image acquired by imaging. The image acquired by the imaging unit 22 is displayed on a display monitor (not shown).

  On the left side of the alignment unit 20, a cutting unit 24 for cutting the wafer W held on the chuck table 18 is disposed. The cutting unit 24 is configured integrally with the alignment unit 20, and both move together in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

  The cutting unit 24 is configured by attaching a cutting blade 28 to the tip of a rotatable spindle 26 and is movable in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The cutting blade 28 is located on the extended line of the imaging unit 22 in the X-axis direction.

  The wafer W that has been subjected to the cutting process is transported to the spinner cleaning device 27 by the transport means 25, cleaned by the spinner cleaning device 27, and spin-dried.

  The above-described mechanism portion of the cutting device 2 is accommodated in the housing 30. The housing 30 includes a frame 32 and a transparent plate 34 formed from acrylic resin or the like attached to the frame 32.

  The operator can access the chuck table 18 by grasping the handle 36 and opening and closing the cover 37, and can access the cutting unit 24 by grasping the handle 38 and opening and closing the cover 39.

  Further, by grasping the handle 40 and opening and closing the cover 41, the wafer cassette 6 can be placed on the cassette elevator 8, or the wafer cassette 6 can be taken out from the cassette elevator 8.

  Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cutting device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. A processing chamber 31 is defined in the housing 30 of the cutting apparatus 2. A wafer W held on the chuck table 18 and a cutting unit 24 are accommodated in the processing chamber 31. Cutting fluid supply nozzles 29 are disposed on both sides of the cutting blade 28 of the cutting unit 24.

  A partition wall 42 is provided on the rear side (left side in FIG. 2) of the processing chamber 31, and an exhaust port 43 is formed in the partition wall 42. One end of an exhaust path (duct) 44 communicates with the exhaust port 43. The other end of the exhaust path 44 communicates with a fan 45 installed in the cutting apparatus 2, and an exhaust pipe 46 extending to the outside of the cutting apparatus 2 is connected to the other end side of the exhaust path 44.

  Separating means 48 for separating the exhaust gas into a gas and a liquid is disposed between the processing chamber 31 and the fan 45 in the middle of the exhaust path 44. Here, the exhaust passage 44 is divided into two parts between the processing chamber 31 and the separation means 48 and between the separation means 48 and the fan 45, the former being the upstream exhaust passage 44A and the latter being the downstream exhaust passage 44B. To do. The exhaust pipe 46 is connected to the end of the downstream exhaust path 44B.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4B, the separation means 48 includes a separation chamber 54 constituted by a funnel-shaped lower chamber 50 and a cylindrical upper chamber 52 rising from the upper end of the lower chamber 50. It is out. The lower chamber 50 and the upper chamber 52 are connected by a connecting portion 56.

  An intake port 58 that communicates with the processing chamber 31 is formed on the side surface of the upper chamber 52, and a gas exhaust port 60 that communicates with the fan 45 is formed on the upper portion of the upper chamber 52. On the other hand, a waste liquid discharge port 62 is formed at the lower end of the lower chamber 50, and the waste liquid discharge port 62 is connected to a waste liquid discharge path 68 (see FIG. 2).

  A partition wall 61 is disposed inside the upper chamber 52 so as to face the intake port 58 so as to prevent the exhaust gas sucked from the intake port 55 from flowing directly into the gas discharge port 60. By providing the partition wall 61 in the upper chamber 52, the exhaust gas sucked from the intake port 58 collides with the partition wall 61 and then flows along the inner peripheral surface of the upper chamber 52, and the swirl airflow 64 in the separation chamber 54. Occurs.

  Referring to FIG. 5A, a longitudinal sectional view of the waste liquid discharge path 68 of the first embodiment connected to the separation chamber 54 is shown. The waste liquid discharge path 68 is connected to the waste liquid discharge port 62 at its upper end and extends downward from above, and from above the upper end of the first waste liquid discharge path 70 is positioned above the lower end. The second waste liquid discharge path 74 extends downward, and includes a lower end of the first waste liquid discharge path 70 and a bent portion 72 connected to the upper end of the second waste liquid discharge path 74. A water seal 76 is formed by storing the waste liquid in the bent portion 72.

  Referring to FIG. 5B, a longitudinal sectional view of the waste liquid discharge path 68A of the second embodiment connected to the separation chamber 54 is shown. In the waste liquid discharge path 68A of the present embodiment, a waste liquid storage box 78 for storing the waste liquid is disposed between the first waste liquid discharge path 70 and the second waste liquid discharge path 74, instead of the bent portion 72 of the first embodiment. Has been.

  That is, the lower end 70 a of the first waste liquid discharge path 70 is connected to the lower opening 78 a of the waste liquid storage box 78, and the upper end 74 a of the second waste liquid discharge path 74 is connected to the upper opening 78 b of the waste liquid storage box 78. A water seal 80 is formed by the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage box 78.

  In the present embodiment, a bent portion equivalent to the bent portion 72 of the first embodiment is formed by the lower opening 78a and the upper opening 78b of the waste liquid storage box 78. Therefore, the water sealing portion 80 is formed by the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage box 78 by the bent portion.

  In the cutting apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, when the fan 45 is driven, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 31 is sucked into the upstream exhaust passage 44 </ b> A through the exhaust port 43, and is separated from the intake port 58 of the separation unit 48. Introduced in. Then, the gas passes through the separation chamber 54 and is discharged to the downstream side exhaust passage 44 </ b> B through the gas discharge port 60, and is exhausted to the outside of the cutting apparatus 2 through the exhaust pipe 46.

  In this manner, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 31 is exhausted, whereby the inside of the processing chamber 31 is maintained in a clean atmosphere. In the separation means 48 through which the exhaust passes, the exhaust collides with the partition wall 61 formed in the upper chamber 52 and a spiral air flow 64 is generated in the separation chamber 54. That is, in the separation chamber 54, the exhaust gas rotates in a spiral shape and is then discharged to the downstream exhaust path 44 </ b> B through the upper gas discharge port 60.

  At the time of cutting the wafer W, cutting is performed by the cutting blade 28 while supplying the cutting fluid from the cutting fluid supply nozzle 29, and the cutting fluid is splashed by the rotating cutting blade 18 and scattered in a mist form.

  This mist-like cutting fluid is a waste fluid, and there are many cases in which foreign matters such as machining scraps are mixed therein, and in a state where it is mixed in the exhaust gas, the separating means passes from the exhaust port 43 through the upstream exhaust passage 44A. It is introduced into the separation chamber 54 via 48 intake ports 58.

  The exhaust gas including the waste liquid 55 introduced into the separation chamber 54 rotates as a swirl airflow 64 in the separation chamber 54 and is separated into gas and liquid, that is, exhaust gas and waste liquid by a centrifugal separation action. Then, only the exhaust gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 60 to the downstream exhaust passage 44 </ b> B, and the waste liquid 55 containing foreign matter falls from the waste liquid discharge port 62 and is discharged to the waste liquid discharge passage 68.

  Thus, even if the atmosphere in the processing chamber 31 containing the mist-like waste liquid is exhausted, the exhaust gas is separated into gas and liquid by passing through the separating means 48, and only the gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 60. Then, the waste liquid containing the foreign matter is discharged from the waste liquid discharge port 62 to the waste liquid discharge path 68.

  Accordingly, the mist-like waste liquid does not pass through the fan 45, and therefore, the possibility that foreign matters such as processing waste contained in the waste liquid adhere to the fan 45 is reduced. As a result, a reduction in the suction force of the fan 45 is prevented.

  In the waste liquid discharge path 68 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the water seal 76 is formed by the waste liquid stored in the bent portion 72, so that the gas flows in the waste liquid discharge path 68 toward the fan 45. Thus, there is no fear that the waste liquid flows back up in the separation chamber 54 and the exhaust gas and the waste liquid can be effectively separated in the separation chamber 54.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, since the waste liquid storage box 78 is provided in the waste liquid discharge path 68A, as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the waste liquid discharge path 68A. There is no risk that the gas flows back toward the fan 45 and the waste liquid is wound up in the separation chamber 54, and the exhaust gas and the waste liquid can be effectively separated in the separation chamber 54.

  In the case where the processing device 2 is provided with a processing fluid circulation line and circulates the processing fluid, the waste fluid discharge port 62 of the separation chamber 54 is connected to the circulation line via the filtration device, thereby providing the processing fluid. Disappearance can be reduced.

  In the embodiment described above, the example in which the fan 45 and the separating means 48 are disposed in the processing apparatus 2 has been described. However, an exhaust facility having a fan for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber is provided in the factory where the processing apparatus is installed. In such a case, the separation means 48 may be provided in the exhaust equipment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the cutting apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the cutting apparatus, and can be applied to various processing apparatuses such as a grinding apparatus, a polishing apparatus, and a cutting tool.

2 Cutting device 24 Cutting unit 28 Cutting blade 30 Housing 31 Processing chamber 44 Exhaust path 45 Fan 46 Exhaust pipe 48 Separation means 50 Lower chamber 52 Upper chamber 54 Separation chamber 60 Separator 68, 68A Waste liquid discharge path 70 First waste liquid discharge path 72 Bent part 74 Second waste liquid discharge path 76, 80 Water seal part 78 Waste liquid storage box

Claims (2)

A chuck table for holding a workpiece, a processing means for processing the workpiece held by the chuck table, a processing fluid supply means for supplying a processing fluid to the processing means and the workpiece, and the chuck table And a machining chamber that surrounds the machining means and the machining fluid supply means, and an exhaust passage that has one end communicating with the machining chamber and the other end communicating with a fan and exhausting the atmosphere in the machining chamber. A device,
Separating means is provided in the exhaust path between the processing chamber and the fan and separates waste fluid containing processing waste contained in the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust path from the processing chamber from the gas. ,
The separation means comprises a separation chamber composed of a funnel-shaped lower chamber and a cylindrical upper chamber rising from the upper end of the lower chamber;
An intake port communicating with the processing chamber formed on the side surface of the upper chamber;
A gas exhaust port communicating with the fan formed at the upper end of the upper chamber;
A waste liquid discharge port formed at the lower end of the lower chamber;
A waste liquid discharge path connected to the waste liquid discharge port,
A swirling airflow is generated in the separation chamber by the exhaust sucked from the intake port, so that the waste liquid contained in the exhaust is discharged to the waste liquid discharge path through the waste liquid discharge port, and the exhaust is Discharged through the gas outlet,
A processing apparatus, wherein a water seal portion is formed in the waste liquid discharge path to prevent a gas from flowing back toward the fan in the waste liquid discharge path. The waste liquid discharge path is
A first waste liquid discharge passage that is connected at one end to the waste liquid discharge port and extends downward from above;
A second waste liquid discharge path extending downward from above, with one end positioned above the other end of the first waste liquid discharge path;
A bent portion connecting the other end of the first waste liquid discharge path and the one end of the second waste liquid discharge path;
The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water sealing portion is formed by storing liquid in the bent portion.

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