JP7161412B2 - cleaning unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning unit for cleaning workpieces such as semiconductor wafers.

In a processing apparatus for processing the upper surface of a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer whose lower surface is held by a chuck table with a processing tool, the workpiece is unloaded from the chuck table by an unloading means that sucks and holds the upper surface of the workpiece after processing. is doing.

Then, while the workpiece is separated from the chuck table by the unloading means and transported to the apparatus for the next process, washing water is supplied to the lower surface of the workpiece and the sponge is brought into contact with the lower surface of the workpiece to wash the lower surface ( For example, see Patent Document 1). Since water adheres to the lower surface of the workpiece after cleaning, the workpiece is slowly moved above the air nozzle from which the air is ejected, as in the grinding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2. The lower surface of the workpiece is dried with air.

JP 2013-094876 A JP 2010-167519 A

However, since water droplets are blown off from the lower surface of the work piece with air, there is a problem that water droplets remain on the lower surface of the work piece when the work piece is moved at high speed above the air nozzle. Moreover, since it is necessary to provide a cleaning mechanism for cleaning and an air nozzle for drying in the processing apparatus, there is a problem that a large installation space is required.

Therefore, in a cleaning unit for cleaning a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, there is a problem of sufficiently cleaning or drying the workpiece in a short time and of saving the installation space of the cleaning unit.

The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems comprises a chuck table that holds the lower surface of a workpiece; a processing means that rotatably supports a processing tool and processes the upper surface of the workpiece that is held by the chuck table; A processing apparatus provided with loading means for holding the upper surface of a workpiece and loading it into the chuck table, and carrying out means for holding the upper surface of the workpiece and carrying it out from the chuck table, wherein the loading means or the A cleaning unit for cleaning the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carry-out means, the cleaning unit comprising a sponge that contacts the workpiece, and a part of the sponge other than the part that contacts the workpiece. support means having a suction hole for supporting the sponge and communicating the sponge with a suction source; drainage means for sucking and draining water contained in the sponge from the suction hole; and connecting the suction hole to the water supply source. Water supply means for overflowing water from a portion of the sponge contacting the workpiece, and relatively moving the carrying-out means and the supporting means parallel to the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carrying-out means, or moving means for relatively moving the loading means and the supporting means parallel to the lower surface of the workpiece held by the loading means, and the water supply means when cleaning the workpiece. water overflows from the part of the sponge that contacts the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and the carrying-out means and the supporting means are moved by the moving means, or the carrying-in means is moved by the moving means. and the supporting means are moved relative to each other to dry the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and water contained in the sponge is drained by the draining means while the moving means is a cleaning unit for relatively moving the carry-out means and the support means.

The sponge is a roll sponge, and the support means includes a shaft inserted into a cylinder of the roll sponge and provided with the suction holes on the outer surface thereof, a support portion rotatably supporting the shaft, is preferably provided.

The sponge is a rectangular sponge, and the support means has a recess for exposing a portion of the rectangular sponge in contact with the workpiece and accommodating a portion of the rectangular sponge other than the portion in contact with the workpiece. and a base having the suction holes formed on the inner surface thereof.

A cleaning unit according to the present invention is disposed in a processing apparatus comprising a chuck table, processing means, loading means, and carrying-out means, and cleans the lower surface of a workpiece held by the carrying-in means or the carrying-out means, A sponge in contact with a workpiece, a support means having suction holes for supporting the sponge at a portion of the sponge other than the part in contact with the workpiece and communicating the sponge with a suction source, and a suction hole for removing water contained in the sponge. water supply means for causing the suction holes to communicate with the water supply source to cause water to overflow from the portion of the sponge that contacts the workpiece; a moving means for relatively moving the carrying-out means and the supporting means in parallel, or relatively moving the carrying-in means and the supporting means in parallel with the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carrying-in means. Therefore, when washing the workpiece, the water supply means causes water to overflow from the portion of the sponge that contacts the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and the carrying-out means and the support means are moved by the moving means. Alternatively, cleaning can be performed by relatively moving the loading means and the supporting means with a moving means.
When drying the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and the carrying-out means and the support means are relatively moved by the moving means while the water contained in the sponge is drained by the draining means. , the workpiece can be sufficiently dried continuously without saturating the sponge with water. By bringing the sponge into contact with the workpiece while drying the workpiece when drying the workpiece, it is also possible to wipe off fine machining waste adhering to the workpiece that has not been completely washed during washing. Furthermore, by supplying water from the water supply means to the sponge and causing the water to overflow from the portion of the sponge that contacts the workpiece, the portion of the sponge that contacts the workpiece is wiped off during washing or drying of the workpiece. It is possible to remove fine processing waste adhering to the workpiece, and to wash or dry the next workpiece with a clean sponge.
Since the cleaning unit according to the present invention can clean and dry the workpiece with the sponge, the space for installing the cleaning unit in the processing apparatus can be saved.

The sponge is a roll sponge, and the support means includes a shaft inserted into the cylinder of the roll sponge and provided with a suction hole on the outer surface thereof, and a support portion for rotatably supporting the shaft, Since the outer peripheral surface of the roll sponge in contact with the lower surface of the workpiece can be rotated during cleaning or drying of the workpiece, cleaning or drying can be performed evenly over the entire outer peripheral surface.

The sponge is a rectangular sponge, and the support means has a recess for exposing a portion of the rectangular sponge in contact with the work piece and accommodating a portion other than the portion of the rectangular sponge in contact with the work piece. By providing the formed base, it becomes possible for the operator to easily replace the rectangular sponge when replacing it.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a processing apparatus provided with a cleaning unit according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a washing unit with roll sponges; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning unit with roll sponges; FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which cleaning of the protective tape attached to the lower surface of the workpiece is started by a cleaning unit having a roll sponge; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a cleaning unit having a roll sponge is cleaning a protective tape attached to the lower surface of a workpiece; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which drying of a protective tape attached to the lower surface of a workpiece is started by a cleaning unit having a roll sponge; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a cleaning unit having a roll sponge is drying a protective tape attached to the lower surface of a workpiece; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which the outer peripheral surface of the roll sponge is being cleaned; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaning unit with rectangular sponges; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning unit with a rectangular sponge; FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which cleaning of the protective tape attached to the lower surface of the workpiece is started by a cleaning unit having a rectangular sponge; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which drying of a protective tape attached to the lower surface of a workpiece is started by a cleaning unit having a rectangular sponge; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which the upper surface of a rectangular sponge is being washed;

The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, a grinding apparatus that grinds a workpiece W (for example, a circular semiconductor wafer) held on a chuck table 30 by processing means 6 . In addition, the processing device 1 may be a grinding device in which the grinding means is a two-axis rough grinding means and a finish grinding means, or a cutting device that cuts the workpiece W with a rotating cutting blade, or a polishing pad. It may also be a polishing apparatus or the like that polishes the workpiece W with the .

As shown in FIG. 1, a housing 11 is arranged on an apparatus base 10 of the processing apparatus 1, and a processing chamber is defined within the housing 11. As shown in FIG. For example, on the side surface of the housing 11 in the -Y direction, a touch panel 19 is arranged for the operator to input processing conditions for the workpiece W to the processing apparatus 1 .

The front side (−Y direction side) of the device base 10 of the processing device 1 is an area where the workpiece W is attached to and detached from the chuck table 30, and the rear side (+Y direction side) of the device base 10 is: This is an area where the workpiece W held on the chuck table 30 by the machining means 6 is ground.

A first cassette mounting portion 150 and a second cassette mounting portion 151 are provided on the front surface of the apparatus base 10 in the -Y direction. A first cassette 150a containing a workpiece W is mounted, and a second cassette 151a containing a processed workpiece W is mounted on a second cassette mounting portion 151. FIG.

A plurality of workpieces W stored in a shelf shape in the first cassette 150a are, for example, semiconductor wafers having a circular outer shape and using silicon as a base material. A circular protective tape T having approximately the same diameter as the workpiece W is adhered and protected. The workpiece W may be made of gallium arsenide, sapphire, gallium nitride, silicon carbide, or the like, other than silicon.

Behind the +Y direction side opening of the first cassette 150a is a robot that unloads the unprocessed workpiece W from the first cassette 150a and loads the processed workpiece W into the second cassette 151a. 155 are provided. A temporary placement area 152 is provided at a position adjacent to the robot 155 , and an alignment means 153 is provided in the temporary placement area 152 . The positioning means 153 centers the workpiece W carried out from the first cassette 150a and placed on the temporary placement area 152 at a predetermined position with a diameter-reduced positioning pin.

At a position adjacent to the positioning means 153, a carrying-in means 18 that turns while holding the workpiece W is arranged. The carrying-in means 18 holds the workpiece W aligned by the alignment means 153 and transports it to the chuck table 30 disposed within the machining area. The carrying-in means 18 has a circular suction pad 181 on the lower surface side of one end of a horizontally extending arm portion 180 . Loading/moving means 184 consisting of a rotating shaft or the like and loading/unloading means 185 consisting of a cylinder mechanism or the like are connected to the arm part 180. The arm part 180 can be moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by the carrying-in lifting means 185 .

Next to the carrying-in means 18, carrying-out means 16 for holding the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W after machining and carrying it out from the chuck table 30 is arranged. The carry-out means 16 has a suction pad 161 on the lower surface side of one end of the horizontally extending arm portion 160 . A carrying-out moving means 164 consisting of a rotating shaft and the like and a carrying-out lifting means 165 consisting of a cylinder mechanism etc. are connected to the arm part 160. The carrying-out lifting means 165 enables the arm portion 160 to move up and down in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).
In this embodiment, the unloading means 164 and the loading moving means 184 relatively move the unloading means 16 and the supporting means 42 parallel to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the unloading means 16, or A moving means for relatively moving the loading means 18 and the supporting means 42 parallel to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the loading means 18 is formed.

The suction pad 161 (see FIG. 4) of the carrying-out means 16 has, for example, a circular outer shape, and is composed of a suction portion 161a made of a porous member or the like for sucking the workpiece W and a frame 161b supporting the suction portion 161a. and The suction portion 161a communicates with a suction source 169 such as a vacuum generator, and the suction force generated by suction by the suction source 169 is transmitted to a flat suction surface 161c that is an exposed surface of the suction portion 161a. , the suction pad 161 sucks and holds the workpiece W on the suction surface 161c.

As shown in FIG. 1, a single-wafer spinner cleaning mechanism 156 for cleaning the processed workpiece W conveyed by the carrying-out means 16 is arranged at a position close to the carrying-out means 16 . The workpiece W cleaned by the spinner cleaning mechanism 156 is carried into the second cassette 151 a by the robot 155 .

The chuck table 30, which is arranged on the apparatus base 10 of the processing apparatus 1 and holds the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W via the protective tape T, has, for example, a circular outer shape and is made of a porous member or the like. It has a holding surface 300 that holds an object W by suction. The chuck table 30 is rotatable around the axis in the Z-axis direction and surrounded by a cover 39. The chuck table 30 is arranged under the cover 39 and a bellows cover 39a connected to the cover 39 and extending and contracting in the Y-axis direction. It is reciprocally movable on the apparatus base 10 in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis direction moving means (not shown) provided.

A column 17 is erected on the rear side (+Y direction side) of the apparatus base 10, and a processing feed means 7 for processing and feeding the processing means 6 in the Z-axis direction is arranged on the front surface of the column 17. ing. The processing and feeding means 7 includes a ball screw 70 having an axis in the Z-axis direction, a pair of guide rails 71 arranged parallel to the ball screw 70, a motor 72 connected to the ball screw 70 to rotate the ball screw 70, and an internal A nut is screwed onto the ball screw 70 and the side portion is in sliding contact with the guide rail 71. A holder 74 is connected to the elevating plate 73 and holds the processing means 6. A motor 72 rotates the ball screw 70. As a result, the elevating plate 73 is guided by the guide rail 71 to reciprocate in the Z-axis direction, and the processing means 6 supported by the holder 74 also reciprocates in the Z-axis direction.

The processing means 6 includes a rotating shaft 60 whose axial direction is perpendicular to the holding surface 300 of the chuck table 30 (the Z-axis direction), a housing 61 that rotatably supports the rotating shaft 60, and a housing 61 that rotatably supports the rotating shaft 60. It comprises a driving motor 62, a mount 63 attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 60, and a processing tool 64 shown in FIG. 2 detachably connected to the mount 63. The processing tool 64 is a grinding wheel in this embodiment, and includes a wheel base 640 and a plurality of grinding wheels 641 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and arranged in a plurality of rings on the lower surface of the wheel base 640 . . The grinding wheel 641 is formed by bonding diamond abrasive grains or the like with an appropriate bonding agent.

For example, inside the rotary shaft 60, a channel (not shown) that communicates with the grinding water supply source and serves as a path for the grinding water is formed through the rotary shaft 60 in the axial direction (Z-axis direction). The path is open at the bottom surface of the wheel base 640 so that grinding water can be jetted toward the grinding wheel 641 .

At a position adjacent to the processing means 6 that has been lowered to the grinding position, for example, a thickness measuring means 38 that measures the thickness of the workpiece W during grinding by a contact method is arranged.

For example, the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W before grinding whose upper surface Wb is held by the carrying-in means 18 (protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa in this embodiment), or the upper surface Wb of which is held by the carrying-out means 16. The cleaning unit 4 according to the present invention for cleaning the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W after grinding (in this embodiment, the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa) is, as shown in FIG. It is arranged between the carry-out means 16 on the base 10 and the spinner cleaning mechanism 156 . The location of the cleaning unit 4 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be located below the movable range of the suction pad 161 of the carry-out means 16 .
The cleaning unit 4 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, supports the sponge 41 by a sponge 41 contacting the workpiece W and a portion of the sponge 41 other than the portion contacting the workpiece W, and the sponge 41 is ejected or ejected. A support means 42 having a suction hole 420c communicating with a suction source 439 such as a vacuum generator; A water supply means 44 for communicating and overflowing water from a portion of the sponge 41 contacting the workpiece W, and a carrying-out means 16 parallel to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the carrying-out means 16 (see FIG. 1). and the support means 42 in parallel to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the carrying-out moving means 164 described above and the carrying-in means 18 (see FIG. 1). a carrying-out lifting means 165 for raising and lowering the suction pad 161 of the carrying-out means 16 in the Z-axis direction; and a carrying-in/lowering means 185 for carrying in.

The sponge 41 is, for example, a roll sponge (hereinafter referred to as a roll sponge 41) in which a sponge having a predetermined thickness is formed into a cylindrical shape, and has a length equal to or longer than the diameter of the workpiece W to be processed. The roll sponge 41 is, for example, an open-cell sponge having a structure in which cells are interconnected, and may be a sponge made by foam-molding polyurethane, a PVA sponge, or a sponge molded by kneading a foaming agent or the like into rubber. Use The outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 serves as a cleaning surface that contacts and cleans the protective tape T on the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W shown in FIG.

The support means 42 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes, for example, a shaft 420 inserted into the cylinder 411 of the roll sponge 41 and provided with a suction hole 420c on the outer surface 420a, and a support portion 421 that rotatably supports the shaft 420. And prepare. The support part 421 has, for example, a substantially U-shaped outer shape in a side view, and its bottom surface is fixed on the device base 10 shown in FIG.
A channel 420d extending in the Y-axis direction is formed inside the cylindrical shaft 420, and the channel 420d communicates with each suction hole 420c. The shaft 420 housed in the recessed portion of the support portion 421 is supported by the support portion 421 via bearings (not shown).
One end of the flow path 420d communicates with a suction flow path 438 that constitutes the drainage means 43 and is composed of a metal pipe, a flexible resin tube, or the like, via a joint 422 attached to the side surface of the support portion 421. .

For example, a solenoid valve 437 is disposed on the suction flow path 438. The solenoid valve 437 applies current to an electromagnet to generate magnetic force, and uses this magnetic force to attract and move the spool in the valve. , the suction channel 438 can be switched to communicate with either the suction source 439 of the drainage means 43 or the water supply source 449 such as the pump of the water supply means 44 .

The operation of the cleaning unit 4 when cleaning and drying the lower surface Wa after grinding the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W using the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.
To grind the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W, the robot 155 first pulls out one workpiece W from the first cassette 150 a and moves the workpiece W to the temporary placement area 152 . Next, after the workpiece W is centered by the positioning means 153 , the suction pad 181 of the carrying-in means 18 sucks and holds the centered workpiece W by the carrying-in moving means 184 and moves it onto the chuck table 30 . Let Before the suction pad 181 moves the workpiece W onto the chuck table 30 , the held workpiece W (in this embodiment, the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa) is removed by the cleaning unit 4 . should be washed. When cleaning the protective tape T adhered to the workpiece W, the water supply means 44 shown in FIG. , the roll sponge 41 is brought into contact with the protective tape T of the workpiece W, and the suction pad 181 of the carrying-in means 18 and the support means 42 are moved relatively to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W by the carrying-in moving means 184. Perform parallel movement. Specifically, the suction pad 161 of the carry-out means 16 holding the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W after grinding and the support means 42 are relatively parallel to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W by the carry-out moving means 164 to be described later. Since it is performed in substantially the same manner as the case of moving, it is omitted here.

After that, the workpiece W is placed on the holding surface 300 with the upper surface Wb facing upward by the carrying-in means 18 so that the center of the chuck table 30 and the center of the workpiece W substantially coincide with each other. It is suction-held by the holding surface 300 . Next, the chuck table 30 holding the workpiece W moves in the +Y direction to below the processing means 6 . The motor 62 of the processing means 6 rotates the rotating shaft 60, and the processing tool 64 also rotates accordingly. The processing means 6 is fed in the -Z direction by the processing feeding means 7, and the rotating grinding wheel 641 comes into contact with the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W to perform grinding. During grinding, as the chuck table 30 rotates, the workpiece W held on the holding surface 300 also rotates, so the grinding wheel 641 grinds the entire upper surface Wb of the workpiece W. . Further, grinding water is supplied to the contact portion between the grinding wheel 641 and the workpiece W to cool and wash the contact portion.

After grinding the workpiece W to a desired thickness, the machining means 6 is moved in the +Z direction by the machining feed means 7 to separate from the workpiece W, and the chuck table 30 is moved in the -Y direction. and positioned in the vicinity of the carry-out means 16 .

The carry-out moving means 164 rotates the suction pad 161 in the horizontal direction so that the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W on the chuck table 30 faces the suction surface 161c of the suction pad 161 shown in FIG. The suction pad 161 is positioned above the workpiece W so that the center of the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W and the center of the suction pad 161 substantially match.

Next, the carry-out lifting means 165 lowers the suction pad 161 to bring the suction surface 161c into contact with the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W to be processed. In this state, the suction source 169 shown in FIG. 4 generates a suction force, and the suction pad 161 sucks and holds the workpiece W on the suction surface 161c.
Next, the suction holding of the workpiece W by the chuck table 30 is released, and the suction pad 161 holding the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W is lifted by the carrying-out lifting means 165, and the workpiece W is carried out from the chuck table 30. It is carried out by means 16 .

The carry-out moving means 164 horizontally pivots the suction pad 161 holding the workpiece W to position the workpiece W above the roll sponge 41 of the cleaning unit 4 as shown in FIG.
The protective tape T that protects the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is coated with machining scraps (not shown) generated by grinding. Therefore, the cleaning unit 4 cleans the protective tape T that protects the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W. As shown in FIG.

The carry-out lifting means 165 lowers the suction pad 161 to a predetermined height where the upper outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 is in contact with the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W.
A solenoid valve 437 then connects the suction channel 438 to the water supply source 449 of the water supply means 44 . Washing water is supplied from the water supply source 449 , flows from the suction flow path 438 into the flow path 420 d of the shaft 420 , jets out from the plurality of suction holes 420 c and reaches the roll sponge 41 . Then, from the inside of the roll sponge 41, the washing water seeps out over a wide area to the outer peripheral surface 410, which is the portion that contacts the protective tape T. As shown in FIG. In this state, the carry-out moving means 164 pivotally moves the suction pad 161 in the horizontal direction, so that the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 supported by the fixed support means 42 overflows the washing water. The protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the carrying-out means 16 that moves relatively is washed. As a result, the processing waste adhering to the protective tape T is washed away.

Since the shaft 420 inserted into the cylinder 411 of the roll sponge 41 is rotatably supported by the support portion 421, the frictional force between the roll sponge 41 and the protective tape T adhered to the workpiece W is reduced. The outer peripheral surface 410 that rotates and overflows the washing water also rotates.

As shown in FIG. 5, the roll sponge 41 cleans the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W, and the roll sponge 41 sandwiches the protective tape T from one outer peripheral edge to the center. When the suction pad 161 pivots until it passes over the other symmetrical outer peripheral edge, cleaning of the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W by the roll sponge 41 is completed. The protective tape T may be further washed by reciprocating the suction pad 161 on the roll sponge 41 at a predetermined angle.

After the cleaning of the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completed, the cleaning water adheres to the protective tape T. For example, as shown in FIG. Dry T. That is, the solenoid valve 437 connects the suction flow path 438 to the suction source 439, and the suction source 439 operates. It is transmitted to each suction hole 420c. In this state, the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W sucked and held by the suction pad 161 is brought into contact with the upper outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 by the carry-out lifting means 165 . Further, the carry-out moving means 164 rotates the suction pad 161 holding the workpiece W in the horizontal direction so that the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 in contact with the workpiece W adheres to the protective tape T. water is absorbed.

The water absorbed and contained in the roll sponge 41 is sucked by the suction source 439 of the drainage means 43 through the suction holes 420c, the flow path 420d and the suction flow path 438. FIG. Therefore, water is continuously drained from the roll sponge 41, and the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41, which is the portion in contact with the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W, is maintained in a state of absorbing water. be done.

Since the shaft 420 inserted into the cylinder 411 of the roll sponge 41 is rotatably supported by the support portion 421, the frictional force between the roll sponge 41 and the protective tape T adhered to the workpiece W is reduced. , and the outer peripheral surface 410 that absorbs water also rotates.

As shown in FIG. 7, the roll sponge 41 dries the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W, and the roll sponge 41 sandwiches the protective tape T from one outer peripheral edge to the center. By turning the suction pad 161 until it passes over the other symmetrical outer peripheral edge, the drying of the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W by the roll sponge 41 is completed. The protective tape T may be further dried by reciprocating the suction pad 161 on the roll sponge 41 at a predetermined angle.

After drying the protective tape T, the workpiece W is transported by the transporting means 16 to the spinner cleaning mechanism 156 shown in FIG. The upper surface Wb of the workpiece W is cleaned by the spinner cleaning mechanism 156 . The workpiece W whose upper surface Wb has been cleaned is stored in the second cassette 151 a by the robot 155 .

For example, after drying of the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completed, the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 is washed as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, a solenoid valve 437 communicates the suction channel 438 with the water source 449 of the water supply means 44 . The washing water supplied from the water supply source 449 flows from the suction flow path 438 through the flow path 420d of the shaft 420, jets out from the plurality of suction holes 420c, and overflows the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41. The processing waste adhering to is washed off. Note that the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 may be cleaned after the cleaning of the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completed. In addition to the water supply source 449 , an air supply source such as a compressor may be communicated with the suction flow path 438 . Then, water, air, and mixed fluid may be supplied to the roll sponge 41 to wash the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 . Alternatively, water and air may be alternately supplied to the roll sponge 41 to wash the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 . Alternatively, only air may be supplied from the air supply source to the roll sponge 41 to blow off the processing waste adhering to the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 for cleaning.

As described above, the workpiece W is disposed in the processing apparatus 1 including the chuck table 30, the processing means 6, the carrying-in means 18, and the carrying-out means 16, and is held by the carrying-in means 18 or the carrying-out means 16. The cleaning unit 4 according to the present invention for cleaning the lower surface Wa (in this embodiment, the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa) includes a sponge 41 (roll sponge 41) that contacts the workpiece W and a sponge A support means 42 having a suction hole 420c that supports the sponge 41 at a portion other than the outer peripheral surface 410, which is the portion that contacts the workpiece W, and communicates the sponge 41 with a suction source 439, and water contained in the sponge 41. water supply means 44 for causing the suction hole 420c to communicate with the water supply source 449 to overflow the water from the portion of the sponge 41 in contact with the workpiece W; Carrying-out moving means 164 for relatively moving the carrying-out means 16 and the supporting means 42 in parallel with the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by 16, and the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the carrying-in means 18. Since the carrying-in moving means 184 for relatively moving the carrying-in means 18 and the supporting means 42 in parallel is provided, the workpiece W (in this embodiment, the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa) is When washing, the washing water is overflowed from the outer peripheral surface 410 of the sponge 41 that contacts the workpiece W by the water supply means 44 , and the sponge 41 is brought into contact with the workpiece W. Cleaning can be performed by relatively moving the unloading means 16 and the supporting means 42 or by relatively moving the loading means 18 and the supporting means 42 with the loading moving means 184 .
When the workpiece W is to be dried, the sponge 41 is brought into contact with the workpiece W, and water contained in the sponge 41 is drained by the draining means 43. 42, the workpiece W can be sufficiently dried continuously without saturating the sponge 41 with water. By contacting the workpiece W while drying the sponge 41 when drying the workpiece W, it is possible to wipe off fine machining waste adhering to the workpiece W that cannot be completely washed during cleaning.
Furthermore, water is supplied to the sponge 41 from the water supply means 44, and the water overflows from the outer peripheral surface 410 of the sponge 41 that contacts the workpiece W, thereby wiping the workpiece W during cleaning or drying. It is possible to remove fine processing waste adhering to the outer peripheral surface 410 of the sponge 41 and to wash or dry the next workpiece W with the clean sponge 41 .
Since the cleaning unit 4 according to the present invention can clean and dry the workpiece W with the sponge 41, the installation space of the cleaning unit 4 in the processing apparatus 1 can be saved.

The sponge 41 is a roll sponge 41, and the support means 42 rotatably supports the shaft 420 inserted into the cylinder 411 of the roll sponge 41 and provided with a suction hole 420c on the outer surface 420a. By providing the support portion 421, the outer peripheral surface 410 of the roll sponge 41 in contact with the protective tape T of the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W can be rotated during washing or drying of the workpiece W, so that the outer peripheral surface The entire surface of 410 can be evenly washed or dried.

The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a washing unit 4A having supporting means 48 and a rectangular sponge 47 shown in FIGS. may be provided.
The rectangular sponge 47 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape extending for a length equal to or longer than the diameter of the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. The material and the like of the rectangular sponge 47 are the same as those of the roll sponge 41 shown in FIG. An upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 is a portion that comes into contact with the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W shown in FIG.

The support means 48 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has a concave portion 480 that exposes the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 in contact with the workpiece W and accommodates the rectangular sponge 47 other than the upper surface 470 that contacts the workpiece W. A base 482 having suction holes 481 formed on, for example, five inner surfaces of the recess 480, that is, four inner surfaces and one inner lower surface is provided. It should be noted that the suction holes 481 need not be formed on all five inner surfaces.

For example, the recessed portion 480 of the base 482 is set to have a size that allows the rectangular sponge 47 to fit therein. For example, a stopper (not shown) made of a spring or the like is provided on the inner side surface of the recess 480 , and when the rectangular sponge 47 is inserted into the recess 480 , the stopper may cause the rectangular sponge 47 to slip out of the recess 480 . It's okay if it doesn't exist.

Inside the base 482, a plurality of channels (not shown) communicating with the suction holes 481 are formed. It communicates with the suction flow path 438 via. The base 482 has its bottom surface fixed on the apparatus base 10 shown in FIG.

The washing unit 4A is provided with the supporting means 48 and the rectangular sponge 47, so that when the rectangular sponge 47 is replaced with a new one, the rectangular sponge 47 can be removed and replaced without disassembling the supporting means 48 into various parts. Therefore, the operator can easily perform replacement.

After grinding the upper surface Wb of the workpiece W using the processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The operation of the cleaning unit 4A including the rectangular sponge 47 and the support means 48 for drying will be described.
The steps until the workpiece W is unloaded from the first cassette 150a shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface Wb is ground by the processing means 6, and the workpiece W is unloaded from the chuck table 30 by the unloading means 16 are the same as those described above. is. When cleaning the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W before grinding, the rectangular sponge 47 is brought into contact with the protective tape T of the workpiece W by the water supply means 44 shown in FIG. The suction pad 181 sucks and holds the workpiece W of the carrying-in means 18 with the carrying-in/moving means 184 and supports the rectangular sponge 47 by causing the water to overflow from the upper surface 470 , which is a portion, to bring the rectangular sponge 47 into contact with the protective tape T of the workpiece W. The means 42 is moved relatively to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W in parallel.

The carry-out moving means 164 rotates the suction pad 161 of the carry-out means 16 holding the workpiece W after grinding in the horizontal direction, and as shown in FIG. Locate object W.
The protective tape T that protects the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is coated with machining scraps (not shown) generated by grinding.

The carry-out lifting means 165 lowers the suction pad 161 to a predetermined height where the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 is in contact with the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W. As shown in FIG.
A solenoid valve 437 then connects the suction channel 438 to the water supply source 449 of the water supply means 44 . Washing water supplied from the water supply source 449 flows from the suction flow path 438 into a flow path (not shown) in the base 482 , jets out from a plurality of suction holes 481 , and reaches the rectangular sponge 47 . Then, the cleaning water overflows from the inside of the rectangular sponge 47 to the upper surface 470 which is the portion that contacts the protective tape T. As shown in FIG. In this state, the carry-out moving means 164 rotates the suction pad 161 in the horizontal direction, so that the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 supported by the fixed support means 48 overflows the cleaning water, The protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W held by the carry-out means 16 which moves dynamically is washed. As a result, the processing waste adhering to the protective tape T is washed away.

Then, the rectangular sponge 47 cleans the protective tape T adhered to the workpiece W, and the rectangular sponge 47 moves from one outer peripheral edge of the protective tape T to the other outer peripheral edge that is symmetrical with respect to the center. Cleaning of the protective tape T is completed by the suction pad 161 turning until it passes over. The protective tape T may be further cleaned by reciprocating the suction pad 161 on the rectangular sponge 47 at a predetermined angle.

After the cleaning of the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completed, the protective tape T is protected by a cleaning unit 4A, for example, as shown in FIG. Dry the tape T. That is, the solenoid valve 437 connects the suction channel 438 to the suction source 439 , and the suction force generated by the activated suction source 439 is transmitted to the suction hole 481 of the base 482 through the suction channel 438 . In this state, the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W sucked and held by the suction pad 161 is brought into contact with the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 by the carry-out lifting means 165 . Further, the carry-out moving means 164 rotates the suction pad 161 holding the workpiece W in the horizontal direction so that the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 in contact with the workpiece W adheres to the protective tape T. water is absorbed.

The water absorbed and contained in the rectangular sponge 47 passes through the suction holes 481 and the suction channel 438 and is sucked by the suction source 439 of the drainage means 43 . Therefore, water is continuously drained from the rectangular sponge 47, and the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47, which is the portion in contact with the protective tape T adhered to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W, is maintained in a state of absorbing water. be.

Then, the rectangular sponge 47 dries the protective tape T adhered to the workpiece W, and the rectangular sponge 47 moves from one outer peripheral edge of the protective tape T to the other outer peripheral edge that is symmetrical with respect to the center. Drying of the protective tape T by the rectangular sponge 47 is completed by the suction pad 161 rotating until it passes over. The protective tape T may be further dried by reciprocating the suction pad 161 on the rectangular sponge 47 at a predetermined angle.

The workpiece W for which the protective tape T has been dried is transported to the spinner cleaning mechanism 156 shown in FIG. After that, the workpiece W is accommodated in the second cassette 151 a by the robot 155 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, after drying of the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completed, the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 is washed.
As shown in FIG. 13, a solenoid valve 437 communicates the suction channel 438 with the water source 449 of the water supply means 44 . The washing water supplied from the water supply source 449 passes through the suction flow path 438 and jets out from the plurality of suction holes 481 of the base 482 , overflows the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 , and adheres to the upper surface 470 . Processing waste is washed off. Also, an air supply source may be provided in addition to the water supply source 449 . The upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 may be cleaned by supplying a mixture of water and air. Alternatively, the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 may be washed by alternately supplying water and air. Alternatively, only air may be supplied from the air supply source to the rectangular sponge 47 to blow off the processing waste adhering to the upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 for cleaning. The upper surface 470 of the rectangular sponge 47 may be washed after the protective tape T attached to the lower surface Wa of the workpiece W is completely washed.

W: Workpiece Wa: Lower surface of workpiece Wb: Upper surface of workpiece T: Protective tape 1: Processing device 10: Device base 11: Housing 17: Column 19: Touch panel 150a: First cassette 151a: Third 2 Cassette 155: Robot 152: Temporary Placement Area 153: Positioning Means 18: Loading Means 180: Arm Section 181: Suction Pad 184: Loading Moving Means 185: Loading Elevating Means 156: Spinner Cleaning Mechanism 16: Carrying Out Means 160: Arm Part 164: Unloading Moving Means 165: Unloading Elevating Means 161: Suction Pad 161a: Suction Part 161c: Suction Surface 161b: Frame
641 : Grinding wheel 38 : Thickness measuring means 4 : Washing unit 41 : Roll sponge 410 : Outer peripheral surface 42 of roll sponge : Support means 420 : Shaft 420c : Suction hole 420d : Flow path 421 : Support part 422 : Joint 43 : Drainage means 438 : Suction channel 439: Suction source 437: Solenoid valve 44: Water supply means 449: Water supply source 4A: Washing unit 47: Rectangular sponge 470: Rectangular sponge upper surface 48: Support means 480: Concave part 481: Suction hole 482: Base Base 483: Joint

Claims (3)

A chuck table that holds the lower surface of a workpiece, a processing means that rotatably supports a processing tool and processes the upper surface of the workpiece held by the chuck table, and a chuck table that holds the upper surface of the workpiece and a carrying-out means for holding the upper surface of the workpiece and carrying it out from the chuck table, and the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carrying-in means or the carrying-out means. A washing unit for washing the
The cleaning unit includes a sponge contacting the workpiece;
a support means including a suction hole that supports the sponge at a portion other than the portion that contacts the workpiece and that communicates the sponge with a suction source;
Drainage means for sucking and draining water contained in the sponge from the suction holes;
water supply means for communicating the suction hole with a water supply source and causing water to overflow from a portion of the sponge contacting the workpiece;
Relatively moving the carrying-out means and the supporting means parallel to the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carrying-out means, or moving the carrying-in means parallel to the lower surface of the workpiece held by the carrying-in means a moving means for relatively moving the supporting means,
When the workpiece is washed, the water supply means causes water to overflow from the portion of the sponge that contacts the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and the moving means moves the carrying-out means to the workpiece. relatively moving the loading means and the supporting means with the supporting means or the moving means;
When drying the workpiece, the sponge is brought into contact with the workpiece, and while the water contained in the sponge is drained by the draining means, the transporting means and the supporting means are moved relative to each other by the moving means. washing unit to move to. The sponge is a roll sponge,
2. The cleaning unit according to claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a shaft inserted into said cylinder of said roll sponge and having said suction holes arranged on the outer surface thereof, and a support portion for rotatably supporting said shaft. The sponge is a rectangular sponge,
The support means has a recess for exposing a portion of the rectangular sponge contacting the work piece and accommodating a portion other than the portion of the rectangular sponge contacting the work piece. The washing unit of claim 1, comprising a pedestal.

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