JP6420105B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus that performs grinding and polishing on a wafer, and more particularly, to a processing apparatus including a processing cover that prevents processing waste generated in the processing chamber from flowing out of the processing chamber.

  In a processing apparatus (grinding / polishing apparatus) having both a grinding means for grinding a wafer and a polishing means for polishing a ground wafer, a plurality of chuck tables are arranged on the turntable in the circumferential direction. The grinding means and the polishing means are provided around the turntable. In such a processing apparatus, the turntable is rotated intermittently, whereby the wafer on the chuck table is positioned in turn immediately below the grinding means and the polishing means. Thereby, grinding processing and polishing processing can be performed continuously without removing the wafer from the chuck table. The polishing process is performed by moving the polishing means (processing means) in the vertical direction to bring the polishing pad into contact with the surface to be polished of the wafer and moving the polishing means in the horizontal direction with respect to the chuck table. Thus, the polishing means moves not only in the vertical direction but also in the horizontal direction.

  Further, a processing cover that surrounds the polishing means and the chuck table is provided in the processing chamber in which polishing processing is performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The processing cover can prevent processing waste generated in the processing chamber from flowing out of the processing chamber. Moreover, the process cover of patent document 1 and patent document 2 is comprised with the bellows cover which repeated the peak part and the trough part. In such a processed cover, a reinforcing member such as a wire is provided at each peak portion in order to maintain the shape (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-153090 A JP 2013-173215 A

  However, in the processed cover described in Patent Document 2, a reinforcing member is not provided in the trough. For this reason, when the polishing means is moved in the horizontal direction as described above, the valley portion falls inside the processing cover due to its own weight, and the valley portion comes into contact with the polishing means in the processing cover. Could be damaged.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this point, and it aims at providing the processing apparatus which can prevent the failure | damage of the process cover which covers a process means.

The processing apparatus of the present invention includes a chuck table having a holding surface for holding a wafer, a processing means for mounting and processing a tool for grinding or polishing the wafer held by the chuck table, and a direction perpendicular to the holding surface. A first machining feed mechanism for moving the machining means; a second machining feed mechanism for moving the machining means in a direction parallel to the holding surface; and a moving means for moving the chuck table to a predetermined position with respect to the machining means; A processing apparatus comprising: a processing cover that surrounds at least the chuck table and a processing tool when the chuck table is positioned by a moving unit at a predetermined position that enables processing of the wafer held by the chuck table by the processing unit. The processing cover includes a case surrounding the chuck table, and a processing means connected to the case and the first processing feed mechanism. And an expansion / contraction cover that expands and contracts following the movement of the processing means. The case is connected to the side plate and the side plate surrounding the chuck table. The work feed direction of the second work feed mechanism formed on the ceiling board and allowing the work tool to move in and out by the first work feed mechanism and the second work feed mechanism is long. An elongate hole-shaped opening having a direction, and the telescopic cover includes a first connecting part connected to the processing means, a second connecting part connected to the opening, a first connecting part, and a second connecting part. and a telescoping means for connecting the connecting portion of the telescopic means comprises a plurality of stretchable portion consists of a ring-shaped air bag filled with air in the interior have a resilient, plural ring-like reinforcing portion The expansion / contraction part and the reinforcement part are added to the first processing feed mechanism. Is constructed by alternately laminating the feed direction, a plurality of telescopic portions adjacent, characterized in that it is connected via a reinforcing section.

  According to this configuration, since the expansion / contraction cover is deformed according to the movement of the processing means, the processing means and the chuck table are always covered with the processing cover. For this reason, the processing waste generated by processing does not flow out from the processing cover. Moreover, since the expansion / contraction part which comprises an expansion / contraction cover has elasticity, even if the shape of an expansion / contraction part changes, it tries to maintain the original shape. Therefore, the expansion / contraction part does not fall inside the processing cover due to its own weight. As a result, the stretchable part does not come into contact with the processing means in the processing cover, and damage to the processing cover can be prevented.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the expansion cover includes a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts the pressure in the expansion / contraction part.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the processing cover from being damaged by surrounding the processing means with the elastic cover having elasticity.

It is a perspective view of the processing apparatus with which the processing cover which concerns on this Embodiment is applied. It is a disassembled perspective view of the process cover which concerns on this Embodiment. It is an operation | movement figure of the grinding | polishing means to which the process cover which concerns on this Embodiment is applied. It is an operation | movement figure of the grinding | polishing means to which the process cover which concerns on a comparative example is applied. It is an operation | movement figure of the grinding | polishing means to which the process cover which concerns on a modification is applied.

  A processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a processing apparatus to which a processing cover according to the present embodiment is applied. In this embodiment, a grinding and polishing apparatus is taken as an example of the processing apparatus and a polishing means is taken as an example of the processing means, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The processing apparatus may be configured in any way as long as grinding or polishing can be performed on the wafer. Further, the processing means is not limited to the polishing means, and may be constituted by a grinding means.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the grinding and polishing apparatus 1 is a full-auto type processing apparatus, and includes a series of processing including carry-in processing, rough grinding processing, finish grinding processing, polishing processing, cleaning processing, and carry-out processing with respect to the wafer W. The work is configured to be performed fully automatically. The wafer W is formed in a substantially disc shape and is carried into the grinding and polishing apparatus 1 while being accommodated in the cassette C. The wafer W may be a plate-like workpiece to be ground and polished, and may be a semiconductor substrate such as silicon or gallium arsenide, an inorganic material substrate such as ceramic, glass or sapphire, or a semiconductor. It may be a package substrate of a product.

  A pair of cassettes C in which a plurality of wafers W are accommodated are placed on the front side of the base 11 of the grinding and polishing apparatus 1. Behind the pair of cassettes C, a cassette robot 16 for taking wafers W in and out of the cassettes C is provided. A positioning mechanism 21 that positions the unprocessed wafer W and a cleaning mechanism 26 that cleans the processed wafer W are provided on both diagonally rear sides of the cassette robot 16. Between the positioning mechanism 21 and the cleaning mechanism 26, a loading means 31 for loading the unprocessed wafer W into the chuck table 42 and a loading means 36 for unloading the processed wafer W from the chuck table 42 are provided. .

  The cassette robot 16 is configured by providing a hand portion 18 at the tip of a robot arm 17 composed of a multi-node link. In the cassette robot 16, the unprocessed wafer W is transferred from the cassette C to the positioning mechanism 21, and the processed wafer W is transferred from the cleaning mechanism 26 to the cassette C. The positioning mechanism 21 is configured by arranging a plurality of positioning pins 23 that can move forward and backward with respect to the center of the temporary table 22 around the temporary table 22. In the positioning mechanism 21, the center of the wafer W is positioned at the center of the temporary placement table 22 by a plurality of positioning pins 23 being abutted against the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W placed on the temporary placement table 22.

  The carry-in means 31 is configured by providing a carry-in pad 33 at the tip of a carry-in arm 32 that can turn on the base 11. In the carry-in means 31, the wafer W is lifted from the temporary placement table 22 by the carry-in pad 33, and the carry-in pad 33 is turned by the carry-in arm 32, so that the wafer W is carried into the chuck table 42. The carry-out means 36 is configured by providing a carry-out pad 38 at the tip of a carry-out arm 37 that can turn on the base 11. In the unloading means 36, the wafer W is lifted from the chuck table 42 by the unloading pad 38, and the unloading pad 38 is turned by the unloading arm 37, whereby the wafer W is unloaded from the chuck table 42.

  The cleaning mechanism 26 is configured by providing various nozzles (not shown) that spray cleaning water and dry air toward the spinner table 27. In the cleaning mechanism 26, the spinner table 27 holding the wafer W is lowered into the base 11, and cleaning water is sprayed in the base 11 to clean the wafer W, and then dry air is blown to blow the wafer W. Is dried. Behind the carry-in means 31 and the carry-out means 36 is provided a turntable 41 in which four chuck tables 42 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. A holding surface 43 that holds the lower surface of the wafer W is formed on the upper surface of each chuck table 42. Each chuck table 42 is configured to be rotatable by a rotating means (not shown) provided on the base 11.

  When the turntable 41 rotates intermittently at intervals of 90 degrees, a loading / unloading position where the wafer W is loaded and unloaded, a rough grinding position facing the rough grinding means 46, a finish grinding position facing the finish grinding means 51, and a polishing means The polishing position facing 56 is sequentially positioned. As described above, the turntable 41 constitutes a moving unit that moves the chuck table 42 to a predetermined position with respect to the rough grinding unit 46, the finish grinding unit 51, and the polishing unit 56. At the rough grinding position, the wafer W is roughly ground to a predetermined thickness by the rough grinding means 46. At the finish grinding position, the finish grinding means 51 finish-grinds the wafer W to the finish thickness. At the polishing position, the wafer W is polished by the polishing means 56.

  Around the turntable 41, columns 12, 13, and 14 are erected. The column 12 is provided with a moving mechanism 61 that moves the rough grinding means 46 up and down. The moving mechanism 61 includes a pair of guide rails 62 arranged in front of the column 12 and parallel to the Z-axis direction, and a motor-driven Z-axis table 63 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 62. Yes. A rough grinding means 46 is supported on the front surface of the Z-axis table 63 via a housing 64. A ball screw 65 is screwed to the back side of the Z-axis table 63, and a drive motor 66 is connected to one end of the ball screw 65. The ball screw 65 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 66, and the rough grinding means 46 is moved along the guide rail 62 in the Z-axis direction.

  Similarly, the column 13 is provided with a moving mechanism 71 that moves the finish grinding means 51 up and down. The moving mechanism 71 includes a pair of guide rails 72 arranged in front of the column 13 and parallel to the Z-axis direction, and a motor-driven Z-axis table 73 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 72. Yes. A finish grinding means 51 is supported on the front surface of the Z-axis table 73 via a housing 74. A ball screw 75 is screwed to the back side of the Z-axis table 73, and a drive motor 76 is connected to one end of the ball screw 75. The ball screw 75 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 76, and the finish grinding means 51 is moved along the guide rail 72 in the Z-axis direction.

  The rough grinding means 46 and the finish grinding means 51 are configured by providing mounts 47 and 52 at the lower end of a cylindrical spindle. On the lower surface of the mount 47 of the rough grinding means 46, a grinding wheel 49 is mounted as a rough grinding processing tool in which a plurality of rough grinding wheels 48 are annularly arranged. The coarse grinding wheel 48 is constituted by, for example, a diamond grinding stone in which diamond abrasive grains are hardened with a binder such as a metal bond or a resin bond. Further, a grinding wheel 54 as a finish grinding processing tool having a plurality of finish grinding wheels 53 arranged in an annular shape is mounted on the lower surface of the mount 52 of the finish grinding means 51. The finish grinding wheel 53 is formed of abrasive grains having a smaller particle diameter than the coarse grinding wheel 48. In rough grinding and finish grinding, the wafer W is thinned to a predetermined thickness.

  The column 14 is provided with a moving mechanism 80 that positions the polishing means 56 at a predetermined polishing position with respect to the wafer W. The moving mechanism 80 includes a first processing feed mechanism 81 that moves the polishing means 56 in the vertical direction with respect to the holding surface 43 of the chuck table 42, and a second that moves the polishing means 56 in the horizontal direction with respect to the holding surface 43. And a machining feed mechanism 82.

  The second machining feed mechanism 82 includes a pair of guide rails 83 arranged in front of the column 14 and parallel to the Y-axis direction, and a motor-driven Y-axis table 84 slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 83. have. A ball screw (not shown) is screwed to the back side of the Y-axis table 84, and a drive motor 85 is connected to one end of the ball screw. The ball screw is rotationally driven by the drive motor 85, and the Y-axis table 84 is moved in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) along the guide rail 83.

  The first machining feed mechanism 81 includes a pair of guide rails 86 arranged in front of the Y-axis table 84 and parallel to the Z-axis direction, and a motor-driven Z-axis table slidably installed on the pair of guide rails 86. 87. A ball screw (not shown) is screwed to the back side of the Z-axis table 87, and a drive motor 88 is connected to one end of the ball screw. Polishing means 56 is supported on the front surface of the Z-axis table 87 via a housing 89. The ball screw is rotationally driven by the drive motor 88, and the polishing means 56 is moved in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) along the guide rail 86. As described above, the polishing means 56 is moved in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by the first processing feed mechanism 81 and the second processing feed mechanism 82.

  The polishing means 56 is configured by providing a mount 57 at the lower end of a cylindrical spindle. On the lower surface of the mount 57, a polishing pad 58 as a polishing processing tool formed of a foam material or fiber is mounted. In the polishing process, the upper surface of the wafer W is slightly polished, so that the grinding damage left on the wafer W in the rough grinding process and the finish grinding process is removed.

  As will be described in detail later, a processing cover 90 that partitions the polishing position is provided below the polishing means 56 (see FIG. 2). The polishing pad 58 and the chuck table 42 are surrounded by the processing cover 90 and the space in the processing cover 90 is sealed, thereby preventing the polishing dust (processing waste) generated by the processing from flowing out of the processing cover 90. be able to.

  In such a grinding and polishing apparatus 1, the wafer W is conveyed from the cassette C to the positioning mechanism 21, and the wafer W is centered by the positioning mechanism 21. Next, the wafer W is loaded onto the chuck table 42, and the wafer W is positioned in the order of the rough grinding position, the finish grinding position, and the polishing position by the rotation of the turntable 41. The wafer W is roughly ground at the rough grinding position, the wafer W is finish ground at the finish grinding position, and the wafer W is ground at the polishing position. Then, the wafer W is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 26, and the wafer W is carried out from the cleaning mechanism 26 to the cassette C.

  Next, the processing cover according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the processing cover according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, only the peripheral configuration of the polishing means is shown, and a part of the configuration is omitted.

  First, the relationship between the movement of the grinding / polishing apparatus (polishing means, chuck table) and the processing cover will be described. The grinding and polishing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to move the chuck table 42 holding the wafer W to a predetermined processing position by intermittently rotating the turntable 41. The rough grinding process and the finish grinding process are performed only by moving the rough grinding means 46 and the finish grinding means 51 up and down. In the polishing process, not only the vertical movement of the polishing means 56 but also the chuck table 42 is used. It is necessary to move the polishing means 56 in the horizontal direction. By horizontally moving the polishing means 56 with the polishing pad 58 in rotational contact with the surface to be polished of the wafer W, the surface to be polished of the wafer W can be uniformly polished.

  Further, the polishing means 56 shown in FIG. 1 is a so-called dry polish type polishing means, and polishing waste generated by the polishing process is scattered in the processing chamber. Therefore, in order to prevent the polishing debris from flowing out, a processing cover 90 (see FIG. 5) surrounding the polishing pad 58 and the chuck table 42 between the polishing means 56 and the chuck table 42 located at the polishing position. 2). As described above, since the polishing means 56 moves not only vertically but also horizontally, the processing cover 90 is composed of an extendable cover 92 (see FIG. 2) that expands and contracts following the movement of the polishing means 56. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the polishing debris from flowing out while allowing the polishing means 56 to move up and down and horizontally. Hereinafter, the configuration of the processing cover 90 according to the present embodiment will be described. The polishing means 56 is not limited to the dry polish type, and can be changed as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a processing cover 90 is provided below the polishing means 56. The processing cover 90 holds the chuck table 42 and the polishing pad 58 when the chuck table 42 (see FIG. 1) holding the wafer W (see FIG. 1) is positioned at the polishing position by the turntable 41 (see FIG. 1). Go. The processing cover 90 includes a case 91 that surrounds the chuck table 42 positioned at the polishing position, and an extendable cover 92 that surrounds the polishing pad 58.

  The case 91 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and includes a side plate 93 surrounding the chuck table 42 and a ceiling plate 94 connected to the upper end of the side plate 93. A part of the side plate 93 is cut away, and the chuck table 42 (see FIG. 1) can be moved inside and outside the case 91 in accordance with the intermittent rotation of the turntable 41 (see FIG. 1). The ceiling plate 94 is formed with an elongated hole-shaped opening 94 a whose longitudinal direction is the machining feed direction of the second machining feed mechanism 82. The opening 94 a is provided immediately below the polishing means 56, and the polishing pad 58 enters and leaves the case 91 (the polishing pad 58 moves up and down by the first processing feed mechanism 81) and moves horizontally (second processing feed mechanism 82). Horizontal movement of the polishing pad 58).

  The extendable cover 92 is connected to the case 91, and the polishing means 56 is processed by the first process feed mechanism 81 and the second process feed mechanism 82 (that is, the polishing means 56 is moved vertically and moved horizontally). And is configured to expand and contract following the movement of the polishing means 56. The extendable cover 92 includes a first connecting part 95 connected to the polishing means 56, a second connecting part 96 connected to the opening 94a of the case 91, and the first connecting part 95 and the second connecting part. The expansion / contraction means 97 which connects 96 is provided. The first connecting portion 95 is formed of a ring-shaped metal plate larger than the outer diameter of the polishing pad 58 and is attached to the lower surface of the housing 89 above the polishing pad 58. The second connecting part 96 is formed of a substantially elliptical ring-shaped metal plate corresponding to the shape of the opening 94 a and has an outer diameter larger than that of the first connecting part 95. The second connecting portion 96 is attached to the upper surface of the ceiling board 94.

  The expansion / contraction means 97 includes an elastic ring-shaped expansion / contraction part 97a and a reinforcing part 97b formed in a ring shape (see FIG. 3). The expansion / contraction means 97 alternately stacks a plurality of expansion / contraction portions 97a and reinforcement portions 97b in the vertical direction (processing feed direction of the first processing feed mechanism 81), and fixes the expansion / contraction portions 97a and the reinforcement portions 97b by bonding or the like. Configured. The plurality of expansion / contraction portions 97a are formed of airbags having a substantially circular cross section and a ring shape when viewed from above, and are filled with air. The plurality of reinforcing portions 97b are formed to have substantially the same diameter as the adjacent elastic portions 97a by a wire such as a metal wire. The reinforcing portion 97b serves to reinforce the stretchable portion 97a and maintain the ring shape of the stretchable portion 97a. The uppermost extensible part 97a is connected to the ring-shaped first connecting part 95, the respective elastic parts 97a and the reinforcing part 97b have a diameter increasing toward the lower side, and the lowermost elastic part 97a is an elliptical ring. Connected to the second connecting portion 96 in the form of a ring. As described above, the expansion cover 92 (expansion / contraction means 97) has a circular opening at the upper end side, whereas the opening at the lower end side becomes an elliptical opening, from the upper end toward the lower end. The shape is configured to change step by step.

  In addition, a pressure adjustment mechanism 98 that adjusts the pressure in each expansion / contraction part 97a is provided in the expansion / contraction cover 92 (extension / contraction part 97a). The pressure adjustment mechanism 98 includes, for example, a regulator and an air supply source, and adjusts the pressure in the expansion / contraction part 97a by taking in and out the air in the expansion / contraction part 97a. By adjusting the pressure in each expansion / contraction part 97a according to the movement of the polishing means 56 (position of the polishing means 56), the expansion cover 92 follows the movement of the polishing means 56 without hindering the movement of the polishing means 56. Can be expanded and contracted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the extendable cover 92 is deformed in accordance with the movement of the polishing means 56, the polishing means 56 and the chuck table 42 are always covered with the processing cover 90. For this reason, the polishing waste generated by the processing does not flow out from the processing cover 90. Further, by expanding and contracting following the movement of the polishing means 56, it is possible to prevent scattering of polishing debris generated by the polishing process without hindering the movement of the polishing means 56. Although details will be described later, since the elastic part 97a has elasticity, a restoring force acts on the elastic part 97a even if the shape of the elastic part 97a changes. Thus, since the expansion / contraction part 97a tries to return to the original shape by the restoring force, the expansion / contraction part 97a does not fall inside the processing cover 90 due to its own weight. As a result, the stretchable portion 97a does not come into contact with the polishing means 56 in the processing cover 90, and damage to the processing cover 90 can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation of the polishing means to which the processing cover according to the present embodiment is applied and the operation of the polishing means to which the processing cover according to the comparative example is applied will be described. FIG. 3 is an operation diagram of the polishing means to which the processing cover according to the present embodiment is applied. FIG. 4 is an operation diagram of the polishing means to which the processing cover according to the comparative example is applied. In the following description, it is assumed that the chuck table holding the wafer is positioned at the polishing position. Moreover, in the following description, four elastic parts are laminated | stacked, and an elastic cover is comprised, However, It is not limited to this, You may laminate | stack three or less or five or more elastic parts. Further, in the modification shown in FIG. 4, the processing cover is different from the present embodiment in that the processing cover includes a bellows cover instead of the elastic cover, and the configuration other than the processing cover is the same as the present embodiment. The same reference numerals are used for explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the chuck table 42 holding the wafer W is positioned at the polishing position (directly below the opening 94a) by intermittent rotation of the turntable 41 (see FIG. 1). At this time, the chuck table 42 is surrounded by the case 91. The polishing means 56 is positioned above the chuck table 42 at a position (height) where the polishing pad 58 is separated from the surface to be polished of the wafer W.

  The extendable cover 92 surrounds the polishing pad 58 by attaching the first connecting portion 95 to the lower surface of the housing 89 of the polishing means 56 and attaching the second connecting portion 96 to the ceiling plate 94 of the case 91. Further, since the polishing pad 58 is positioned at a position away from the surface to be polished of the wafer W, the extendable cover 92 is pulled in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 3A, each stretchable part 97a formed of an airbag has an elliptical cross section. At this time, the distance L1 between the outer peripheral edge of the first connecting portion 95 and the outer peripheral edge of the second connecting portion 96 is equal on the left and right in the Y-axis direction (the processing feed direction of the second processing feed mechanism 82). Yes. Moreover, the pressure in each expansion-contraction part 97a is adjusted appropriately by the pressure adjustment mechanism 98 (refer FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the polishing means 56 is processed and fed by the first processing feed mechanism 81 while the polishing pad 58 is rotated, the surface of the polishing pad 58 comes into contact with the surface to be polished of the wafer W. The polishing means 56 is positioned at the lowest position. At this time, the polishing pad 58 is moved from within the extendable cover 92 into the case 91. Further, since the first connecting portion 95 and the second connecting portion 96 are brought close to each other, the expansion / contraction cover 92 is contracted, and the cross section of each expansion / contraction portion 97a has an elliptical shape whose major axis portion is smaller than the elliptical shape shown in FIG. 3A. become. 3B, the distance L2 between the outer peripheral edge of the first connecting portion 95 and the outer peripheral edge of the second connecting portion 96 is smaller than the distance L1 shown in FIG. 3A, and the Y-axis direction (second processing) They are equal on the left and right in the processing feed direction of the feed mechanism 82. Further, since the pressure in each expansion / contraction part 97a increases due to the contraction of the expansion / contraction cover 92, the pressure adjusting mechanism 98 (see FIG. 2) partially discharges the air in each expansion / contraction part 97a and polishes the polishing means 56. The pressure in the expansion / contraction part 97a is appropriately adjusted to such an extent that does not hinder movement.

  As shown in FIG. 3C, after the polishing surface of the polishing pad 58 comes into contact with the surface to be polished of the wafer W, the polishing unit 56 rotates the polishing pad 58 while rotating the polishing pad 58 in the horizontal direction (opening). (In the longitudinal direction of the portion 94a) (toward the right side in FIG. 3C). At this time, the stretchable cover 92 is pulled in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the polishing means 56 (left side of the paper in FIG. 3C), but is contracted in the moving direction of the polishing means 56 (right side of the paper in FIG. 3C).

  3C, the cross section of each stretchable portion 97a on the left side of the paper has an elliptical shape whose major axis is the tensile direction (see the arrow in the drawing), and the cross section of each stretchable portion 97a on the right side of the paper has a compression direction (see FIG. 3C). The middle arrow) has an elliptical shape with a short axis. At this time, with respect to the distance L3 between the outer peripheral edge of the first connecting portion 95 and the outer peripheral edge of the second connecting portion 96 on the left side of the paper surface, the outer peripheral edge of the first connecting portion 95 and the second connection on the right side of the paper surface. The distance L4 with the outer periphery of the part 96 is small. Moreover, the pressure in each expansion-contraction part 97a is adjusted with the pressure adjustment mechanism 98 (refer FIG. 2) to such an extent that the movement of the grinding | polishing means 56 is not prevented.

  As described above, in FIG. 3C, the deformation state of the extendable cover 92 is different on the left and right in the Y-axis direction. However, as described above, since the expansion / contraction part 97a has elasticity, even if the shape of each expansion / contraction part 97a changes, the return force for maintaining the original shape acts on each expansion / contraction part 97a. To do. Further, the ring shape of the stretchable portion 97a is maintained by the reinforcing portion 97b. Accordingly, the stretchable cover 92 can maintain the shape shown in FIG. 3C, and the stretchable portion 97a (particularly, the right portion of the bottommost stretchable portion 97a) does not fall into the case 91 due to its own weight. As a result, the expansion / contraction part 97a does not contact the polishing means 56 (mount 57) in the case 91, and the expansion / contraction cover 92 can be prevented from being damaged.

  On the other hand, in the modification shown in FIG. 4, the processing cover 100 includes a case 101 surrounding the chuck table 42 and a bellows cover 102 surrounding the polishing pad 58. The bellows cover 102 includes a first connecting portion 103 connected to the polishing means 56, a second connecting portion 105 connected to the opening 104 of the case 101, and the first connecting portion 103 and the second connecting portion. And an accordion portion 106 connected to 105. The bellows portion 106 has a folded structure in which a plurality of valley portions 107 and peak portions 108 are repeatedly stacked in the vertical direction. The peak portion 108 is provided with a ring-shaped wire 108a, and the bellows portion 106 is reinforced by the wire 108a so as to maintain the shape of the peak portion 108.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, after the chuck table 42 is positioned at the polishing position, when the polishing means 56 is lowered while rotating the polishing pad 58, the bellows cover 102 follows the movement of the polishing means 56. Expand and contract. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the polishing means 56 is moved in the horizontal direction (toward the right side in FIG. 4C) while rotating the polishing pad 58, the bellows cover 102 is moved in the moving direction of the polishing means 56. Is pulled in the opposite direction (left side in FIG. 4C), but is shrunk (folded) in the moving direction of the polishing means 56 (right side in FIG. 4C). In the bellows cover 102, only the crest portion 108 is reinforced with the wire 108a, but the trough portion 107 is not reinforced, so that the trough portion 107 on the lower right side of the paper surface falls into the case 91 due to its own weight. In this case, the bellows cover 102 may be damaged when the valley 107 comes into contact with the polishing means 56 (mount 57).

  In contrast to such a comparative example, according to the processing cover 90 according to the present embodiment, since the stretchable part 97a constituting the stretchable cover 92 has elasticity, even if the shape of the stretchable part 97a changes, Try to keep the original shape. Therefore, the expansion / contraction part 97a does not fall inside the case 91 due to its own weight. As a result, the stretchable portion 97a does not contact the polishing means 56 in the case 91, and the stretchable cover 92 can be prevented from being damaged.

  Next, a processing cover according to a modification will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an operation diagram of the polishing means to which the processing cover according to the modification is applied. In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the configuration of the processing cover (expandable cover) is different from the present embodiment. Hereinafter, differences will be mainly described, and the same reference numerals are given to the configurations having the same names as those of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the processing cover 200 according to the modification includes a case 201 that surrounds the chuck table 42 and an extendable cover 202 that surrounds the polishing pad 58. The extendable cover 202 is connected to the case 201 and is configured to expand and contract following the movement of the polishing means 56. The extendable cover 202 includes a first connecting portion 203 connected to the polishing means 56, a second connecting portion 205 connected to the opening 204 of the case 201, and the first connecting portion 203 and the second connecting portion. The expansion / contraction means 206 which connects 205 is provided. The expansion / contraction means 206 includes a ring-shaped expansion / contraction portion 206a having elasticity and a reinforcement portion 206b formed in a ring shape. The expansion / contraction means 206 is configured by alternately stacking a plurality of expansion / contraction portions 206a and reinforcement portions 206b in the vertical direction (the processing feed direction of the first processing feed mechanism 81).

  The plurality of expansion / contraction portions 206a are formed of a resin member having a substantially C-shaped cross section and a ring shape in top view. The stretchable part 206a is formed of a material having flexibility or elasticity, for example. The plurality of reinforcing portions 206b are formed to have substantially the same diameter as the adjacent elastic portions 206a by a wire such as a metal wire. The reinforcing part 206b serves to reinforce the stretchable part 206a and maintain the ring shape of the stretchable part 206a. As described above, the plurality of stretchable portions 206a and the reinforcing portions 206b are alternately stacked in the vertical direction. The reinforcing part 206a and the reinforcing part 206b are connected to each other by bonding the reinforcing part 206b at the C-shaped end part of the expanding / contracting part 206a. The uppermost extensible part 206a is connected to the ring-shaped first connecting part 203, and the respective extensible parts 206a and the reinforcing part 206b are expanded in diameter toward the lower side, and the lowermost extensible part 206a is an elliptical ring. The second connecting portion 205 is connected to the second connecting portion 205. Thus, the expansion cover 202 (expansion / contraction means 206) has a circular opening at the upper end side, whereas the opening at the lower end side becomes an elliptical opening, from the upper end toward the lower end. It is configured to change its shape step by step.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, after the chuck table 42 is positioned at the polishing position, when the polishing means 56 is lowered while rotating the polishing pad 58, the extendable cover 202 follows the movement of the polishing means 56. Expand and contract. Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the polishing means 56 is moved in the horizontal direction (toward the right side of the paper in FIG. 5C) while rotating the polishing pad 58, the extendable cover 202 is moved in the moving direction of the polishing means 56. Is pulled in the opposite direction (left side in FIG. 5C), but is contracted in the moving direction of polishing means 56 (right side in FIG. 5C).

  Thus, in FIG. 5C, the deformation state of the expansion / contraction cover 202 is different between the left and right in the Y-axis direction. However, as described above, since the expansion / contraction portions 206a have elasticity, even if the shape of each expansion / contraction portion 206a changes, a return force that maintains the original shape acts on each expansion / contraction portion 206a. To do. Further, the ring shape of the stretchable part 206a is maintained by the reinforcing part 206b. Accordingly, the stretchable cover 202 can maintain the shape shown in FIG. 5C, and the stretchable portion 206a (particularly the right stretchable portion 206a) does not fall into the case 201 due to its own weight. As a result, the expansion / contraction part 206a does not contact the polishing means 56 (mount 57) in the case 201, and damage to the expansion / contraction cover 202 can be prevented. As described above, also in the processing cover 200 according to the modified example, it is possible to prevent scattering of polishing dust generated by the polishing processing and to prevent the expansion cover 202 from being damaged.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change and implement variously. In the above-described embodiment, the size, shape, and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed within a range in which the effect of the present invention is exhibited. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the expansion / contraction cover 92 (expansion cover 202) is configured by stacking a plurality of expansion / contraction portions 97a (extension / contraction portions 206a). However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the bellows cover 102 is attached to the inner or outer surface of the bellows cover 102 shown in FIG. 4 to support the bellows cover 102, and the bellows cover 102 (the valley 107) is prevented from falling inside the case. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stretchable portion 206a of the stretchable cover 202 is configured such that the C-shaped curved portion is on the outside, but is not limited to this configuration. The stretchable part 206a may be configured with the C-shaped curved part facing inward.

  As described above, the present invention has an effect that it is possible to prevent damage to the processing cover that covers the processing means, and in particular, processing waste generated in the processing chamber flows out of the processing chamber. It is useful for a processing apparatus having a processing cover to prevent.

W wafer 41 turntable (moving means)
42 Chuck table 43 Holding surface 56 Polishing means (processing means)
58 Polishing pad (processing tool)
81 First processing feed mechanism 82 Second processing feed mechanism 90, 200 Processing cover 91, 201 Case 92, 202 Extendable cover 93 Side plate 94 Ceiling plate 94a, 204 Opening 95, 203 First connecting portion 96, 205 First Two connecting parts 97, 206 Stretching means 97a, 206a Stretching parts 97b, 206b Reinforcing part

Claims (2)

A chuck table having a holding surface for holding a wafer, a processing means for mounting and processing a processing tool for grinding or polishing a wafer held by the chuck table, and the processing means moved in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface A first machining feed mechanism for moving, a second machining feed mechanism for moving the machining means in a direction parallel to the holding surface, and a moving means for moving the chuck table to a predetermined position with respect to the machining means; A processing cover that surrounds at least the chuck table and the processing tool when the chuck table is positioned by the moving unit at a predetermined position that enables processing of the wafer held by the chuck table by the processing unit; A processing device comprising:
The machining cover is connected to the case surrounding the chuck table, and the machining means is coupled to the case so that the machining feed can be fed by the first machining feed mechanism and the second machining feed mechanism. An elastic cover that surrounds the tool and expands and contracts following the movement of the processing means,
The case includes a side plate that surrounds the chuck table, a ceiling plate that is connected to the side plate, an entry / exit of the processing tool that is formed on the ceiling plate by the first processing feed mechanism, and a second processing feed mechanism. An elongated hole-shaped opening having a processing feed direction of the second processing feed mechanism that enables movement of the processing tool as a longitudinal direction,
The expansion / contraction cover includes a first connection portion connected to the processing means, a second connection portion connected to the opening, and an expansion / contraction means connecting the first connection portion and the second connection portion. And comprising
The expansion means comprises a plurality of stretchable portion consists of a ring-shaped air bag filled with air in the interior have a resilient, and a plurality of ring-shaped reinforcing portion, and a said telescopic portion and the reinforcing portion It is configured by alternately laminating in the process feed direction of the first process feed mechanism ,
The processing apparatus characterized in that a plurality of adjacent stretchable parts are connected via the reinforcing part . The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion / contraction cover includes a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts a pressure in the expansion / contraction portion .

Images