Processing apparatus

Abstract

A processing apparatus includes a chuck table that holds a workpiece, a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the chuck table, and a panel that surrounds components including the chuck table and the processing unit. Power source sockets are disposed on the panel, and electric apparatuses including an inspection device, a personal computer, a fan, and a cleaner are connected to the power source sockets and are used.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus comprising: a chuck table that holds a workpiece; a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the chuck table; a panel that surrounds components including the chuck table and the processing unit; a distribution board electrically connected to an external power source; a transformer electrically connected to the distribution board, wherein the transformer is configured and arranged to convert the voltage received from the distribution board, and power source sockets disposed on the panel, wherein the power source sockets are electrically connected to the transformer, a carrying mechanism configured and arranged for carrying the workpiece; and a holding unit configured and arranged to hold the workpiece on the chuck table via suction, wherein the holding unit and the processing unit are electrically connected directly to the distribution board, without passing through the transformer, and wherein at least one electric apparatus selected from an inspection device, a personal computer, a fan, and a cleaner is/are connected to at least one of the power source sockets and is/are used.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source sockets are disposed on a front side, a lateral side, or a rear side of the panel.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the power source sockets is any one of 100 V, 200 V, and 240 V.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external power source comprises a three-phase external power source.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the voltage of the three-phase external power source is 200 V.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transformer is configured and arranged to convert three-phase AC power into single-phase AC power.

7. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprises one of a cutting unit including a rotatable cutting blade configured and arranged to cut the workpiece or a laser processing unit configured and arranged to perform laser processing on the workpiece or a grinding unit configured and arranged to grind the workpiece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the processing apparatus depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(3) A processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below referring to the drawings.

(4) Referring to FIG. 1, the processing apparatus denoted by a sign 2 as a whole includes a holding unit 4 that holds a workpiece, a processing unit 6 that processes the workpiece held by the holding unit 4, and a panel 8 that surrounds components including the holding unit 4 and the processing unit 6.

(5) The holding unit 4 includes a circular chuck table 10 disposed to be movable in an X-axis direction indicated by an arrow X in FIG. 1. The chuck table 10 is rotated by a motor (not illustrated) and is moved in the X-axis direction by an X-axis feeding mechanism (not illustrated). Note that a Y-axis direction indicated by an arrow Y in FIG. 1 is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction indicated by an arrow Z in FIG. 1 is a vertical direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. An XY plane defined by the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is substantially horizontal.

(6) An upper end portion of the chuck table 10 is formed from a porous member connected to suction means (not illustrated). With a suction force generated at an upper surface of the chuck table 10 by the suction means, the holding unit 4 suction holds the workpiece such as a wafer W placed on the upper surface of the chuck table 10. Note that the wafer W depicted in FIG. 1 is adhered to an adhesive tape T of which a peripheral edge is fixed to an annular frame F.

(7) The processing unit 6 includes a cutting blade 12 disposed to be rotatable with the Y-axis direction as an axis, and a motor (not illustrated) for rotating the cutting blade 12. The processing unit 6 cuts the workpiece held by the chuck table 10 by the cutting blade 12 rotated by the motor. Thus, the processing unit 6 in the present embodiment is a cutting unit that cuts the workpiece held by the holding unit 4. Note that the processing unit 6 may be a laser processing unit that performs laser processing on the workpiece held by the holding unit 4, a grinding unit that grinds the workpiece held by the holding unit 4, or the like.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 2 further includes a cassette mount base 16 on which a cassette 14 accommodating a plurality of wafers W supported by the annular frames F through the adhesive tapes T is mounted and which can be lifted up and down, lifting means (not illustrated) that lifts the cassette mount base 16 up and down, a carrying-in/out mechanism 20 that draws out the wafer W yet to be cut from the cassette 14, carries the wafer W to a temporary placing table 18, and carries in the wafer W that is positioned on the temporary placing table 18 and that has been cut into the cassette 14, a first carrying mechanism 22 that carries the wafer W yet to be cut which is carried out from the cassette 14 to the temporary placing table 18 to the chuck table 10, an imaging unit 24 that images the wafer W held by the chuck table 10, a cleaning unit 26 that cleans the wafer W having been cut, and a second carrying mechanism 28 that carries the wafer W having been cut from the chuck table 10 to the cleaning unit 26.

(9) The panel 8 surrounds the components of the processing apparatus 2 as described above. The panel 8 depicted in FIG. 1 is not depicted in the mode of surrounding the upper side of some of the components of the described above processing apparatus 2, for convenience, but may be configured to surround the upper side of the all of the components of the described above processing apparatus 2.

(10) Power source sockets or power source outlets 30 are disposed on the panel 8, and electric apparatuses including an inspection device, a personal computer, a fan, and a cleaner can be used. The power source sockets 30 in the present embodiment include a front socket 30a disposed on the front side (on the viewer's side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1) of the panel 8, a side socket 30b disposed on a lateral side (on the viewer's side in the X-axis direction in FIG. 1) of the panel 8, a rear socket 30c disposed on the rear side (on the depth side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1) of the panel 8, and an upper socket 30d disposed on the upper side of the panel 8, but the layout and the number of the power source sockets 30 can be set optionally. The voltage of the power source sockets 30 is preferably any one of 100V, 200V, and 240 V of single-phase alternating current (AC). Note that in FIG. 1, the power source sockets 30 are depicted in an exaggerated form.

(11) Referring to FIG. 2, the processing apparatus 2 includes a distribution board 34 connected to an external power source 32, and a transformer 36 connected to the distribution board 34. The external power source 32 may be, for example, three-phase AC power source of a voltage of 200 V. The transformer 36 converts the voltage of the power supplied to the distribution board 34 into, for example, any one of 100 V, 200V, and 240 V of single-phase AC. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the power source sockets 30 are connected to the transformer 36, and the components of the processing apparatus 2 such as the holding unit 4 and the processing unit 6 are connected to the transformer 36. In addition, the components of the processing apparatus 2 such as the holding unit 4 and the processing unit 6 may be connected, not through the transformer 36, but directly to the distribution board 34.

(12) In cutting the wafer W by use of the processing apparatus 2, first, the wafer W is carried out from the cassette 14 to the temporary placing table 18 by the carrying-in/out mechanism 20. Next, the wafer W positioned on the temporary placing table 18 is carried onto the chuck table 10 by the first carrying mechanism 22, and the wafer W is suction held on an upper surface of the chuck table 10. Subsequently, the wafer W is imaged from above by the imaging unit 24, and based on the image of the wafer W picked up by the imaging unit 24, the orientation of the wafer W is adjusted, and alignment between a region for cutting the wafer W and the cutting blade 12 is performed. Next, a cutting edge of the cutting blade 12 rotating at a high speed is caused to cut into the wafer W, and the chuck table 10 is subjected to processing feeding in the X-axis direction by the X-axis feeding mechanism, thereby cutting the wafer W.

(13) In addition, in the case of using, for example, an oscilloscope (not illustrated) for detecting vibration of the processing apparatus 2, a power source plug of the oscilloscope is inserted into any one of the front socket 30a, the side socket 30b, the rear socket 30c, and the upper socket 30d, whereby the oscilloscope can be used near the processing apparatus 2.

(14) As described above, according to the processing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, electric apparatuses including an inspection device, a personal computer, a fan, and a cleaner can be used near the processing apparatus 2 by inserting the power source plugs of the electric apparatuses into the power source sockets 30, and therefore, it is unnecessary to insert a plug of an extension cord into the power source socket installed in the plant and to wire to the processing apparatus 2.

(15) The present invention is not limited to the details of the above described preferred embodiment. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and all changes and modifications as fall within the equivalence of the scope of the claims are therefore to be embraced by the invention.