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US 12,722,248 B2Granted
Processing apparatus
AssigneeDisco Corporation
InventorsMakoto Maejima, Yuto Maeda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A processing apparatus includes a rotatable turntable and four chuck tables disposed on the turntable. When the turntable with the four chuck tables disposed thereon is intermittently turned about its central axis, the wafer held on each of the chuck tables is moved to and positioned in a first processing position, a second processing position, and a third processing position where the wafer is processed. Three types of processing processes are able to be carried out on the wafers without the wafers being spaced from holding surfaces of the chuck tables.
Claims13
A processing apparatus for grinding
- a central portion of a wafer to form a circular recess in the wafer and an annular land surrounding the circular recess, the processing apparatus comprising:
- a turntable;
- at least four chuck tables rotatably mounted on the turntable and having respective holding surfaces for holding respective wafers thereon;
- a delivery mechanism for loading the wafer onto and unloading the wafer from each of the chuck tables;
- a first processing mechanism for grinding the wafer held on one of the holding surfaces with a first annular grinding wheel to form the circular recess in a central portion of the wafer, leaving the annular land around the circular recess;
- a second processing mechanism for grinding a bottom of the circular recess in the wafer held on the holding surface with a second annular grinding wheel;
- a third processing mechanism for grinding the bottom of the circular recess in the wafer held on the holding surface with a third annular grinding wheel or polishing an upper surface of the wafer with a first polishing pad;
- a first horizontally moving mechanism for moving the first annular grinding wheel of the first processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the one of the holding surfaces;
- a second horizontally moving mechanism for moving the second annular grinding wheel of the second processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the holding surface;
- and
- a third horizontally moving mechanism for moving the third annular grinding wheel or the first polishing pad of the third processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the holding surface,
- wherein each of the first, second, and third horizontally moving mechanisms is configured to move a corresponding annular grinding wheel or polishing pad radially with respect to the wafer along a path in which a center of the corresponding annular grinding wheel or polishing pad passes through a center of the wafer.
9 more elements
A processing apparatus for grinding a central portion of a wafer to form a circular recess in the wafer and an annular land surrounding the circular recess, the processing apparatus comprising:
- a turntable;
- at least four chuck tables rotatably mounted on the turntable and having respective holding surfaces for holding respective wafers thereon;
- a delivery mechanism for loading the wafer onto and unloading the wafer from each of the chuck tables;
- a second processing mechanism for grinding the wafer held on one of the holding surfaces with a second annular grinding wheel to form the circular recess in a central portion of the wafer, leaving the annular land around the circular recess;
- a third processing mechanism for grinding a bottom of the circular recess in the wafer held on the holding surface with a third annular grinding wheel or polishing an upper surface of the wafer with a first polishing pad;
- a fourth processing mechanism for grinding at least a portion, to be made into the annular land, of an upper surface of the wafer held on the holding surface with a fourth annular grinding wheel;
- a second horizontally moving mechanism for moving the second annular grinding wheel of the second processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the one of the holding surfaces;
- a third horizontally moving mechanism for moving the third annular grinding wheel or the first polishing pad of the third processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the holding surface;
- and
- a fourth horizontally moving mechanism for moving the fourth annular grinding wheel of the fourth processing mechanism radially with respect to the wafer held on the holding surface,
- wherein each of the second, third, and fourth horizontally moving mechanisms is configured to move a corresponding annular grinding wheel or polishing pad radially with respect to the wafer along a path in which a center of the corresponding annular grinding wheel or polishing pad passes through a center of the wafer.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.