JP6522306B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

  For example, when forming a fine pattern in a semiconductor element, a photocurable resin is applied onto a substrate to be transferred, and the template (original plate) is directly pressed against the photocurable resin to be cured, and then the template is photocured. Nanoimprint technology is known, that is, separating from the polymer resin. In this technique, when the step of directly pressing the template on the photocurable resin is performed with dust (particles) attached to the template, particles are left on the template when the template is released from the photocurable resin. As a result, pattern defects will occur.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique for avoiding the occurrence of pattern defects by including the step of removing particles using an adhesive member in the nanoimprint technique.

Patent No. 5121549 gazette

  However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the following points are not taken into consideration.

  That is, although the process of removing the particles adhering to the template using the adhesive member is shown, the entire surface of the template is the target in this removal process. In addition, it is also conceivable to remove particles using, for example, washing using a liquid or the like without using an adhesive member. Methods such as these are effective means when there are many particles around the template.

  On the other hand, there may be a case where particles do not necessarily exist on the entire surface or a wide range of the template, as in the case where only a small part of the template or the number of particles is very small. It is considered that performing the process of removing particles targeting the entire surface of the template until such a state is not appropriate even in view of the time required for all the processing steps or the cost. Rather, in such a case, it is also conceivable to remove particles individually.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to individually perform efficiency when it is less necessary to remove particles present on the particle removal target surface by cleaning the entire surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can be removed easily and reliably.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the particles are present, with respect to particle removal target surface, the resin taking entwined said particles, and a coating unit for coating the fabric to a preset application range with respect to the particles, coating comprising a curing unit for curing the resin, which is a removing unit that divided the particle cured the resin by removing from the particle removal target surface, and the removal portion is a roller, the roller Is rotated to bring the cured resin containing the particles into contact with the rotating surface of the roller for removal from the particle removal target surface.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, the particles are present, with respect to particle removal target surface, the resin taking entwined said particles, and a coating unit for coating the fabric to a preset application range with respect to the particles, coating with curing the has been said resin, and a roller which divided the particles by removing the cured the resin from the particle removal target surface.

The substrate processing method according to the embodiment, the particles are present, with respect to particle removal target surface, comprising the steps of applying section, applying a resin to take entwined the particle, the pre-set application range with respect to the particle curing unit, comprising curing the coated the resin, removal portion, and removing the particles and cured the resin by removing from the particle removal target surface, wherein the removal unit A roller, and in the step of removing the cured resin from the particle removal target surface, the cured resin containing the particles is brought into contact with the rotating surface of the roller by rotating the roller to remove the particles Remove from target surface .

In the substrate processing method according to the embodiment, the applying unit applies a resin, which is to entangle the particles, on the particle removal target surface on which particles are present, in a predetermined application range with respect to the particles. comprises with curing the coated the resin, roller, comprising the steps of dividing removed by the particles by removing the cured the resin from the particle removal target surface.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to individually and efficiently and simply and reliably remove particles present on the particle removal target surface when there is a low need to remove the particles by cleaning the entire surface. A substrate processing method can be provided.

It is a block diagram showing the whole substrate processing equipment concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the particle which exists in the particle removal object surface which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the flow of removal of the particle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the flow of removal of the particle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the flow of removal of the particle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the flow of removal of the particle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing which shows the flow of removal of the particle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart showing another flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing another flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing another flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing another flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing another flow of removal of particles concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of removal of particles using a dispenser concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of removal of particles using a dispenser concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing a flow of removal of particles using a dispenser concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing a flow of removal of particles using a dispenser concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart showing a flow of removal of particles using a dispenser concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows a flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles using a roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of another particle using the roller concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of another particle using the roller concerning a 2nd embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an information acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, an application unit 13, a curing unit 14, and a removal unit 15.

  In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, only the structure required in order to describe embodiment in this invention is extracted and shown. Therefore, for example, the substrate provided with the particle removal target surface is transported by a transport device such as a belt conveyor or a transport robot. Although the said transfer apparatus is equipped with the substrate processing apparatus 1, the illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. For example, although the control part which controls the operation of each part is also provided, it is not illustrated similarly.

  The detailed functions and functions of the above-described units shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described as appropriate in the following description of the substrate processing method. The substrate processing method will be described for each of the methods.

  First, the flow of removal of particles from the particle removal target surface will be described with reference to the substrate processing method as a basis. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of particle removal according to the embodiment. Here, the flow from step ST1 to step ST11 will be particularly described as the basic substrate processing method. Also, in the description, FIGS. 3 and 4 to 8 will be used as appropriate.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing particles present on the particle removal target surface according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the particle P adheres to the particle removal target surface B1. If such particles P are attached to the particle removal target surface B1, as described above, for example, the occurrence of pattern defects and the like will cause various inconveniences in the future substrate processing, so it is necessary to remove There is.

  Here, as the “particles P”, for example, a resist attached to the substrate, an organic substance such as an adhesive residue, or a part of the film formed on the substrate corresponds.

  Furthermore, here, instead of removing the particles P by cleaning the entire surface of the particle removal target surface B1, the individual particles P are individually removed, and finally the particles P are removed from the particle removal target surface B1. It is decided to eliminate the existence of

  By the way, the "particle removal target surface" is a so-called surface of a substrate. Further, as the “substrate” here, various substrates such as a wafer, a substrate for a mask, or a liquid crystal substrate can be considered, and it is not particularly limited. Therefore, in the following, a plate-shaped object to be treated in which particles P are present is referred to as “substrate B” for convenience, and the surface thereof is referred to as “particle removal target surface B1”. In addition, the “particle removal target surface B1” may be flat or may have a pattern formed thereon, and it does not matter.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the substrate B is viewed from above, and three particles P are present on the particle removal target surface B1. As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the flow of particle removal will be described by giving a case where individual particles P can be removed individually.

  Although three particles P are drawn on the particle removal target surface B1 in FIG. 3, it is needless to say that it is not necessary to remove the particles P by cleaning the entire surface of the substrate B by any method. As long as it is in the state, the number of particles P does not matter.

  Next, the flow for removing the particles P on the particle removal target surface B1 as shown in FIG. 3 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the particles P are to be removed, position information on the position on the substrate B, that is, on which position of the particle removal target surface B1 the particles P to be removed exist is provided. Acquire (ST1).

  The position information of the particles P to be removed can be grasped, for example, by image processing using a camera or the like provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 1. Further, grasping of the position information is performed by, for example, a position grasping device not shown in FIG. Therefore, the position information of the particles P is transmitted from the position grasping device to the substrate processing apparatus 1 when the substrate B is transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 for the removal processing.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus other than the substrate processing apparatus 1 determines the position information of the particles P. However, for example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 itself may have the mechanism. Absent.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the information acquisition unit 11 grasps the transmitted position information of the particle P to be removed. In the embodiment of the present invention, unlike the case where the particles P are removed by cleaning the entire surface of the substrate B, the individual particles P are individually removed, so the position of the particles P to be removed is Understanding of information is very important.

  The position information of the particle P to be removed, which is acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, is sent to the determination unit 12. The determination unit 12 checks whether or not particles P are present in a region of a predetermined area or more on the particle removal target surface B1 (ST2).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the particles P exist separately on the particle removal target surface B1, they can be removed individually and are efficient.

  On the other hand, although not shown, it is also conceivable that, for example, the particles P are present linearly on the particle removal target surface B1 or are present in a certain area in a lump. For example, if the mask substrate is bonded with a pellicle by an adhesive, linear adhesive traces (residues) remain on the surface of the mask substrate along the frame of the velicle. In this case, although it is not necessary to clean the entire surface of the substrate B, if the particles P can be removed as collectively as possible, for example, it will contribute to shortening the tact time.

  Therefore, here, the determination unit 12 determines whether the individual particles P are individually removed or collectively removable based on the degree of grouping of the particles P. That is, the determination is made based on the distribution of the particles P on the particle removal target surface B1. A method of collectively removing the particles P will be described later.

  As a result of judging by the judgment unit 12 based on the positional information of the particle P from the information acquisition unit 11, when it is judged that the particle P is present in an unaggregated and disjointed state on the particle removal target surface B 1 ( It is decided that ST2 NO) and particles P are individually removed (ST3).

  Therefore, the determination unit 12 further obtains information on the particle P to be removed and information on the particle removal target surface B1 from the information acquisition unit 11 for individual removal of the particle P and confirms the information (ST4). Here, the information on the particle P is, for example, the size, shape, material, etc. of the particle P. The information on the particle removal target surface B1 is information on the state of the particle removal target surface B1, the material of the substrate B, and the like. These pieces of information are information necessary to determine what kind of resin is used to take up the particles P.

  Based on these pieces of information, the determination unit 12 determines how to remove the particle P. This determination is stored in, for example, a storage unit not shown in the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, for example, a list of resins suitable for the material of the particles P and the substrate B in advance in the storage unit. It may be stored and performed based on the list. Alternatively, the operator of the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be inquired and judged based on the instruction of the operator.

  This determination includes the determination (ST5) as to whether or not the removal complement is used. Here, the “removal complement” is a substance used to easily and reliably remove the particles P when removing the particles P. For example, a plate of polyvinyl chloride having high adhesiveness with the resin R or the like And a metal plate having a surface coated with a material having high adhesion to the resin R.

  That is, as described later, when removing the particles P, the resin R is applied to the particles P and cured, and the removing portion removes the resin R including the cured particles P. However, if the removing unit 15 is configured to hold the cured resin, for example, if the applied resin R cures in a thinly spread state on the particle removal target surface B1, the resin R is removed. It becomes difficult to grip.

  In such a case, when the removal complement is used, when the resin R is cured, the particle P and the removal supplement are integrated with the cured resin R. Thereafter, the removal unit 15 grips the removal complement, and as a result, the resin R and the particles P can be gripped and removed. Therefore, the determination unit 12 determines whether to use the removal complement. The method of removing the particles P using the removal complement will be described later.

  As a result of the judgment by the judgment unit 12, when the removal complement is not necessary (NO in ST 5), the resin R to be used when removing the particle P is selected (ST 6) and the particle P to be removed Based on the information, the application amount and the application range of the resin R are confirmed (ST7).

  When the resin R is selected in advance, step ST6 may be omitted, and the amount of application and the range of application may be confirmed.

  4 to 8 are process diagrams showing the flow of removal of the particles P according to the embodiment. In the process drawings of FIG. 4 and the following figures, the substrate B is shown horizontally so that the particle removal target surface B1 is directed upward. Therefore, the resin R is applied and removed from above the particles P on the particle removal target surface B1 shown in this way.

  In FIG. 4, the application part 13 which apply | coats resin R on the upper side of the particle P is shown. As the application unit 13, for example, an inkjet discharge mechanism can be used. The nozzle N which comprises the application part 13 is arrange | positioned based on the positional information on the particle P in the position which opposes particle removal object surface B1 on both sides of the particle P. As shown in FIG. The resin R to be applied to the particles P is filled in the nozzle N, and the resin R is applied to the particles P based on an instruction from the substrate processing apparatus 1 (ST 8).

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the resin R is applied to the particles P. In addition, in FIG. 5, an arrow from the lateral direction to the applied resin R is shown. This shows a process of curing the resin R applied so as to wrap the particles P by the curing section 14.

  As the resin R, for example, it is possible to select an ultraviolet curable resin which is cured by irradiating ultraviolet light, or to select a thermosetting resin which is cured by heating. As described above, the resin R is selected in accordance with the properties of the particle P to be removed and the particle removal target surface B1 in which the particle P is present.

  Thus, if an ultraviolet curable resin is selected as resin R, the arrows shown in FIG. 5 represent the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source. Also, when a thermosetting resin is selected as the resin R, the arrows shown in FIG. 5 represent the heat radiated from the heat source.

  As described above, with respect to the resin R applied to the particles P, the cured portion 14 in accordance with the selected property of the resin R is selected, and the resin R is cured (ST 9). Since the resin R is applied so as to entangle the particles P, the resin R together with the particles P is cured by passing through the curing process by the curing unit 14.

  FIG. 6 shows the cured resin R and the particles P. The coating unit 13 completes the coating process of the resin R on the particles P and, after completing the curing process, moves in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6, that is, upward. This is to retreat from above the target particle P in order to smoothly remove the resin R and the particle P by the removing unit 15 which is the next step.

  Here, the application unit 13 starts to move after the curing process of the resin R by the curing unit 14 is finished, but the application unit 13 is controlled to move simultaneously with the curing process by the curing unit 14. Also good.

  Further, since the resin R has already been cured by the curing section 14, the resin P is present on the particle removal target surface B1 including the particles P. Particularly in FIG. 6, the cured resin R is shown in the form of a column, but the shape of the cured resin R is not limited to the illustrated shape. Further, in order to prevent the resin R in the nozzle N from being cured during the curing process by the curing unit 14, the nozzle N may be made of, for example, a metal or the like that does not transmit ultraviolet light. It is formed of the material of.

  FIG. 7 shows a state in which the removing unit 15 grips the cured resin R in order to remove the particles P (ST10). The removing unit 15 removes the cured resin R to remove the particles P which are entangled in the resin R and similarly cured.

  Here, the removing unit 15 is configured as a crane that holds and lifts the cured resin R (particles P). The configuration of the removing unit 15 is exemplified by a crane as shown in FIG. 7 for convenience of explanation, but for example, the mechanism for gripping the resin R is limited to the mechanism shown in FIG. 7 It is not something to be done. For example, the “gripping” is not limited to the gripping mechanism, and the removing unit 15 has a hole connected to the pressure reducing unit on the surface facing the particle P, and sucks air to remove the resin R (particle P). A mechanism for sucking and holding can also be considered.

  That is, it can be said that the particles P are cured with the resin R in order to facilitate removal of the individual particles P individually by the removing unit 15. By curing the particles P using the resin R in this manner, it is possible to remove the particles P more easily and reliably than removing them individually without any treatment.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the resin R held by the removing unit 15 is lifted upward together with the particles P as shown by the arrows. The removing unit 15 pulls up the resin R and the particles P collectively, moves the resin R to a position where it is considered as a disposal place, and separates the resin R, whereby the particles P on the particle removal target surface B1 are discarded. In the mechanism in which the removing unit 15 separates the resin R, for example, the removing unit 15 has a hole connected to the pressing unit on the surface facing the particle P, and releases air to release the resin R (particle P). A mechanism for separating the

  Thus, the removal of one particle P is completed (ST11).

  However, the process of removing the particles P described above is repeated as long as the particles P to be removed are present on the particle removal target surface B1.

  After the removal unit 15 discards the particles P together with the resin R, the determination unit 12 further confirms whether or not the particles P to be removed exist on the particle removal target surface B1 based on the position information of the particles P ( ST12). As a result, when the particle P is present (YES in ST12), the process returns to step ST4, and the above-described process is repeated again to remove the particle P. On the other hand, if it is determined that the particle P is not present on the particle removal target surface B1 as a result of the determination (NO in ST12), the particle P removal process is completed.

  The basic flow for removing the particles P on the particle removal target surface B1 has been described above. Next, the method of removing the particles P using the removal complement E described above will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and, as appropriate, FIG. 9 to FIG. FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 are process diagrams showing another flow of removal of the particles P according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, as a result of the judgment unit 12 judging whether or not the use of the removal complement E is necessary, the use of the removal complement E from the state of the particle P and the state of the particle removal target surface B1 Is required (YES in ST5), first, selection of the resin R is performed on the premise of use of the removal complement E (ST21). In addition, the application amount of the resin R and the application range are also confirmed (ST22).

  Here, when performing processing for removing particles P using removal complement E, which will be described below, the determination unit 12 determines that particle removal target surface B1 is greater than removal complement E for resin R after curing. Also, it is necessary to select a resin R having the property of being easily peeled off.

  This is because if the adhesion of the resin R to the particle removal target surface B1 is higher than the adhesion to the removal complement E, the removal complement E together with the resin R and particles after curing the resin R as described later When P is pulled up from the particle removal target surface B1, the resin R does not peel off from the particle removal target surface B1, and as a result, the particle P can not be removed.

  Therefore, by selecting the resin R having the above-described properties, it is possible to achieve both suppression of damage to the particle removal target surface B1 at the time of removal and releasability of the resin R and the particles P.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the removal unit 15 moves the removal complement E so as to cover the particle P from above the particle P toward the particle removal target surface B1 (ST23). As described above, the role of the removal complement E is to assist in removing the particles P which are considered to be difficult to remove even if cured with the resin R, more reliably. Here, when removing the particles P, the removal portion 15 does not remove the cured resin R and the particles P directly, but the removal portion 15 grasps the removal complement E so that removal of the particles P is easy. It is to

  In addition, although the plate-like thing is used as the removal complement E here, as long as it is possible to play a role as the removal supplement E, the shape is not limited to plate shape. Also, the placement of the removal complement E on the particle P is here before the resin R is applied, but the timing of placement of the removal complement E is, for example, after the application of the resin R and before curing It may be

  FIG. 10 shows a process of applying the resin R between the placed removal complement E and the particle removal target surface B1. That is, the resin R is applied from the nozzle N of the coating unit 13 between the removal complement E where the particles P exist and the particle removal target surface B1 (ST24). When the set application amount is applied, the curing unit 14 irradiates ultraviolet rays to the applied resin R to cure the resin R (ST 25). In FIG. 11, the process of hardening by the hardening part 14 is shown by the arrow.

  When the curing of the resin R is completed, the removing unit 15 grips the removing complement E as shown in FIG. 12 (ST26). Then, the removal portion 15 pulls the gripped removal complement E upward, whereby the resin R and the particles P are also removed upward from the particle removal target surface B1 (ST27). This state is shown in FIG. The removal complement E, the resin R, and the particles P, which are pulled upward, are carried to a predetermined area by the removing unit 15 and discarded. As a result, the particles P on the substrate B (the particle removal target surface B1) are removed.

  Then, after the removing unit 15 discards the particles P together with the resin R, the determining unit 12 determines whether or not there are particles P to be removed on the particle removal target surface B1 based on the positional information of the particles P. The process of confirming (ST12) is as described above.

  Next, the flow of removal of particles P using the dispenser F will be described. 14 and 15 are flowcharts showing the flow of removal of particles P using the dispenser F according to the first embodiment. 16 to 18 are process diagrams showing the flow of removal of particles P using the dispenser F according to the first embodiment.

  First, the dispenser F is attached to the application unit 13A for applying the resin R to the particles P (ST31). Here, the “dispenser F” is a member that plays a role of applying the resin R to the particles P, similarly to the nozzle N described above. Therefore, one end of the dispenser F is attached to the coating unit 13A in order to apply the resin R to the particles P. In addition, about the mounting method of the dispenser F to application part 13A, a known technique can be utilized.

  On the other hand, the dispenser F can remove the dispenser F by releasing the mounting relationship with the application unit 13A and separating one end from the application unit 13A. That is, the application unit 13A and the dispenser F are detachably connected.

  Since the coating unit 13A and the dispenser F are thus detachable, for example, if the dispenser F can pull up the particles P and the resin R from the particle removal target surface B2 collectively, then, the dispenser F is coated thereafter. The particles P can be removed (discarded) together with the dispenser F separately from the part 13A. If such processing is possible, the dispenser F can also be disposable, for example.

  For that purpose, when curing the resin R applied to the particles P, it is possible to also cure the resin R held in the dispenser F together, the dispenser R together with the particles P and the resin R entangled in the particles P It is possible to pull up

  Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the resin R entangled in the particles P is cured, the resin R held in the dispenser F is also cured. For this purpose, the dispenser F is formed of, for example, a material that transmits ultraviolet light, which is used in the curing process performed by the curing unit 14.

  The nozzle N in the application unit 13 described above is formed of, for example, a material such as metal that does not transmit ultraviolet light so that even the resin R held therein is not cured by the curing process performed by the curing unit 14. On the other hand, the dispenser F here not only applies the resin R to the particles P, but also needs to cure not only the resin R entangled in the particles P but also the resin R held in the dispenser F in the curing process. Therefore, the dispenser F is formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light.

  In the case where the resin R is a thermosetting resin, by adopting a material excellent in heat conduction, as described above, in the curing process, the resin R is held not only in the resin P but also in the dispenser F. It is possible to cure the resin R to be cured.

  As described above, one end of the dispenser F is shaped to be attachable to the application section 13A. On the other hand, at the other end of the dispenser F, a discharge port is formed, and the resin R is discharged toward the particle P from the discharge port. Further, at the other end, a surface F1 facing the particle removal target surface B2 is provided outside the discharge port.

  Such surface F1 is provided because, in the removal process of the particles P using the dispenser F, the resin R in the dispenser F is also cured and pulled up and removed together with the resin R entangled in the particles P. In order to Therefore, when the resin R applied from the dispenser F toward the particles P is cured, the resin R which is to be present from the particles P to the inside of the dispenser F is integrated by curing. Only in such a state, by pulling up the dispenser F, the particles P and the resin R can be pulled up integrally.

  Therefore, in order to pull up the particles P and the resin R integrally as the dispenser F is pulled up, a corresponding strength is required for the cured resin R. In this case, as described above, when the surface F1 facing the particle removal target surface B2 is provided outside the discharge port at the other end of the dispenser F, the contact area of the resin R with the surface F1 is large. When cured, the strength for pulling up more integrally will be increased. Therefore, when the surface F1 is formed outside the discharge port, which is the other end, and the resin R is applied to the particles P, a sufficient amount of resin R to be in contact with the surface F1 It is supposed to apply.

  The shape of the surface F1 may be provided, for example, over the entire circumference of the discharge port as long as it is outside the discharge port. In addition, when provided over the entire circumference, the shape of the surface facing the particle removal target surface B2 may be any shape such as a circle or a polygon.

  Regarding the flow of removal of the particles P using the dispenser F, after the dispenser F is attached to the application unit 13A, preparation for applying the resin R to the particles P actually starts.

  That is, as described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the position information is grasped at which position of the particle removal target surface B2 the particle P to be removed exists (ST32).

  The position information of the particle P to be removed, which is acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, is sent to the determination unit 12. The determination unit 12 checks whether or not the particles P are solidified in a region of a predetermined area or more on the particle removal target surface B2 (ST33). A method of collectively removing the particles P will be described later.

  As a result of the determination by the determination unit 12 based on the positional information of the particle P from the information acquisition unit 11, when it is determined that the particle P is present in a disorganized and disjointed state on the particle removal target surface B2 ( It is decided to individually remove the particles P (NO in ST33) (ST34).

  The determination unit 12 further acquires, from the information acquisition unit 11, information related to the particle P to be removed and information related to the particle removal target surface B2 (ST35). The determination unit 12 determines how to remove the particle P based on the information on the particle P and the information on the information on the particle removal target surface B2.

  Then, the judgment unit 12 further selects the resin R to be used when removing the particle P (ST 36), and confirms the application amount and the application range of the resin R based on the information of the particle P to be removed. To do (ST37).

  When the above-described respective confirmations are completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 applies the resin R to the particles P to be removed through the dispenser F (ST38).

  FIG. 16 is a process diagram showing a flow of removal of particles P using the dispenser F according to the embodiment. In the said FIG. 16, the state in front of apply | coating resin R with respect to the particle P is shown. That is, the dispenser F is attached to the application portion 13A, and the resin R is held inside the dispenser F. On the other hand, immediately below the dispenser F and the resin R, particles P to be removed exist.

  In FIGS. 16 to 18, a pattern is formed on the particle removal target surface B2 of the substrate B, unlike the process drawings used for the description so far. And the particle P which should be removed exists in the recessed part formed by this pattern. Also in the flow of removal of particles P using the dispenser F described here, even if the particles P are present on the flat particle removal target surface B1 shown in the process chart used so far, good.

  FIG. 17 shows the state of step ST38 described above, that is, the state in which the resin R is applied to the particles P via the dispenser F. The resin R is discharged from the discharge port at the other end of the dispenser F.

  Here, the resin R is sufficiently entangled with the particles P present in the pattern, and the inside of the pattern is filled with the resin R. In addition, the resin R is applied so that the resin R is continuous from the inside of the pattern to the resin R held inside the dispenser F so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the groove forming the pattern and the surface F1. There is.

  Under such a condition, the curing unit 14 irradiates the resin R with, for example, ultraviolet light. As described above, since the dispenser F is formed of, for example, a material having a property of transmitting ultraviolet light, the resin R which is entangled with the particles P, as well as the resin R which is irradiated with the irradiated ultraviolet light The cured resin R is also cured.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 17, the resin R is formed on the upper portion of the groove forming the pattern and the other end of the dispenser F from the resin R entangled with the particles P present inside the groove of the pattern Between the surface F1 and the resin R held in the dispenser F from the other end of the dispenser F from which the resin R is discharged to the end thereof mounted on the application section 13A It is irradiated with ultraviolet light and integrally cured.

  Since the resin R in contact with the surface F1 is also cured in this manner, as shown in FIG. 18, when the coating portion 13A is pulled upward from this state, the cured resin R is also integrally pulled upward (FIG. 15). ST40). Since the resin R is also filled in the groove of the pattern and hardened, the particles P present in the groove are also entangled in the hardened resin R and pulled up.

  When the pattern is formed on the particle removal target surface B2 in this way and the particles P to be removed are present in the recess, if the recess is filled with the resin R, then the resin R is removed. In some cases, it may be difficult to pull up after curing. That is, although it becomes possible to pull up integrally by hardening resin R which exists from the recessed part containing particle P to the inside of dispenser F, when resin R is applied and the recessed part is filled, it was hardened. In this case, the adhesion between the surface of the recess and the resin R becomes too high, and a large force is required to pull up the cured resin R.

  In such a case, if it is forcedly pulled up, for example, the cured resin R may be broken in the middle of pulling up and the particle P can not be pulled up, or the high adhesion between the resin R and the recess causes the pulling up. It can not be imagined that even the pattern may be pulled. Such a situation can lead to pattern defects.

  Therefore, for example, as described herein, in the case where a pattern is formed on the particle removal target surface B2 and particles P are present in the concave portion, when applied and cured, the time of application is By selecting and using a resin R having a property that the volume at the time of curing decreases rather than the volume, the above-mentioned adverse effects can be avoided.

  As described above, the particle P is removed from the particle removal target surface B2. Then, in order to discard the particles P pulled up from the particle removal target surface B2, the coating unit 13A moves together with the dispenser F including the cured resin R (particles P) (ST41). Since the one end of the dispenser F is detachably mounted on the application unit 13A, the dispenser F is separated from the application unit 13A after the application unit 13A moves to a place where the particles P are discarded.

  The dispenser F is attached to the application part 13A by, for example, a screw type, for separating the dispenser F from the application part 13A. Therefore, when the dispenser F is attached to the application unit 13 as described above, the dispenser F can be separated from the application unit 13A by a detachment mechanism (not shown) or by manual twisting.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to collectively discard the cured resin R including the dispenser F and the particles P. Thus, the particles P can be removed from the particle removal target surface B2.

  Thus, the dispenser F is separated from the application section 13A together with the cured resin R and discarded, but can be reused by removing the resin R from the dispenser F. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 confirms whether or not the separated dispenser F is to be reused (ST43).

  When the dispenser F is to be reused (YES in ST43), for example, the resin R and the particles P are removed from the dispenser F by washing at a place where the dispenser F is separated and discarded or at another place (ST44) . The cleaned dispenser F is stored at the storage location (ST45). As described in step ST31, when the removal process of the particles P using the dispenser F is performed, the particles are attached to the application unit 13A in advance, so storage is performed until the attachment unit 13A is attached again. Be done.

  On the other hand, when the dispenser F is not reused (NO in ST43), the dispenser F is discarded in a state of being integrated with the particles P and the resin R.

  Then, the determination unit 12 confirms whether or not the particle P to be removed still exists on the particle removal target surface B2 (ST46). If the particle P is present (YES in ST46), the process returns to step ST35 again to confirm information such as the particle P to be removed. Here, although it is assumed that the process returns to this step, for example, the process of removing the particle P may be started again from the step of attaching the dispenser F again to the applying unit 13A.

  As a result of the confirmation, when the particle P does not exist (NO in ST46), the removal process of the particle P using the dispenser F is finished.

  By adopting the above-described configuration and process, it is possible to remove the particles present on the particle removal target surface individually, efficiently and simply and reliably when it is less necessary to remove the particles by cleaning the entire surface. A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same components will be omitted.

  In the first embodiment described above, the particles P are removed by pulling up from the particle removal target surfaces B1 and B2 using the removing unit 15 together with the resin R in which the particles P are cured. In the second embodiment, a roller is employed as the removing unit 15A, and the cured resin R including the particles P is removed using the roller (hereinafter appropriately referred to as "roller 15A").

  FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment. In the substrate processing apparatus 1A, the roller 15A is employed as the removing unit 15A. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of removal of particles P using the roller 15A according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the method of removing the particles P using the roller 15A will be described using FIGS. 21 to 26 as appropriate.

  First, as a premise, the information acquiring unit 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 1A recognizes position information of the particle P to be removed, which is specified on the particle removal target surface B3 (ST1 in FIG. 2). Then, the determination unit 12 determines whether the particles P are present in a region having a predetermined area or more (ST2). This is more efficient, for example, if particles P can be removed as collectively as possible when particles P are present linearly in a surface on the particle removal target surface B3 or when they are present in a certain area in a lump. Based on the idea that

  Therefore, the case where the determination by the determination unit 12 individually removes individual particles P (NO in ST2) has been described in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, a case where particles P are collectively removed will be described.

  If the determination unit 12 determines that, for example, the particles P are solidified in a certain area (YES in ST2), the particles P are removed using the roller 15A (ST51).

  Therefore, the determination unit 12 further acquires, from the information acquisition unit 11, information on the particle P to be removed and information on the particle removal target surface B3 (ST52). The determination unit 12 determines how to remove the particle P based on the information on the particle P and the information on the information on the particle removal target surface B3. Then, the judgment unit 12 further selects the resin R to be used when removing the particle P (ST 53), and confirms the application amount and the application range of the resin R based on the information of the particle P to be removed. To do (ST54).

  FIG. 21 shows a state in which the confirmation before applying the resin R is completed. That is, the application unit 13 is moved above the particles P to be removed. In this state, the nozzle R of the coating unit 13 is filled with the resin R to be coated. Further, the roller 15A is also prepared to remove the resin R containing the particles P after the resin R is applied to the particles P and cured. When the roller 15A is brought into close contact with the particle removal target surface B3, for example, when the pattern is formed on the particle removal target surface B3, the pattern is broken. Therefore, the roller 15A is separated from the particle removal target surface B3 by several μm to several hundreds μm.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the resin R is discharged from the nozzle N of the coating unit 13 toward the particles P (ST55). Then, as shown in FIG. 23, after the application unit 13 applies the resin R to the particles P, the application unit 13 moves upward. At the same time, the roller 15A also starts moving in the direction of the arrow toward the resin R (ST56).

  The applied resin R is, for example, irradiated with ultraviolet light from the curing unit 14 and cured (ST 57, see FIG. 24). During this time, the roller 15A moves in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 24 and continues moving toward the cured resin R.

  In addition, when using an ultraviolet irradiation as the hardening part 14, roller 15A is formed, for example with a highly permeable material, such as quartz, so that an ultraviolet-ray can permeate | transmit. Thus, the curing unit 14 can continue to irradiate the resin R with ultraviolet light without being blocked by the roller 15A.

  When the roller 15A moves in the direction of the arrow as it is, the roller 15A contacts the cured resin R including the particles P. The resin R applied here has a property of being in close contact with the rotating surface of the roller 15A more than the particle removal target surface B3. Alternatively, a material having high adhesion to the resin R may be applied in advance to the surface of the roller 15A.

  Therefore, when the roller 15A rotates on the particle removal target surface B3, the cured resin R adheres to the rotating surface of the roller 15A (ST58). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, when the roller 15A rotates and moves, the resin R adheres to the rotating surface and is removed so as to be peeled off from the particle removal target surface B3. Since the resin R is also entangled and hardened in the particles P to be removed, the particles P are also peeled off from the particle removal target surface B3 according to the resin R adhering to the rotating surface as the roller 15A rotates.

  Further, as the roller 15A continues to rotate, the particles P and resin R existing on the particle removal target surface B3 completely peel off from the particle removal target surface B3 and adhere to the surface of the roller 15A as shown in FIG. Do. Thus, the particles P and the resin R are removed from the particle removal target surface B3 (ST59).

  Although the particles P are removed from the particle removal target surface B3 as it is, the resin R and the particles P are in close contact with the roller 15A. Therefore, the resin R and the particles P adhering to the surface of the roller 15A are cleaned and removed by a cleaning mechanism (not shown) (ST60).

  Then, the determination unit 12 of the substrate processing apparatus 1A checks whether the particle P to be removed still exists on the particle removal target surface B3 (ST61), and if it exists, the step is performed again. Returning to ST52, particle P removal processing is performed.

  On the other hand, there is no particle P to be removed, and all particles P are removed from the particle removal target surface B3, and it is determined that the presence of the particles P can not be confirmed (NO in ST61). Removal process is complete.

  When the roller rotates on the particle removal target surface B3, the following method can also be adopted as a method for bringing the cured resin R into close contact with or removing the rotating surface of the roller.

  FIGS. 27 and 28 are process diagrams showing the flow of removal of another particle P using the roller 15B according to the second embodiment. The roller 15B is provided at its surface with a hole 21 penetrating to the rotation center of the roller 15B. The number of the holes 21 may be single or plural. Further, the hole 21 may be formed to be tapered from the rotation center of the roller 15B toward the surface thereof. In FIG. 27 or 28, for convenience of explanation, the holes 21 are formed in a tapered shape.

  Furthermore, the hole 21 is connected to a pressure reducing unit 22 or a pressing unit 23 provided at the rotation center of the roller 15B.

  As shown in FIG. 27, when the roller 15B rotates in the direction of the arrow to remove the particles P present on the particle removal target surface B3, the decompression unit 22 operates and is provided on the surface of the roller 15B. By suctioning air through the holes 21, the resin R entangled and hardened with the particles P is adsorbed on the surface of the roller 15B (ST58). Thus, the particles P and the resin R are removed from the particle removal target surface B3 (ST59).

  The suction force in the pressure reducing section 22 can be appropriately changed according to the degree of adhesion between the resin R and the particle removal target surface B3.

  Further, even if the resin R is peeled off the particle removal target surface B3, the decompression unit 22 continues to suck the air, so that even if the resin R is likely to be peeled off from the surface of the roller 15B, the resin R becomes the surface of the roller 15B. It can be left in the state of being adsorbed to the

  Thereafter, after the resin R completely separates from the particle removal target surface B3, as shown in FIG. 28, air is released from the surface of the roller 15B through the holes 21 by operating the pressure unit 23 this time. Ru. Although the resin R containing the particles P peeled off from the particle removal target surface B3 is adsorbed on the surface of the roller 15B, the air pressurized by the pressurizing unit 23 is released from the holes 21 so that the roller Resin R is peeled off from 15B and removed (ST60).

  Here, the pressure reducing portion 22 and the pressure portion 23 are provided at the rotation center of the roller 15B and the suction and peeling of the resin R are described as an example, but it is possible to provide only one of them. is there. For example, only the pressure unit 23 can be provided. In this case, when the resin R is brought into intimate contact with the particle removal target surface B 3, the resin R is brought into intimate contact with the surface of the roller 15 B by using the adsorption power of the resin R itself. It is also conceivable to remove the resin R from the roller 15B by using it.

  By adopting the above-described configuration and process, it is possible to remove the particles present on the particle removal target surface individually, efficiently and simply and reliably when it is less necessary to remove the particles by cleaning the entire surface. A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of

  In particular, in the case where a plurality of particles are present in a solid area on the particle removal target surface, these particles are not individually removed one by one, but the particles present in a certain area using rollers are summarized Can be removed. Therefore, it is possible to remove the particles efficiently and reliably.

  In the second embodiment, the roller is described as one mode of the removing unit for removing the cured resin containing particles. However, the roller may have not only the function of removing the resin (particles) but also, for example, the function of a curing unit that cures the resin. For example, by irradiating ultraviolet light from the roller in the direction in which the roller rotates, the resin can be cured before the resin adheres to the roller and the particles are removed together.

  Alternatively, a heating unit may be provided in the roller, and when the roller contacts the resin, the heated roller may rotate and move on the resin to harden and remove the resin.

  By configuring the roller in this manner, it is not necessary to provide the curing portion independently. Therefore, the apparatus configuration of the substrate processing apparatus can be simplified, and the installation cost and the like can be reduced. Moreover, since it becomes possible to remove immediately after hardening resin, it contributes also to shortening of processing time.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and the gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  For example, the step of acquiring and confirming the information on the particle P and the information on the particle removal target surface B1 (ST4 in FIG. 2) and the information acquisition unit 11 may omit the information if it is known in advance. Can. In that case, the kind and hardening part of resin which are used for the removal process of the particle P can also use what was determined beforehand.

  Also, for example, the necessity of the removal complement may be determined in advance. In that case, the step (ST5 in FIG. 2) for confirming whether or not the removal complement is necessary can be omitted, and the process can proceed to step ST6 or step ST21 based on a predetermined determination.

  In addition, for example, if it is known in advance that particles P are present in a predetermined area at a predetermined area or more, step ST2 in FIG. 2 is omitted, and roller 15A is employed as a removing unit. You may In this case, the determination unit 12 can be omitted.

  Also, for example, whether to reuse the dispenser can be determined in advance before the start of the process. In that case, the dispenser can be reused or discarded based on the predetermined determination without branching the determination in the step of ST43 of FIG.

  For example, although the example which moves the application part 13 above the particle P made into removal object was shown in FIG. 21, you may make it apply resin, moving the application part 13 to a horizontal direction. In that case, the resin R is applied continuously or intermittently to the area where the particles are present while the application unit 13 moves in the horizontal direction. After starting the application of the resin R, the curing unit 14 cures the resin R by performing the curing described in the above-described embodiment. Thereafter, the resin can be removed by rotating the roller 15A. In this case, the curing unit 14 and the roller 15A can be moved while controlling the movement of the coating unit 13 and the relative speed.

1, 1A Substrate processing apparatus 11 Information acquisition unit 12 Judgment unit 13 Application unit 14 Curing unit 15 Removal unit 15A Roller B Substrates B1 to B3 Particle removal target surface P Particle R resin

Claims (10)

Particles are present, with respect to particle removal target surface, the resin taking entwined said particles, and a coating unit for coating the fabric to a preset application range with respect to the particles,
A curing unit that cures the applied resin;
The cured the resin and a removal unit that divided the particles by removing from the particle removal target surface,
The removing unit is a roller, and by rotating the roller, the cured resin containing the particles is brought into contact with the rotating surface of the roller and removed from the particle removal target surface. apparatus.   The application unit includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information on the position of the particle on the particle removal target surface when the resin is applied to the particle removal target surface including the particles. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1. The resin applied to the particle removal target surface including the particles by the application unit is an ultraviolet curing resin, and the curing unit is a light source for irradiating the resin with the ultraviolet radiation. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 . The resin applied to the particle removal target surface including the particles by the application unit is a thermosetting resin, and the curing unit is a heat source that applies heat to the resin. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 . Particles are present, with respect to particle removal target surface, the resin taking entwined said particles, and a coating unit for coating the fabric to a preset application range with respect to the particles,
With curing the coated the resin, and a roller which divided the Particle cured the resin by removing from the particle removal target surface,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: When the application section applies the resin to the particle removal target surface including the particles, at least the selection of the resin to be applied based on the particles with which the resin contacts and information on the particle removal target surface, The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a determination unit configured to determine any one of the coating amounts. The roller is in contact with the cured resin and rotates while being separated from the particle removal target surface, and removes the cured resin including the particles from the particle removal target surface. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 6. Particles are present, a step with respect to particle removal target surface, coating portions, applying a resin to take entwined the particle, the pre-set application range with respect to the particles,
A curing unit curing the applied resin;
And removing the particles by removing the cured resin from the particle removal target surface .
The removing unit is a roller, and in the step of removing the cured resin from the particle removal target surface, the cured resin containing the particles is brought into contact with the rotating surface of the roller by rotating the roller. And removing the particles from the particle removal target surface . Applying a resin that entangles the particles on a surface on which particles are to be removed, wherein the particles are present, in a predetermined application range for the particles;
With curing the coated the resin, a step of rollers, dividing removed by the particles of the cured the resin by removing from the particle removal target surface,
A substrate processing method comprising: 8. The roller according to claim 7, wherein the roller contacts and rotates the cured resin in a state of being separated from the particle removal target surface, and removes the cured resin including the particles from the particle removal target surface. Or the substrate processing method as described in 9.

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