JP2000117200A - Method and apparatus for cleaning substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clean the whole surface of a substrate uniformly by making a cleaning tool follow the vertical vibration of the substrate promptly. SOLUTION: While a substrate W is being rotated, a treating liquid is ejected toward the substrate W from a treating liquid ejection hole 13 in the bottom surface of a cleaning tool 5, and the substrate W is vacuum-sucked from a vacuum suction hole 8. By the balance between the ejection force and vacuum suction force of the treating liquid, a narrow clearance G is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the surface of the substrate W. The substrate W is cleaned by making the cleaning tool 5 act on the surface of the substrate W through the liquid film of the treating liquid existing in the clearance G. When the substrate is vibrated vertically while being rotated, the cleaning tool 5 is moved vertically to follow it to keep the clearance G constant so that the whole surface of the substrate is cleaned uniformly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of rotating various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, and a substrate for an optical disk while rotating the substrate with pure water or chemical liquid. The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning method for cleaning a substrate surface by supplying a processing liquid such as a cleaning liquid and causing a cleaning tool to act on the substrate and a device therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of substrate cleaning apparatus, there is one described in, for example, JP-A-8-141519. This apparatus includes a rotating body supported so as to be vertically movable, and a cleaning tool formed of a brush or the like is integrally attached to a lower end of the rotating body. The substrate to be processed is rotatably held in a horizontal posture by a spin chuck or the like. While rotating the substrate, the processing liquid is supplied onto the substrate, and the cleaning tool is displaced in the radial direction of rotation of the substrate while the cleaning tool is in contact with the substrate surface with a constant pressing force. Has been washed.

[0003] As another conventional apparatus, there is an apparatus in which a cleaning tool is operated in a non-contact state with respect to a substrate surface. This device utilizes the so-called hydroplane phenomenon.
The cleaning liquid is supplied while rotating the substrate, and the cleaning tool is gently applied to the substrate surface to form a liquid film of the cleaning liquid between the cleaning tool and the substrate surface, and the substrate surface is cleaned through the liquid film. ing.

[0004]

In the above-described substrate cleaning process, if the substrate is warped or bent, or if the substrate is not held horizontally, the substrate is moved up and down with the rotation of the substrate. It is known that as a result of the vibration, the pressing force of the cleaning tool on the substrate surface fluctuates, and the cleaning process becomes uneven. Therefore, in the former conventional example, the fluctuation of the pressing force of the cleaning tool caused by the vertical vibration of the substrate,
The cleaning tool acts on the substrate surface with a constant pressing force by detecting through the pressure fluctuation inside the air actuator attached to the upper part of the rotating body and adjusting the air pressure supplied to the air actuator based on the detection result. I am trying to do it.

[0005] Although the former prior art is provided with the above-mentioned mechanism for adjusting the pressing force, the pressing force generated by the air actuator is mechanically transmitted to the cleaning tool via a complicated and heavy rotating body. Therefore, the responsiveness of the pressing force adjustment cannot be said to be good due to the large inertial force of the rotating body including the cleaning tool. This tendency becomes remarkable when the pressing force of the cleaning tool is low or when the substrate is rotated at a high speed. If the pressure of the cleaning tool is increased, the cleaning tool can easily follow the vertical vibration of the substrate, but if this is done, the cleaning tool may damage the substrate surface. I can't.

On the other hand, the same problem as the former conventional example is pointed out in the latter conventional example, but there are also the following inherent problems. In other words, even if the substrate rotates normally without vibrating up and down, the liquid film formed between the cleaning tool and the substrate surface is different because the rotation peripheral speed is different between the rotation center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate. The film thickness differs between the rotation center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate. Therefore, there is a problem that the cleaning process is likely to be uneven.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and enables a cleaning tool to quickly follow vertical vibrations of a substrate and perform a uniform cleaning process over the entire surface of the substrate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for cleaning a substrate.

[0008]

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object. That is, the invention according to claim 1 provides a substrate cleaning method for cleaning a substrate surface by supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate and causing the cleaning tool to act on the substrate. By ejecting the liquid and vacuum-suctioning the substrate from the bottom surface of the cleaning tool, the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force are balanced to form a narrow gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. A cleaning tool is formed on the substrate through a liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap to clean the substrate surface.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate cleaning apparatus for supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate and cleaning the surface of the substrate by applying a cleaning tool to the substrate, wherein the substrate holding means holds the substrate. A cleaning tool acting on the substrate; cleaning tool support means for supporting the cleaning tool; and moving means for relatively horizontally moving the cleaning tool with the cleaning tool facing the substrate. The processing tool has a processing liquid ejection hole for ejecting the treatment liquid toward the substrate, and a vacuum suction hole for vacuum-sucking the substrate, respectively, formed on the bottom surface thereof, and the processing liquid ejected from the treatment liquid ejection hole. The ejection power of the liquid and the vacuum suction force from the vacuum suction hole are balanced to form a narrow gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the surface of the substrate. To apply a cleaning tool to the substrate to clean the substrate surface. Characterized in that it.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the second aspect, the apparatus further includes a flow rate of the processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid ejection hole and suction from the vacuum suction hole. An adjusting means for adjusting at least one of the vacuum suction pressures to an arbitrary value is provided.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the second or third aspect, either one of the vacuum suction hole and the processing liquid ejection hole is located substantially at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool. And a plurality of the other holes are provided, and are provided at positions substantially opposed to each other across the one hole at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, the cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool support means via a linear guide. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, the cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool support means via a spherical bearing. is there.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, the cleaning tool is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool support means.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the second to seventh aspects, another cleaning tool that acts on the substrate surface is attached to the cleaning tool. .

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus of the eighth aspect, the another cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool so as to be adjustable in height.

[0017]

The operation of the first aspect of the invention is as follows. When the substrate cleaning is performed by balancing the jetting power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force, the cleaning tool receives an upward force as a reaction of jetting the processing liquid from the back surface toward the substrate, and the cleaning tool receives the upward force. The substrate receives a downward force as a reaction to vacuum suction of the substrate from the back surface. By balancing the upward and downward forces acting on the cleaning tool, respectively, the cleaning tool is maintained in a state where a narrow gap is formed between the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. The cleaning tool acts on the substrate surface via the liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap, thereby cleaning the substrate surface. In other words, the liquid film of the processing liquid has a thickness equivalent to the gap formed by the balance between the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force, and hardly depends on the rotation of the substrate. The liquid film of the processing liquid is uniform. As a result, uniform cleaning is performed over the entire substrate surface.

Next, an operation when the substrate vibrates up and down while the substrate is being cleaned will be described. For example, when the substrate is lowered, the upward force received by the cleaning tool as a reaction to the ejection of the processing liquid is reduced, so that the downward force received by the cleaning tool as a reaction to the vacuum suction is more relative to the upward force. The cleaning tool is displaced downward. Then, the downward displacement of the cleaning tool stops at the position where the vertical force is balanced. That is, when the substrate is lowered, the cleaning tool descends following the lowering of the substrate, so that a constant gap is always maintained between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. On the other hand, when the substrate is raised, the upward force received by the cleaning tool as a reaction to ejecting the processing liquid becomes larger than the downward force received by the cleaning tool as a reaction to vacuum suction, and the cleaning tool is displaced upward. I do. In other words, when the substrate is lifted, the cleaning tool rises in accordance therewith, so that a constant gap is always maintained between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface.

As described above, the cleaning tool moves up and down following the vertical vibration of the substrate to maintain a constant gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. Is always constant, and the substrate surface is uniformly cleaned regardless of the vertical vibration of the substrate. Moreover, since the upper and lower forces applied to the cleaning tool directly act on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool, the substrate is compared with a device that applies a pressing force to the cleaning tool via a support mechanism to which the cleaning tool is attached. The cleaning tool has good follow-up (response) to vertical vibrations, and a uniform cleaning effect can be obtained even when the substrate is moved at a relatively high speed. In addition, if the ejection power of the treatment liquid and the vacuum suction force are set to be higher, the response of the cleaning tool is correspondingly increased, which is suitable for high-speed rotation processing of the substrate. Moreover, even when the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force are set to be high, the substrate surface is damaged because the liquid film of the processing liquid is interposed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. Never even.

The operation of the invention described in claim 2 is as follows. The moving means relatively horizontally moves the cleaning tool in a state where the substrate held by the substrate holding means and the cleaning tool supported by the cleaning tool support means face each other. At this time, the processing liquid is spouted toward the substrate from the processing liquid spouting hole on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool, and the substrate is suctioned through the vacuum suction hole. Then, a narrow gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface by balancing the ejection power of the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid ejection holes and the vacuum suction force from the vacuum suction holes. The entire surface of the substrate is cleaned through the liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap. The uniformity of the cleaning process and the following operation of the cleaning tool with respect to the vertical vibration of the substrate are the same as those of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

The operation of the invention described in claim 3 is as follows. The flow rate of the processing liquid is related to an upward force acting on the cleaning tool, and the vacuum suction force is related to a downward force acting on the cleaning tool. Therefore, for example, when the flow rate of the processing liquid is increased,
The cleaning tool is displaced upward by the increased upward force.
As the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the surface of the substrate increases, the upward force acting on the cleaning tool decreases, and the upward displacement of the cleaning tool stops when the cleaning tool balances the vacuum suction force. Conversely, when the flow rate of the processing liquid is reduced, the upward force acting on the cleaning tool is reduced, whereby the cleaning tool is displaced downward, the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface is narrowed, and the vacuum suction force is balanced. By the way, the downward displacement of the cleaning tool stops. In other words, when the vacuum suction force is constant, by changing the flow rate of the processing solution, the width of the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the surface of the substrate,
In other words, since the thickness of the liquid film of the processing liquid can be arbitrarily set, the cleaning effect can be arbitrarily adjusted.
Similarly, when the flow rate of the processing solution is constant, the thickness of the processing solution liquid film interposed in the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface can be arbitrarily set by changing the vacuum suction force.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the jetting power of the processing liquid jetted from the processing liquid jetting hole and the vacuum suction force from the vacuum suction hole are balanced, both the jets on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool are provided. Since the moment for tilting the cleaning tool does not act due to the positional relationship of the holes, the cleaning tool maintains a stable parallel posture with respect to the substrate surface.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool support means via the linear guide, the cleaning tool moves up and down smoothly following the vertical vibration of the substrate. .

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool support means via the spherical bearing, even if the substrate surface is tilted during the processing, it can follow the cleaning tool. The cleaning tool is tilted, and the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface is kept constant.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the cleaning tool is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool support means, the height of the cleaning tool during processing is maintained constant. In this case, the force for pushing the substrate downward by the ejection power of the processing liquid and the force for lifting the substrate upward by vacuum suction are balanced, so that the vertical vibration of the substrate is forcibly suppressed, and the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate are removed. The gap with the surface is kept constant.

According to the invention of claim 8, the cleaning tool according to the present invention performs the cleaning process through the liquid film of the processing liquid, and another cleaning tool attached to the cleaning tool, for example, a brush cleaning. A different kind of cleaning treatment is performed on the substrate surface by a tool or the like.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since another cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool according to the present invention so as to be adjustable in height, the bottom surface of another cleaning tool, such as a brush cleaning tool, can be used. By lowering than the bottom of the cleaning tool according to the present invention,
The cleaning process can be performed by bringing another cleaning tool into contact with the substrate surface.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the overall schematic configuration of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall schematic configuration of the first embodiment.

The substrate cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a spin chuck 1 for sucking, holding and rotating a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer to be cleaned in a horizontal posture. The spin chuck 1 is connected to an output shaft 2a of a motor 2. The spin chuck 1 corresponds to a substrate holding unit in the apparatus of the present invention. The substrate holding means is a spin chuck 1
However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a structure in which a plurality of pins are erected on a turntable and the edges of the substrate W are held by these pins may be used.

Around the spin chuck 1, there is provided a cup 3 for preventing and collecting the processing liquid.
A cleaning tool support arm 4 is provided beside the cup 3 so as to be vertically movable and swingable about a vertical axis P. The cleaning tool 5 is attached to the tip of the cleaning tool support arm 4 so as to face vertically downward. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning tool supporting arm 4 faces the cleaning tool 5 to the surface of the rotating substrate W held by the spin chuck 1 and horizontally moves the cleaning tool 5 in the rotation radius direction of the substrate W. Move. The cleaning tool support arm 4 corresponds to the cleaning tool support means and the moving means in the apparatus of the present invention. In addition, the spin chuck 1 also has a function as a moving unit in the apparatus of the present invention in the sense that the cleaning tool 5 is relatively moved with respect to the substrate W. The moving means is not limited to the one that moves the cleaning tool 5 in an arc shape like the cleaning tool support arm 4, but may be one that linearly moves the cleaning tool 5 in the rotation radius direction of the substrate W.

The structure of the cleaning tool 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning tool 5. The cleaning tool 5 includes a hollow disk-shaped cleaning tool body 6 formed of a fluorine-based resin or the like. A recess 7 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool body 6, and a vacuum suction hole 8 is provided so as to communicate with the recess 7. The vacuum suction hole 8 communicates with an intake pipe 9 that penetrates the cleaning tool body 6 up and down. The suction pipe 9 is a member 1 to which the cleaning tool body 6 is attached.
0 is connected to a vacuum suction source (not shown) through the internal suction passage 11 of the air conditioner. A flexible PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sheet 12 is affixed to the bottom surface of the cleaning tool main body 6 which is in close proximity to the surface of the substrate W at the time of cleaning. Not to hurt. A plurality of processing liquid ejection holes 13 are formed on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool main body 6 so as to surround the recess 7. Specifically, the processing liquid ejection holes 13 are arranged in a circular shape so as to be substantially opposed to each other with the vacuum suction hole 8 at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool main body 6 interposed therebetween. The processing liquid ejection hole 13 is communicated with a liquid pool 14 which is an internal space of the cleaning tool main body 6. On the upper surface of the cleaning tool main body 6, there is a processing liquid inlet 15 communicating with the liquid reservoir 14, and the processing liquid inlet 15 is connected to a processing liquid supply source (not shown). The treatment liquid used for the cleaning treatment is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, pure water and a chemical solution.

A pressure sensor 16 for detecting a vacuum suction pressure is provided in the vacuum suction passage communicating with the internal suction passage 11 described above.
A regulator 17 for adjusting the vacuum suction pressure is provided, and each is connected to the control unit 18. The processing liquid flow path communicating with the processing liquid inlet 15 is provided with a flow rate sensor 19 for detecting the flow rate of the processing liquid and a regulator 20 for adjusting the flow rate of the processing liquid through the pressure of the processing liquid. Are similarly connected to the control unit 18. The regulators 17 and 20 correspond to adjusting means in the device of the present invention.

The member 10 described above and the member 21 thereon
And the spherical body 22 loosely held by the members 10 and 21 form a spherical bearing 23. The cleaning tool 5 is connected to and supported by the cleaning tool support arm 4 via the spherical bearing 23, so that the cleaning tool 5 can be freely displaced. A support shaft 24 is connected and fixed to the upper part of the sphere 22. The support shaft 24 is guided by a linear guide 25 provided inside the distal end of the cleaning tool support arm 4 so that the cleaning tool 5 can be displaced vertically. Further, a bellows 26 is provided between the lower surface of the distal end of the cleaning tool support arm 4 and the member 21 so as to surround the support shaft 24. Even if dust is generated on the spherical bearing 23 or the linear guide 25, the dust is shielded by the bellows 26 and does not scatter outside, so that the substrate W is not contaminated by the dust.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described. The substrate W to be processed is carried into the apparatus by a substrate transport robot (not shown), and the like.
It is transferred onto the spin chuck 1. After the spin chuck 1 sucks and holds the substrate W, the spin chuck 1 rotates. Subsequently, the cleaning tool supporting arm 4 is moved from the standby position indicated by the solid line in FIG.
(Position indicated by ₁ ). Cleaning start position P
_When it reaches ₁ , the cleaning tool support arm 4 descends. Cleaning tool 5
Is lowered to a predetermined position, the ejection of the processing liquid to the cleaning tool 5 and the vacuum suction are started. When the cleaning tool 5 is still lowered while the processing liquid is ejected from the processing liquid ejection holes 13 on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and vacuum suction is performed through the vacuum suction holes 8, the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force are reduced. When the balance is achieved, the downward movement of the cleaning tool 5 stops, and a narrow gap G is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the surface of the substrate W. This gap G can be set arbitrarily as described later, but usually,
It is about 0.1 to 0.2 mm. A liquid film of the processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid ejection holes 13 is interposed in the gap G. The cleaning tool 5 (specifically, the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 to which the PVA sheet 12 is attached) acts on the surface of the substrate W through the liquid film of the processing liquid, whereby the substrate surface is cleaned.

The mechanism when the gap G is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the surface of the substrate W will be described. When the processing liquid is jetted from the processing liquid jetting hole 13 toward the substrate W, the cleaning tool 5 reacts upward by an upward force (reference numeral F in FIG. 3).
). On the other hand, when the substrate W is vacuum-suctioned through the vacuum suction hole 8, the cleaning tool 5 receives a downward force (represented by a symbol -F in FIG. 3) as a reaction. By balancing the upward force (F) and the downward force (-F) acting on the cleaning tool 5, the cleaning tool 5 is maintained in a state where a narrow gap G is formed between the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface. In this embodiment, since the vacuum suction hole 8 communicates with the concave portion 7,
A downward force acts on the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 in which there is. On the other hand, since the plurality of processing liquid ejection holes 13 are circularly arranged to face each other with the vacuum suction hole 8 interposed therebetween, an upward force acts on the periphery of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5. That is, if the ejection power of the processing liquid from each processing liquid ejection hole 13 is set to be the same, the total ejection power of the processing liquid from each processing liquid ejection hole 13 and the vacuum suction force from the vacuum suction hole 8 When the balance is achieved, the moment force does not act on the cleaning tool 5 due to these upper and lower forces, so that the cleaning tool 5 does not tilt and maintains a stable parallel posture maintaining the gap G between the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface.

Strictly speaking, the downward force acting on the cleaning tool 5 is the sum of the force of the vacuum suction force and the weight of the cleaning tool 5 itself. However, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to attach an actuator or the like for applying a pressing force to the cleaning tool 5, so that the overall weight of the cleaning tool 5 can be sufficiently reduced. Therefore, in the following description, only the vacuum suction force is considered as the downward force acting on the cleaning tool 5.

The gap G can be adjusted by adjusting at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction pressure.
It can be adjusted arbitrarily. Hereinafter, the operation of adjusting the gap G will be described. Here, the case where the gap G is adjusted by changing the vacuum suction pressure to a constant value and changing the ejection flow rate of the processing liquid will be described as an example.

To widen the gap G, the control unit 18 takes in the detection signal of the flow rate sensor 19 in the processing liquid flow path, and adjusts the regulator 20 so that the flow rate of the processing liquid corresponds to the gap G to be set. . In this case, the upward force acting on the cleaning tool 5 increases by increasing the flow rate of the processing liquid (force = F + ΔF). As a result, the balance with the downward force (-F) acting on the cleaning tool 5 is lost, and the cleaning tool 5 is displaced upward. As the cleaning tool 5 rises, the upward force acting on the cleaning tool 5 is weakened, and the upward displacement of the cleaning tool 5 stops when the cleaning tool 5 is balanced with the downward force. As a result, the gap G is set wide (gap = G + ΔG).
Conversely, when narrowing the gap G, the flow rate of the processing liquid may be reduced according to the gap G to be set.

On the other hand, when adjusting the gap G by changing the vacuum suction pressure while keeping the flow rate of the processing liquid constant, the pressure sensor 16 in the vacuum suction path is monitored and the regulator 17 is operated. Specifically, increasing the vacuum suction pressure narrows the gap G, and decreasing the vacuum suction pressure widens the gap G.

If the gap G is adjusted as described above, the thickness of the liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap G changes accordingly, and the cleaning tool 5 acts on the substrate surface via the liquid film of the processing liquid. By doing so, the effect of the washing performed can be appropriately adjusted.

The cleaning tool supporting arm 4 descends, and the cleaning tool 5
If There reached cleaning start position P ₁ of Figure 2, cleaning tools by supporting arm 4 swings vertically axis P around cleaner 5 radial direction of the substrate W (the path P in FIG. 2 ₁ → P ₂ →
Move horizontally to P ₃ ) to clean the entire substrate surface. At this time, the liquid film of the processing liquid has the same thickness as the gap G formed by the balance between the jetting power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force, and almost depends on the rotation of the substrate W (the rotational peripheral speed of each part of the substrate). Therefore, the liquid film of the processing liquid is uniform from the central part to the peripheral part of the substrate. As a result, uniform cleaning is performed over the entire substrate surface.

Next, the operation when the substrate W vibrates up and down with the rotation of the substrate W will be described. When the substrate W is displaced downward during the cleaning process, the gap G is widened. Then, the upward force received by the cleaning tool 5 is reduced as a reaction to the ejection of the processing liquid, and the downward force based on the vacuum suction force is relatively larger than the upward force based on the processing liquid ejection power. As a result, the cleaning tool 5 is displaced downward. As the cleaning tool 5 is displaced downward and the gap G becomes narrower, the upward force received by the cleaning tool 5 by ejecting the processing liquid increases, and this upward force balances the downward force based on the vacuum suction force. Then, the downward displacement of the cleaning tool 5 stops. That is, when the substrate W is lowered, the cleaning tool 5 descends following the lowering of the substrate W, so that the gap G between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface is always kept constant. On the other hand, when the substrate W is displaced upward and the gap G is narrowed, the upward force based on the ejection power of the processing liquid becomes larger than the downward force based on the vacuum suction force, and the cleaning tool 5 is displaced upward. . In other words, when the substrate W rises, the cleaning tool 5 rises accordingly, so that the gap G between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface is always kept constant.

The cleaning tool 5 itself is relatively lightweight, and the cleaning tool supporting arm 4
Since the substrate W is vertically movably connected, even if the vertical force acting on the cleaning tool 5 due to the vertical vibration of the substrate W fluctuates slightly, it responds sensitively and follows the fluctuation. In addition, since the above-described vertical force acts directly on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5, the following response of the cleaning tool 5 to the vertical vibration of the substrate W is good. Therefore, even if the cleaning process is performed by rotating the substrate W at a relatively high speed, the cleaning tool 5 does not jump off the substrate surface, and the entire substrate surface can be uniformly processed. When the flow rate of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction pressure are set to be higher, the responsiveness of the cleaning tool 5 becomes higher accordingly, which is suitable for the high-speed rotation processing of the substrate W. In addition, even if the flow rate of the processing solution and the vacuum suction pressure are set to be high, the substrate surface may be damaged because the processing solution liquid film is interposed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface. There is no. Further, when the substrate surface is inclined, the spherical bearing 23 causes the cleaning tool 5 to be tilted and displaced in accordance with the inclination of the substrate surface. Therefore, the gap G between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface is always constant.
A uniform cleaning process can be performed regardless of the inclination of the substrate surface.

When the cleaning process of the substrate W is completed, the cleaning tool support arm 4 returns to the standby position, and the substrate W is rotated at a high speed to shake off excess processing liquid on the substrate W, thereby drying the substrate W. The processed substrate W is carried out of the apparatus by a substrate transfer robot or the like (not shown), and then a new substrate W is carried into the apparatus, and the same processing as described above is repeatedly performed.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool provided in a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration of the cleaning apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, the components indicated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof will be omitted.

The feature of this embodiment is that a brush cleaning tool 30 is attached as another cleaning tool to the cleaning tool 5 having the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment. Brush cleaning tool 3
Numeral 0 denotes a brush 32 made of nylon or mohair implanted on the lower surface of the body 31 on which the male screw is formed. Cleaning tool 5
A cylindrical brush holder 33 having a female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface is mounted via a bracket 34 in the concave portion 7. The body 31 of the brush cleaning tool 30 is
3, the brush cleaning tool 30 is turned into the cleaning tool 5.
Attached to. At this time, the height of the brush cleaning tool 30 with respect to the cleaning tool 5 can be arbitrarily set by adjusting the screwing amount of the body 31. When the height of the brush cleaning tool 30 is set, the nut 35 is screwed into the body 31 and locked.

According to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the jetting power of the processing liquid from the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the vacuum suction force are balanced, so that the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface are balanced. A certain gap is formed between the gaps, and the cleaning tool 5 acts on the substrate surface via the liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap to clean the substrate surface. Simultaneously with the cleaning of the treatment liquid through the liquid film by the cleaning tool 5, the cleaning process using the brush cleaning tool 30 is performed by the brush cleaning tool 30 acting on the substrate surface. By appropriately selecting and setting the height of the brush cleaning tool 30, cleaning is performed by bringing the brush 32 of the brush cleaning tool 30 into contact with the substrate surface, or the brush 32 acts on the substrate surface via a liquid film of the processing liquid. It is possible to carry out any of the cleaning performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the cleaning tool 5
And the cleaning using the brush cleaning tool 30 can be performed simultaneously, so that the effect of cleaning the substrate surface can be efficiently enhanced.

The brush cleaning tool 30 can be attached to the cleaning tool 5 at any position. For example, a ring-shaped brush cleaning tool 30A is fitted to the outside of the cleaning tool 5 as shown by a chain line in FIG. You may.

<Third Embodiment> FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool provided in a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments described above, the cleaning tool 5 itself does not rotate, but in this embodiment, the cleaning tool 5 is configured to rotate. Since the structure of the cleaning tool 5 is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted here. Hereinafter, the rotation mechanism of the cleaning tool 5 will be described.

An inner pipe 41 for suction is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool 5 so as to penetrate vertically, and the end of the inner pipe 41 is opened at the concave portion 7 to form a vacuum suction hole 8. Inner tube 41
An outer pipe 42 for feeding a processing liquid is provided concentrically outside the liquid crystal display. The outer tube 42 is connected and fixed to the upper surface of the cleaning tool 5 so that its end communicates with the liquid pool 14 of the cleaning tool 5. The outer tube 42 is supported by the cleaning tool support arm 4 via the linear guide 25 so as to be rotatable and vertically movable. The upper end of the inner pipe 41 is connected to a vacuum suction source via a shaft seal joint 43. On the other hand, the upper end of the outer tube 42 is connected to a processing liquid supply source via a shaft seal joint 44.
The inner tube 41 and the outer tube 42 are connected at their upper ends by a connecting member 45 so that the two tubes 41 and 42 rotate integrally.

Outside the intermediate portion of the outer tube 42, there is a cylindrical tube 47 supported on the inner peripheral surface of the cleaning tool support arm 4 via a rotary bearing 46. Are spline-bonded to the intermediate part of A pulley 48 is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical body 47.
, A toothed belt 49 is wound. The other end of the toothed belt 49 is wound around another pulley attached to the output shaft of a motor (not shown) housed on the base end side of the cleaning tool support arm 4. A magnetic fluid seal 50 is provided at the tip of the cleaning tool support arm 4 from which the outer pipe 42 is led out, so that dust generated in the cleaning tool support arm 4 is not released to the outside.

The operation of the apparatus according to the third embodiment configured as described above will be described. The processing liquid sent through the shaft seal joint 44 and the outer pipe 42 flows into the liquid reservoir 14 of the cleaning tool 5, and is jetted toward the substrate W from the processing liquid jet hole 13 on the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5. On the other hand, the inner pipe 41 and the shaft seal joint 4
The substrate W is vacuum-suctioned from the vacuum suction hole 8 communicating with the vacuum suction source through the vacuum suction source 3. By balancing the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force, a gap G is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the surface of the substrate, and the cleaning tool is interposed in the gap G via a liquid film of the processing liquid. The point that 5 acts on the substrate surface to clean the substrate W is the same as in the above-described embodiments. According to the present embodiment, the rotational force transmitted via the toothed belt 49 is applied to the outer pipe 42 and the inner pipe 41 via the cylindrical body 47.
, The cleaning tool 5 rotates to clean the substrate W. Since the outer tube 42 and the cylindrical body 47 are spline-coupled, the cleaning tool 5 smoothly follows the vertical vibration of the substrate W and maintains the gap G. According to the present embodiment, since the cleaning tool 5 itself rotates and cleans the substrate W, a more uniform cleaning process can be performed.

<Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool provided in a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus of the present embodiment also includes the same cleaning tool 5 as the first embodiment. However, in the first embodiment and the like, the cleaning tool 5 is connected to the cleaning tool support arm 4 so as to be vertically movable, whereas in the present embodiment, the cleaning tool 5 is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool support arm 4, The feature is that it is not displaced in the vertical direction. The other points are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted here. Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, since the cleaning tool 5 is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool support arm 4, when the processing liquid is jetted from the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 toward the substrate W, the force for pushing down the substrate W is increased. Works. On the other hand, the vacuum suction of the substrate W from the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 exerts a force for lifting the substrate W. By balancing the force for pushing down the substrate by the ejection power of the processing liquid and the force for lifting the substrate by vacuum suction, the vertical vibration of the substrate W is forcibly suppressed, and the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface Is kept constant. Specifically, when the substrate W is displaced downward due to the rotation, the force for pushing down the substrate W based on the ejection power of the processing liquid decreases, and conversely, the substrate W based on the vacuum suction force.
Is relatively large, and the substrate W
To suppress the downward displacement of. On the other hand, the substrate W
Is displaced upward, the force pushing down the substrate W
Is greater than the force for lifting the substrate W, thereby suppressing upward displacement of the substrate W.

As described above, also in the present embodiment, the gap G between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 5 and the substrate surface is kept constant, so that the gap G is uniform regardless of the rotational peripheral speed of the substrate W and the vertical vibration of the substrate. Cleaning process can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be modified as follows. (1) The cleaning tool 51 shown in FIG. 7 has a processing liquid ejection hole 52 for ejecting a processing liquid toward the substrate W at the center of the bottom surface thereof. A vacuum suction hole 53 is provided. The vacuum suction holes 53 are arranged so as to be substantially opposed to each other with the processing liquid ejection hole 52 interposed therebetween. By arranging the processing liquid ejection holes 52 and the vacuum suction holes 53 in this manner, the cleaning tool 51 can be balanced by balancing the processing liquid ejection power and the vacuum suction force.
The gap G between the bottom surface of the substrate and the surface of the substrate can be kept constant, so that the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(2) In each of the above-described embodiments, the cleaning tool 5 is moved along the substrate surface by rotating the substrate W and moving the cleaning tool 5 in the radial direction of the rotation of the substrate W. The invention is not limited to this, and only the substrate may be horizontally moved without moving the cleaning tool. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a rectangular substrate W such as a glass substrate is horizontally moved along a transport path, and an elongated rectangular parallelepiped cleaning tool 60 is opposed to the substrate W so as to be orthogonal to the transport path. Deploy. A plurality of vacuum suction holes 61 are arranged in a row at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool 60, and a plurality of processing liquid ejection holes 62 are opposed to each other with the vacuum suction holes 61 interposed therebetween. . Each vacuum suction hole 61 is sucked through an intake pipe 63 connected to the upper surface of the cleaning tool 60. Further, the processing liquid jet holes 62 are supplied with the processing liquid via a liquid feed pipe 64 connected to the side surface of the cleaning tool 60. Even with such a cleaning tool 60, by balancing the ejection power of the processing liquid from each processing liquid ejection hole 62 and the vacuum suction force from each vacuum suction hole 61, it is possible to prevent vertical vibration of the substrate being conveyed. Regardless, the entire substrate surface can be uniformly cleaned.

[0059]

As apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface by balancing the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force, and the gap is interposed in the gap. The cleaning tool acts on the substrate surface through the processing liquid film to clean the substrate, so the thickness of the processing liquid film is almost constant regardless of the relative movement speed between the substrate and the cleaning tool. Thus, a uniform cleaning process can be performed over the entire surface of the substrate. Also,
Even when the substrate vibrates up and down, the cleaning tool quickly moves up and down following this to maintain a constant gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface. A uniform cleaning process can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the method of the first aspect can be suitably implemented.

According to the third aspect of the invention, by adjusting at least one of the flow rate of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force to an arbitrary value, the liquid film of the processing liquid is adjusted according to the substrate to be processed. Can be set to an optimum thickness.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cleaning tool can be balanced in a stable posture.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the cleaning tool is guided by the linear guide, so that the cleaning tool can be moved up and down smoothly following the vertical vibration of the substrate.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even when the substrate surface is tilted during processing, the cleaning tool is tilted following the tilt, so that the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface is kept constant. Can be maintained.

According to the present invention, the vertical vibration of the substrate is forcibly suppressed, and the gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface can be kept constant.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the cleaning tool according to the present invention and another cleaning tool can simultaneously perform different types of cleaning on the substrate surface.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, by adjusting the height of another cleaning tool, for example, a cleaning process is performed with another cleaning tool in contact with the substrate surface. High cleaning process can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the overall schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall schematic configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning tool of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a cleaning tool according to another embodiment.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of still another embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a bottom view of a cleaning tool.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Spin chuck 4 ... Cleaning tool support arm 5 ... Cleaning tool 7 ... Concave part 8 ... Vacuum suction hole 13 ... Processing liquid ejection hole 17, 20 ... Legator 23 ... Spherical bearing 25 ... Linear guide 30 ... Brush cleaning tool

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor J 一 ichi Nishimura 4-chome Tenjin Kitamachi 1-chome, Horikawa-dori Teranouchi, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto F-term (reference) 3B116 AA02 AA03 AB34 AB42 AB47 BA02 BA08 BA13 BA34 BB22 BB32 BB43 BB73 BB75 BB77 CD31 CD42 CD43 3B201 AA02 AA03 AB34 AB42 AB47 BA02 BA08 BA13 BB22 BB32 BB43 BB55 BB73 BB75 BB77 BB92 CD34 CD42 CD43

Claims (9)

[Claims] In a substrate cleaning method for supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate and applying a cleaning tool to the substrate to clean the surface of the substrate, the processing liquid is jetted from a bottom surface of the cleaning tool toward the substrate. By vacuum suctioning the substrate from the bottom surface of the cleaning tool, the ejection power of the processing liquid and the vacuum suction force are balanced to form a narrow gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the substrate surface, and the gap is formed in the gap. A substrate cleaning method, wherein a substrate is cleaned by applying a cleaning tool to a substrate via a liquid film of an intervening processing liquid. 2. A substrate cleaning apparatus for supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate and applying a cleaning tool to the substrate to clean the surface of the substrate, comprising: substrate holding means for holding the substrate; and cleaning for acting on the substrate. Tool, cleaning tool support means for supporting the cleaning tool, and moving means for moving the cleaning tool relatively horizontally with the cleaning tool facing the substrate, wherein the cleaning tool faces the substrate. A processing liquid ejection hole for ejecting the processing liquid, and a vacuum suction hole for vacuum-sucking the substrate are formed on the bottom surface thereof, respectively, and the ejection power of the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid ejection hole, The vacuum suction force from the vacuum suction hole is balanced to form a narrow gap between the bottom surface of the cleaning tool and the surface of the substrate, and the cleaning tool acts on the substrate via the liquid film of the processing liquid interposed in the gap. To clean the substrate surface. Substrate cleaning equipment. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one of a flow rate of a processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid ejection hole and a vacuum suction pressure sucked from the vacuum suction hole. A substrate cleaning apparatus provided with an adjusting means for adjusting one to an arbitrary value. 4. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one of the vacuum suction hole and the processing liquid ejection hole is located at a substantially central portion of a bottom surface of the cleaning tool, and the other hole is provided at the other end. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a plurality of substrate cleaning devices provided at positions substantially opposite to each other across the one hole at the center of the bottom surface of the cleaning tool. 5. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cleaning tool is attached to said cleaning tool support means via a linear guide. 6. The apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to claim 2, wherein said cleaning tool is attached to said cleaning tool support means via a spherical bearing. 7. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning tool is connected and fixed to the cleaning tool support means. 8. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein another cleaning tool that acts on the substrate surface is attached to the cleaning tool. 9. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the another cleaning tool is attached to the cleaning tool so as to be adjustable in height.