JP2001058161A - Brush washing apparatus and brush washing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a brush washing apparatus capable of well washing an article to be washed by a washing brush. SOLUTION: In a brush washing apparatus, a rotationally driven semiconductor wafer 22 is washed by a washing brush 71. In this case, the washing brush 71 has a brush main body 72 formed from an elastic material and an opened space part is formed to the lower end surface of the brush main body 72 and a washing soln. is supplied into the space part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a brush cleaning apparatus and a brush cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate using a cleaning brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus, there is a lithography process for forming a circuit pattern on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate as an object to be cleaned.
In this lithography process, as is well known, a resist is applied to the object to be cleaned, and the resist is irradiated with light through a mask on which a circuit pattern is formed. A part of the circuit pattern is formed by repeating a series of processes several tens of times, such as removing the portion irradiated with the light, and etching the removed portion.

In the above-described series of steps, if the object to be cleaned is contaminated, the circuit pattern cannot be precisely formed, which causes defective products. Therefore, when forming a circuit pattern in each step,
It has been practiced to wash the object to be cleaned in a clean state in which fine particles such as resist and dust do not remain.

[0004] As an apparatus for cleaning an object to be cleaned, there are a batch system in which a plurality of semiconductor wafers are immersed in a cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid for cleaning, or a method in which one object to be cleaned is rotated and the object is cleaned. There is a single-wafer method in which a cleaning liquid is sprayed on an object to perform cleaning, and a single-wafer method having a high cleaning effect tends to be used as an object to be cleaned becomes larger.

A single-wafer type cleaning apparatus includes a spin cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned while rotating the object. In this spin cleaning method, in order to further enhance the cleaning effect, the object to be rotated is driven to rotate. It has been known that a cleaning brush is brought into contact with the upper surface of a substrate, and a cleaning liquid is supplied to the contact portion for cleaning.

[0006]

In brush cleaning, it is important to sufficiently and surely supply a cleaning liquid to a contact portion between a cleaning brush and an object to be cleaned in order to enhance a cleaning effect. Conventionally, as a method of supplying the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid is supplied to a contact portion between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned by a nozzle body disposed outside the cleaning brush,
A supply pipe of the cleaning liquid is guided inside the cleaning brush, and the cleaning liquid is permeated into the cleaning brush by the supply pipe.

However, according to the former method, it is difficult for the cleaning liquid to enter the central portion of the cleaning brush, and according to the latter method, the cleaning liquid does not easily penetrate into the cleaning brush, so that the amount of the cleaning liquid is not sufficient. There is. Therefore, in both of these methods, a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid cannot be supplied to the interface between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned, so that the cleaning effect cannot be sufficiently enhanced.

According to the present invention, the cleaning liquid can be sufficiently supplied between the contact surface between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brush cleaning apparatus and a brush cleaning method capable of enhancing a brush cleaning effect on an object to be cleaned.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object to be cleaned, which is driven in rotation, with a cleaning brush, wherein the cleaning brush has a brush body formed of an elastic material. The brush cleaning device is characterized in that an open space is formed in the lower end surface of the brush body, and a cleaning liquid is supplied into the space.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the brush cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a plurality of types of cleaning liquids are supplied to the space of the brush main body.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the brush cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a cleaning liquid and a gas are supplied to the space of the brush main body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a brush cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned which is rotated by a cleaning brush, wherein the cleaning object is stored between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned. And a brush cleaning method characterized by cleaning the brush.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the brush body is formed with an open space at the lower end surface thereof, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to this space. Penetrates into the interface between the substrate and the object to be cleaned, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of cleaning liquids are supplied to the space of the cleaning brush, so that the plurality of cleaning liquids can be mixed in the space without previously mixing. it can.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the cleaning liquid and the gas are supplied to the space, cavitation is generated in the space and the cleaning effect can be enhanced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the object to be cleaned is efficiently and reliably cleaned with a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid by performing the brush cleaning with the cleaning liquid stored between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned. be able to.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.
This brush cleaning device includes a spin cup 1. This spin cup 1 is a bottomed bottom cup 1 with an open top.
a and an upper cup 1b slidably provided with respect to the lower cup 1a and having an upper end portion of a peripheral wall inclined inward in the radial direction. The upper cup 1b is indicated by a chain line in the figure by a drive mechanism (not shown). It can be lowered as shown.

At the bottom of the lower cup 1a, one end of a plurality of discharge pipes 2 is connected to the periphery, and an insertion hole 4 whose periphery is surrounded by a flange 3 is formed at the center. The support shaft 5 is inserted through the insertion hole 4. The upper part of the support shaft 5 projects into the inside of the spin cup 1, and the lower end thereof has a base plate 6 disposed below the spin cup 1.
It is fixed to. The discharge pipe 2 is connected to a suction pump via a steam separator (not shown). The discharge pipe 2
When the cleaning liquid, mist, and gas are sucked in, the water and gas are separated by the water / water separator, and the water is discharged to a waste liquid tank (not shown).

A rotary chuck 11 is rotatably provided on the support shaft 5. The rotary chuck 11 has a disk-shaped base 12 having a through hole 12a formed in the center. At the lower surface of the base 12, that is, at a position corresponding to the through hole 12a, a cylindrical support portion 13 is vertically provided. The support portion 13 is fitted around the support shaft 5, and the upper and lower portions are rotatably supported by the support shaft 5 by bearings 14.

A driven pulley 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the support portion 13. The base plate 6 has a metal
A motor 16 is provided, and a driving pulley 17 is fitted on a rotating shaft 16a of the motor 16. This drive pulley 17
A belt 18 is stretched between the driven pulley 15 and the driven pulley 15. Therefore, when the motor 16 operates, the rotary chuck 11 is driven to rotate integrally with the support portion 13.

On the upper surface of the base 12, four pillars 19 are erected at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. A support pin 21a and an engagement pin 21b outside the support pin 21a and taller than the support pin 21a protrude from the upper end of each of the columns 19.

At the upper end of the support column 19, for example, a semiconductor wafer 22 as an object to be cleaned
1a, and is detachably held by engaging the outer peripheral surface with the engaging pin 21b. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer 22 is driven to rotate integrally with the rotary chuck 11.

The upper end of the support shaft 5 is larger than that of the support shaft 5.
A large diameter conical head 5a is provided. This
The support shaft 5 has an end opening at the upper surface of the head 5a.
N ₂The gas supply path 30 for the inert gas such as
Similarly, the upper surface of the head 5a is opened via the nozzle hole 32a.
The cleaning liquid supply passage 30a is formed along the axial direction.
Have been. The gas supply path 30 is a gas supply source (not shown)
And the above-mentioned cleaning liquid supply path is also a cleaning liquid (not shown).
In communication with the source.

The inert gas supplied to the gas supply path 30 and the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning liquid supply path 30a are:
Each is jetted toward the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer 22.

On the upper surface side of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11, a cleaning brush 71 for cleaning the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 is provided. The cleaning brush 71 has a brush main body 72 formed in a cylindrical shape by using an elastic material such as sponge or PVA. The brush main body 72 is attached and fixed to the lower surface of the first mounting plate 73 by, for example, bonding or the like, and has an open space 72a formed at the lower end surface thereof.

The first mounting plate 73 is mounted on the tip of a swing arm 33 of a swing mechanism that drives the cleaning brush 71 to swing along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer 22. The lower end of the swing arm 33 has a second mounting plate 74 at its lower end.
Is provided, and the first mounting plate 37 is detachably mounted on the second mounting plate 74 by screws 75.

One end of a first supply pipe 76 and one end of a second supply pipe 77 are connected to the mounting body 75. The first supply pipe 76 is supplied with a first cleaning liquid, and the second supply pipe 77 is supplied with a second cleaning liquid.

The first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid supplied to the supply pipes 76 and 77 are supplied to a first flow path 78 and a second flow path formed over the mounting body 75 and the brush body 72, respectively. The fluid flows into the space 72 a of the brush main body 72 through the passage 79.

The swing arm 33 has a base end 33a to which the upper end of a swing shaft 36 whose axis is perpendicular is connected, and a center of the swing arm 33 with respect to the base end 33a. The cleaning brush 71 is provided on the front end 33b, which is divided into a front end 33b which is attached at an adjustable angle.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, flanges 61 and 62 are provided at the front end of the base end portion 33a and the rear end of the front end portion 33b, respectively. A pair of bolts 63 is fixed to the flange 61 of the base end portion 33a at intervals of 180 degrees in the circumferential direction by projecting the screw portions thereof to the tip end portion 33b side.
Are formed at a predetermined angle (range) along the circumferential direction.

A screw portion of the pair of bolts 63 is inserted into the long hole 64, and a nut 65 is screwed into the screw portion protruding from the long hole 64. Therefore, the nut 65
By loosening, the distal end portion 33b of the swing arm 33 can be rotated with respect to the base end portion 33a, and when it is tightened, it can be fixed at a predetermined angle.

The lower end of the swing shaft 36 is connected to the base plate 6.
Protrudes downward from the through hole 6a formed in the hole. The lower end of the swing shaft 36 is rotatably supported by a support 37 provided to be vertically movable. The support 37 is in the shape of a hollow box, and its upper wall has
6 is formed, and a bearing 39 for rotatably supporting the lower end of the swing shaft 36 inserted from the insertion hole 38 is provided inside. The lower end of the swing shaft 36 protrudes from the bearing 39, and a driven pulley 40 is fitted thereto.

A pair of guides 41 are provided on one side surface of the support 37 at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction, and the guides 41 are slidably engaged with the rails 43. The rail 43 is provided on one side surface of a mounting plate 42 suspended from the lower surface of the base plate 6 along the vertical direction.

The mounting plate 42 is provided with a linear motor 44 as a vertical drive source. This linear motor 4
The fourth drive shaft 44a is connected to the lower end surface of the support 37 via a bracket 45. Therefore, when the linear motor 44 is operated, the swing arm 33 is vertically driven via the support 37.

That is, when the swing arm 33 is lowered, the lower end surface of the brush body 72 of the cleaning brush 71 comes into contact with the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 at a predetermined contact pressure. When it rises above the cup 1b, it can swing out of the brush cleaning device together with the sponge brush 31a.

The other side of the support 37 has the linear motor
An oscillating drive unit 46 that constitutes a drive unit with the table 44 is provided. The swing drive unit 46 has a storage box 47 attached to the other side surface of the support 37. A motor 48 is provided on the lower surface of the storage box 47.
The rotating shaft 48a of the motor 48 is
And is connected to a deceleration section 49 provided therein. The drive pulley 52 is fitted on the output shaft 55 of the reduction section 49.

An internal space between the support 37 and the storage box 47 is communicated by an opening 53. A timing belt 50 stretched between the driving pulley 52 and the driven pulley 40 is inserted through the opening 53.

Therefore, when the motor 48 is operated and the output shaft 55 of the speed reducer 49 is driven in the forward and reverse directions,
Since the rotation is transmitted to the swinging shaft 36 via the timing belt 50, the swinging arm 3
The sponge brush 31a provided at the tip 33b of the third wafer 3 swings on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 along the radial direction.

The swing drive of the swing shaft 36 and the vertical drive of the swing arm 33 are controlled by a control device 54.

Next, a procedure for cleaning the semiconductor wafer 22 by the brush cleaning apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, the tip 33b of the swing arm 33 is set at a predetermined angle with respect to the base 33a,
One axis is set to be substantially perpendicular to the swing direction of the swing arm 33.

Next, the rotary chuck 1 of the brush cleaning device
When the semiconductor wafer 22 is supplied and held to the motor 1,
6, the rotary chuck 11 is driven to rotate, and the motor 48 of the swing drive section 46 is operated to swing the swing arm.
The beam 33 is pivotally positioned at the center of the semiconductor wafer 22 in the radial direction.

Next, the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are supplied to the space 72a of the brush main body 72 from the first supply pipe 76 and the second supply pipe 77, and the linear motor 44 is operated. The swing arm 33 is lowered by a predetermined distance.

As a result, the lower end surface of the brush main body 72 whose space 72 a is open contacts the upper surface of the radial center of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 at a predetermined pressure. Space 7
The first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid supplied to 2a stay in the space 72a and are mixed.

In this state, if the swing arm 33 is driven to swing outward from the center of the semiconductor wafer 22 in the radial direction, the lower end surface of the brush body 72 causes the semiconductor wafer 2 to swing.
2 is rubbed, so that the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 is brush-cleaned.

If the brush body 72 comes off one end of the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 in the radial direction, the sponge brush 3
The upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 is washed by repeating raising and lowering 1a, returning the semiconductor wafer 22 to the radial center portion of the semiconductor wafer 22, and then moving the semiconductor wafer 22 radially outward when lowered and brought into contact. be able to.

When the brush body 72 rubs the plate surface of the semiconductor wafer 22, a cleaning liquid is stored in a space 72a formed in the brush body 72. Space 72
Since a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid can be stored in a, the cleaning liquid in the internal space 72a easily permeates the interface between the semiconductor wafer 22 and the brush main body 72.

As a result, a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid can be supplied to the interface between the semiconductor wafer 22 and the brush body 72, so that the semiconductor wafer 2 can be cleaned with high cleanliness.

The first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid can be supplied to the space 72a of the brush body 72. Therefore, if pure water is used as the first cleaning liquid, and ammonia water or hydrogen water (cathode water) having a high ability to remove dirt attached to the semiconductor wafer 22 without damaging the brush body 72 is used as the second cleaning liquid. The first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are efficiently mixed in the space 72a and the semiconductor wafer 2
2 can be washed. In other words, unlike the case where two cleaning liquids are mixed and then supplied, a dedicated device for mixing is not required, so that the configuration of the device can be simplified.

In the above embodiment, two cleaning liquids are mixed in the space 72a of the brush main body 72, but only one type of cleaning liquid may be supplied to the space 72a. In this case, the cleaning liquid is stored in the space 72a, so that a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid can be reliably supplied to the interface between the brush body 72 and the semiconductor wafer 22, as in the case of supplying two types of cleaning liquid. Becomes

Further, instead of the two types of cleaning liquids, a cleaning liquid such as pure water may be supplied from one supply pipe, and a gas such as nitrogen or air may be supplied from the other supply pipe. In that case, even if the pressure of the cleaning liquid is 10 kg / cm
^{With two} or more, cavitation can be generated in the space 72a of the brush body 72.

Therefore, not only can a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid be supplied to the interface between the semiconductor wafer 22 and the cleaning brush 71, but also a sufficiently high cleaning effect can be obtained by the cleaning operation by brush cleaning and the cleaning operation by cavitation. .

In the above embodiment, a semiconductor wafer is used as an object to be cleaned. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where a glass substrate for liquid crystal is cleaned instead of a semiconductor wafer.

Further, the cleaning object is brush-cleaned without rotating the cleaning brush, but it is needless to say that the cleaning brush may be driven to rotate. Furthermore, after the cleaning brush is moved from the radial center to the peripheral portion of the object to be cleaned, it is raised and returned to the central portion. Alternatively, the cleaning brush may be returned to the central portion without being raised, or The reciprocating swing may be performed over the entire length in the direction, and the point is not limited at all.

[0056]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the brush body is formed with an open space at the lower end surface thereof, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the open space.

As a result, the object to be cleaned can be brush-cleaned while a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid is stored in the space, so that the cleaning liquid easily permeates the interface between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned. This makes it possible to reliably clean the object to be cleaned with a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of types of cleaning liquid are supplied to the space of the cleaning brush.

Therefore, the mixing can be performed in the space without mixing a plurality of types of cleaning liquids in advance, so that equipment and labor required for mixing are not required.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cleaning liquid and the gas are supplied to the space of the cleaning brush.

As a result, cavitation can be generated in the space, so that the cleaning effect by the cleaning brush and the cleaning effect by cavitation can be enhanced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, brush cleaning is performed with the cleaning liquid stored between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned.

Therefore, a sufficient amount of the cleaning liquid is supplied to the interface between the object to be cleaned and the cleaning brush, so that the object to be cleaned can be efficiently and reliably washed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view showing the entire configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion between a base end and a front end of the cleaning arm.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cleaning brush and a mounting body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 semiconductor wafer (object to be cleaned) 71 cleaning brush 72 brush body 72a space

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A brush cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object to be rotated which is driven to rotate by a cleaning brush, wherein the cleaning brush has a brush main body formed of an elastic material, and the brush main body has a space opened to a lower end surface. A brush cleaning device, wherein a cleaning liquid is supplied into the space. 2. The brush cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of cleaning liquids are supplied to the space of the brush main body. 3. The brush cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a cleaning liquid and a gas are supplied to a space of the brush main body. 4. A brush cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned which is rotated and driven by a cleaning brush, wherein the cleaning object is cleaned while a cleaning liquid is stored between the cleaning brush and the object to be cleaned. Characterized brush cleaning method.