JP2002239485A - Apparatus and method for cleaning substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate cleaning apparatus in which a cleaning liquid supplied to a substrate is prevented from staying particularly on the top surface of the substrate. SOLUTION: This substrate cleaning apparatus is provided with a conveying mechanism 2 for conveying the substrate 1 to the prescribed direction, cleaning means 21, 22 each of which has the upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24 disposed oppositely in the vertical direction for cleaning the top and under surfaces of the substrate 1 conveyed by the mechanism 2 by the brushes 23 and 24 and a nozzle body 41 disposed on the upstream or/and downstream sides of the means 21, 22 for supplying liquid to at lest the top surface of the substrate 1 to be cleaned by the means 21, 22 at the prescribed angle of inclination with respect to the direction intersecting the substrate conveying direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus and a substrate cleaning method for cleaning a substrate by sending a substrate between an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member disposed opposite to each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device or a semiconductor device, there is a process that requires cleaning a glass substrate for a liquid crystal or a semiconductor wafer as a substrate with high cleanliness.

[0003] As a method for cleaning such a substrate,
There are a dip method in which multiple substrates are immersed in the cleaning liquid, and a single-wafer method in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed toward the substrate to wash one by one. Recently, high cleanliness has been obtained and cost-effective single-wafer processing The scheme is increasingly adopted.

A brush cleaning apparatus using a roll-shaped cleaning brush as a cleaning member is known as one of the single-wafer systems. The brush cleaning device transports the substrate in a predetermined direction by a transport mechanism, and is rotated while contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate to be cleaned during the transport.
A brush cleaning unit is provided in which an upper cleaning brush and a lower cleaning brush are arranged to face each other, and the cleaning brushes are rotated while supplying a cleaning liquid to the plate surface of the substrate, thereby cleaning and removing fine particles attached to the substrate. Like that.

In such a brush cleaning apparatus, the peripheral speed of the cleaning brush is set to a speed different from the transport speed of the substrate, usually to a high speed, or a pair of upper and lower portions is provided in order to clean and remove fine particles adhering to the substrate. For example, one of the cleaning brushes is rotated in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the substrate.

Further, in order to increase the degree of cleaning of the substrate, a pair of brush cleaning sections are provided at a predetermined interval in the substrate transport direction. Also in this case, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the plate surface of the substrate conveyed to each brush cleaning unit so that the substrate is not brushed by the cleaning brush in a dry state.

[0007]

Conventionally, the cleaning liquid has been supplied almost perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate fed into the brush cleaning section. Therefore, on the upper surface of the substrate,
The cleaning liquid containing the particles removed from the substrate by the upper cleaning brush tends to stay, which may cause the particles contained in the cleaning liquid to adhere to the upper surface of the substrate.

In particular, when the upper cleaning brush is rotated in the direction opposite to the substrate transport direction, the cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate is returned by the upper cleaning brush in the direction opposite to the substrate transport direction. In some cases, particles included in the cleaning liquid may easily adhere to the upper surface of the substrate.

Further, recently, the size of substrates has been increasing. For this reason, the width of the substrate in the direction intersecting with the transport direction is increased, and the cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate is less likely to flow out from the upper surface, so that particles may easily adhere to the upper surface of the substrate. .

[0010] The present invention provides a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method capable of cleaning a substrate with a high degree of cleanliness by preventing a cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate from remaining on the upper surface of the substrate. is there.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a predetermined direction, and an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member which are vertically opposed to each other. Cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism by a member; and a cleaning means disposed on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the cleaning means and being cleaned by the cleaning means. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a liquid supply means for supplying a liquid at a predetermined angle to at least an upper surface of the substrate with respect to a direction intersecting with the substrate transport direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a predetermined direction, an upper cleaning means and a lower cleaning means disposed vertically opposed to each other, and the substrate transported by the transport mechanism. A pair of cleaning means disposed at predetermined intervals in the transport direction and cleaning the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism, respectively, and disposed between the pair of cleaning means and cleaned by the cleaning means; A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a liquid supply unit that supplies a liquid at a predetermined angle to a direction intersecting a transport direction of the substrate on at least an upper surface of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to the first or second aspect, wherein the upper cleaning member and the lower cleaning member are each a cleaning brush.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the upper cleaning member comprises:
2. The apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the transport direction of the substrate is rotationally driven in the Y section direction.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of cleaning a substrate, wherein a substrate is sent between an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member which are arranged to face each other, and the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate are cleaned by the respective cleaning members. In at least the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate fed between the upper cleaning member and the lower cleaning member, supplying the liquid at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction intersecting with the substrate feeding direction. The present invention is characterized by a method of cleaning a substrate.

According to the present invention, since the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction intersecting the direction of transport of the substrate, the cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate is transferred to the upper surface of the substrate. It flows out from the end in the direction intersecting the direction, and hardly collects on the upper surface.

[0017]

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

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning apparatus, which has a transport mechanism 2 for transporting a substrate 1 such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display in a direction indicated by an arrow A. This transport mechanism 2
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, a plurality of lower drive shafts 3 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the transport direction of the substrate 1. Both ends of the lower drive shaft 3 are rotatably supported by bearings 5 on side plates 4 of the gantry.

A presser shaft 6 is disposed above the lower drive shaft 3 with its axis parallel to the lower drive shaft 3. Both ends of the holding shaft 6 are rotatably supported by the side plate 4 by bearings 7.

At both ends of the lower drive shaft 3, there are provided conveying rollers 9 having stepped portions 8 for engaging and holding both ends in the width direction of the substrate 1. Part 8
A pressing roller 11 is provided for pressing the upper surfaces of both ends in the width direction of the substrate 1 engaged with the substrate 1. The pressing roller 11 is provided with an O-ring 12 which is pressed against the upper surface of the substrate 1 with a predetermined pressure.

A first gear 13 meshed with one end of the lower drive shaft 3 and the holding shaft 6 is fitted to one end. A second gear 14 is fitted to the other end of the lower drive shaft 3.
A third gear 16 that is rotationally driven by a drive source 15 meshes with the second gear 14.

Therefore, when the drive source 15 is operated, the second gear 14 and the pair of first gears 13 meshed with each other are driven to rotate via the third gear 16, so that the lower drive shaft 3 The pressing shaft 6 is driven to rotate so as to transport the substrate 1 in the transport direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG.

Although not shown, pulleys are respectively fitted to the ends of a plurality of lower drive shafts 3 arranged at a predetermined interval along the transport direction of the substrate 1, and the lower drive shafts 3 adjacent to each other are attached.
A timing belt is stretched over the pulley. As a result, one lower drive shaft 3 is driven to rotate, whereby the other lower drive shaft 3 is also driven to rotate, and via a pair of first gears 13 meshed with the rotation of the lower drive shaft 3. The force is also transmitted to the presser shaft 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, a first cleaning means 21 is provided in the transport path of the substrate 1 transported by the transport mechanism 2.
And the second cleaning means 22 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction of the substrate 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, each of the cleaning means 21 and 22 has an upper cleaning brush 23 and a lower cleaning brush 24 as cleaning members disposed so as to face each other in the vertical direction. Each of the cleaning brushes 23 and 24 has a drive shaft 25 rotatably supported by the side plate 4 by a bearing 27, and a brush bristle 26 of a predetermined length is provided on an outer peripheral surface of each drive shaft 25. .

A pair of drive shafts 2 of each cleaning brush 23, 24
5 are arranged at intervals such that the brush bristles 26 are in contact with each other when the substrate 1 does not exist between the brush bristles 26 as shown in FIG.

A third gear 31 is fitted to one end of the pair of drive shafts 25. An intermediate gear 33 fitted on a support shaft 32 rotatably supported by the side plate 4 meshes between the pair of third gears 31. A fourth gear 34 is fitted to the other end of the lower drive shaft 25. A fifth gear 36, which is rotationally driven by a second drive source 35, meshes with the fourth gear 34.

Thus, when the second drive source 35 operates, the upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24 are driven to rotate in different directions with respect to the transport direction of the substrate 1.

In this embodiment, both the upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24 of the first cleaning means 21 are rotated counterclockwise as shown by arrows in FIG.
The upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24 of the cleaning means 22 are driven to rotate clockwise. That is, the lower cleaning brush 24 of the first cleaning unit 21
Then, the upper cleaning brush 23 of the second cleaning means 22 is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the transport direction of the substrate 1.

A support roller 37 for supporting the conveyed substrate 1 is rotatable on the upstream side of the first cleaning means 21 and on the downstream side of the second cleaning means 22, as shown in FIG. It is arranged in.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, between the first cleaning means 21 and the second cleaning means 22, a liquid supply for supplying a cleaning liquid L toward the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate 1 is provided. A plurality of nozzle bodies 41 as means (FIGS. 2 and 3 show only the nozzle body 42 on the upper surface side) are arranged at predetermined intervals along a width direction intersecting the transport direction of the substrate 1. I have.
The plurality of nozzle bodies 41 are provided at predetermined intervals in the supply pipe 42 of the cleaning liquid L as shown by a chain line in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle body 41 has a structure in which the cleaning liquid L is jetted in a fan shape at a spread angle of the angle α, and the fan-shaped spread direction is set along the transport direction of the substrate 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the ejection angle θ formed by the plate surface of the substrate 1 and the center line O of the ejection direction is inclined at a predetermined angle.

That is, the nozzle body 41 has the above-described ejection angle θ with respect to the width direction intersecting the ejection direction with the transport direction of the substrate 1.
Incline. The injection angle θ is 20 to 80 degrees,
Preferably, the range is 30 to 70 degrees. The inclination angle θ is
It is preferable that the cleaning liquid L that has reached the plate surface of the substrate 1 surely flows at a predetermined speed toward one end in the width direction of the substrate 1 as indicated by an arrow B in FIG. The spread angle α is 20 to 12
0 degree, preferably 45 to 90 degrees.

By inclining the nozzle body 41 at a predetermined angle with respect to the width direction of the substrate 1, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate 1 flows along the width direction of the substrate 1, It flows out from one end in the width direction. That is, the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1,
In particular, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper surface is less likely to stay on the upper surface.

In addition, on the upstream side of the first cleaning means 21,
A nozzle body (not shown) for supplying a cleaning liquid is provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1 sent into the first cleaning means 21. This prevents the substrate 1 from being rubbed by the pair of upper and lower cleaning brushes 23 and 24 of the first cleaning means 21 in a dry state.

According to the processing apparatus having such a configuration, the substrate 1 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A with the upper and lower surfaces of both ends in the width direction sandwiched by the conveying roller 9 and the pressing roller 11 of the conveying mechanism 2. Then, the substrate 1 enters between the upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24 of the first cleaning means 21, and the upper and lower surfaces thereof are brush-cleaned by these cleaning brushes 23, 24, and then the second cleaning means 22. Between the upper cleaning brush 23 and the lower cleaning brush 24, and the upper and lower surfaces are brush-cleaned by the cleaning brushes 23 and 24.

The cleaning liquid L is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1 from the nozzle body 41 on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively. Therefore, the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1 are brush-cleaned by the first and second cleaning means 21 and 22 in a state of being wet by the cleaning liquid L. , 24 to be washed away.

The particles cleaned and removed from the substrate 1 flow together with the cleaning liquid L. The nozzle body 41 for supplying the cleaning liquid L has a predetermined inclination angle θ with respect to the width direction of the substrate 1.
It is inclined. Therefore, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1 flows along the width direction of the substrate 1 and flows out from one end in the width direction.

That is, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper and lower surfaces, especially the upper surface, of the substrate 1 hardly stays on the upper surface. Therefore, even if the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper surface of the substrate 1 contains particles removed from the substrate 1 by the upper cleaning brush 23 of each of the cleaning means 21 and 22, the cleaning liquid L is quickly discharged from the upper surface of the substrate 1. The cleaning means 21 and 2
2 can reduce the probability that the particles removed will adhere to the substrate 1 again.

The cleaning liquid L is also applied to the lower surface of the substrate 1.
Is inclined at the injection angle θ, the particles removed from the lower surface of the substrate 1 by the lower cleaning brush 24 easily flow to one end of the substrate 1 in the width direction of the substrate 1 together with the cleaning liquid L. It is difficult to do,
Most of the cleaning liquid L supplied to the lower surface of the substrate 1 falls from the lower surface. Therefore, on the lower surface of the substrate 1,
The cleaning liquid L does not have to be injected at a predetermined injection angle θ.

Further, the distance between the first cleaning means 21 and the second cleaning means 22 arranged along the transport direction of the substrate 1 is smaller than the length of the substrate 1 along the transport direction, and May be washed while being sandwiched by a pair of washing means 21 and 22 at the same time. In particular, when the size of the substrate 1 is increased, such a tendency is likely to occur.

In a state where the substrate 1 is simultaneously cleaned by the pair of cleaning means 21 and 22, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the upper surface of the substrate 1 hardly flows out from the rear end of the upper surface of the substrate 1 in the transport direction.

However, since the nozzle body 41 for supplying the cleaning liquid L is inclined at a predetermined inclination angle θ with respect to the width direction of the substrate 1, the cleaning liquid L supplied on the upper surface of the substrate 1 is
Flows out from one end of the substrate 1 in the width direction. Therefore, even in such a case, since the cleaning liquid L containing particles hardly stays on the upper surface of the substrate 1, it is possible to prevent particles included in the cleaning liquid L from re-adhering to the substrate 1.

The upper cleaning brush 23 of the second cleaning means 22
Is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the transport direction of the substrate 1 in order to enhance the effect of cleaning the upper surface of the substrate 1. Therefore, the particles removed from the substrate 1 by the upper cleaning brush 23 are returned on the upper surface of the substrate 1 in the direction opposite to the transport direction, and easily adhere to the upper surface of the substrate 1 again.

However, the particles returned by the upper cleaning brush 23 flow to one end in the width direction of the substrate 1 by the cleaning liquid L jetted from the nozzle body 41 and are removed from the upper surface of the substrate 1 together with the cleaning liquid L. Even if the upper cleaning brush 23 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the substrate 1 is transported, particles can be prevented from re-adhering.

In the above embodiment, the case where the cleaning brush is used as the cleaning member of the cleaning means has been described.
The cleaning member may be a roll-shaped sponge brush or the like instead of the cleaning brush, and it is essential that the cleaning member be capable of cleaning the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate over the entire length in the width direction.

In the above embodiment, a pair of cleaning means are arranged at a predetermined interval in the substrate transport direction, and a nozzle body is provided upstream of each cleaning means. In the case of only one, the nozzle body may be provided on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side of the cleaning means according to the rotation direction of the cleaning brush.

[0048]

According to the present invention, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the direction intersecting the direction of transport of the substrate.

Therefore, the cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the substrate flows out from the end in the direction intersecting with the transport direction of the substrate, and it is difficult for the cleaning liquid to collect on the upper surface. Adhesion can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement state of a nozzle body.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an arrangement state of a cleaning unit and a nozzle body.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a cleaning unit.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a transport unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate 2 ... Transport mechanism 21 ... First cleaning means 22 ... Second cleaning means 23 ... Upper cleaning brush (upper cleaning member) 24 ... Lower cleaning brush (lower cleaning member) 41 ... Nozzle body

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) H01L 21/304 644 H01L 21/304 644E H05K 3/26 H05K 3/26 A F term (reference) 3B116 AA02 AB16 BA02 BA15 BB22 3B201 AA02 AB16 BA02 BA15 BB22 BB92 CB11 CB25 5E343 AA02 AA22 AA26 BB71 EE01 EE03 EE04 FF23 GG11 GG20

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate in a predetermined direction, an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member disposed to face each other in a vertical direction, and the upper surface of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism by these cleaning members. Cleaning means for cleaning the substrate and the lower surface; and at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate which is disposed at least upstream or downstream of the cleaning device and which is cleaned by the cleaning device, intersects the transport direction of the substrate. A substrate supply device for supplying a liquid at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction. 2. A transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a predetermined direction, an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member disposed to face each other in a vertical direction, and the transport mechanism transports the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism. A pair of cleaning means arranged at predetermined intervals for cleaning the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate transported by the transport mechanism, respectively; and an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate disposed between the pair of cleaning devices and cleaned by the cleaning means. A substrate supply device for supplying a liquid at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction intersecting with the substrate transport direction on at least the upper surface of the substrate. 3. The apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the upper cleaning member and the lower cleaning member are each a cleaning brush. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper cleaning member is driven to rotate in a Y-direction with respect to a substrate transfer direction.
The apparatus for cleaning a substrate according to the above. 5. A method of cleaning a substrate, comprising: feeding a substrate between an upper cleaning member and a lower cleaning member disposed opposite to each other; and cleaning an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate by each of the cleaning members. Supplying a liquid at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction intersecting with a direction in which the substrate is fed, to at least an upper surface of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate fed between the means and the lower cleaning means. Cleaning method.