JP2002270564A - Apparatus and method for cleaning substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for cleaning a substrate capable of improving detergency of the surface of the substrate by sufficiently removing fine particles on the surface of the substrate. SOLUTION: The method for cleaning the substrate comprises the steps of discharging the cleaning force of a liquid droplet from a cleaning nozzle 7 onto the surface of the substrate W rotated at a rotation stopping Pa of the substrate W as a center. The nozzle 7 has a gas discharge nozzle 100 for discharging air to its body 7b and a liquid discharge nozzle 200 for discharging pure water. The method further comprises the steps of setting the air discharged from a gas discharge port 101 and the pure water discharged from a liquid discharge port 201 to a range of 0 to 110 deg. of an incident angle α at its collision site G. The method also comprises the steps of mixing the air with the pure water in the air, and cleaning the surface of the substrate with a cleaning liquid of the liquid droplet formed as a spray state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a PDP (plasma display panel) substrate, a glass substrate for a magnetic disk, and a ceramic substrate. The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for performing a cleaning process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A semiconductor device manufacturing process includes a process of forming a fine pattern by repeatedly performing processes such as film formation and etching on the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, simply referred to as "substrate"). . For microfabrication, both sides of the substrate, especially one side of the substrate on which the thin film is formed (thin film forming surface)
It is necessary to keep the substrate clean, and the substrate is subjected to a cleaning process as necessary.

A conventional substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate as described above proposes cleaning by jetting droplets using a cleaning two-fluid nozzle for strongly removing contaminants adhering to the surface of the substrate. Have been.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a conventional cleaning apparatus using a two-fluid nozzle for cleaning. This cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning cup 51, a spin chuck 52 for holding a substrate W in the cleaning cup 51, an electric motor 53 for rotating the spin chuck 52, and cleaning for ejecting droplets toward the surface of the substrate W. A gas supply unit 55 for supplying a pressurized gas to the cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60 and a liquid supply unit 56 for supplying a pressurized liquid to the cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60 are provided. Further, a robot arm 57 for holding and moving the cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60 is provided.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional two-fluid nozzle 60 for cleaning. The cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60 includes a first conduit 61 through which gas passes, and a first conduit 61 that penetrates a side wall of the first conduit 61 from outside the first conduit 61. 61
And a second conduit 62 through which the liquid extends. The tip of the second conduit 62 extends in the same direction as the direction in which the first conduit 61 extends.

Next, the operation of the cleaning apparatus will be described. The substrate W is fixed to the spin chuck 52 and rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. The gas pressurized from the gas supply means 55 is
The pressurized liquid is supplied from the liquid supply means 56 to the two-fluid nozzle 60 for cleaning. Two-fluid nozzle for cleaning 6
At 0, the gas and the liquid are mixed, and the liquid is changed into granular droplets, accelerated by the flow of the gas in the first conduit 61, and ejected from the tip of the first conduit 61. The jetted spray droplets collide with the surface of the substrate W and remove contaminants adhering to the surface of the substrate W.

[0007]

However, in the above-described cleaning apparatus, since the gas and the liquid are mixed inside the cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60, one of the two cleaning fluid nozzles is designed to independently vary the flow rates of the gas and the liquid. When changing the flow rate,
There is a problem that the pressures in the first conduit 61 interfere with each other and the flow rate of the other also changes.

That is, when the gas flow rate is increased in order to increase the cleaning power, the pressure of the gas inside the first pipe line 61 increases, so that the flow rate of the liquid supplied from the second pipe line 62 is suppressed. I will. Then, there is a problem that the liquid ejected from the nozzle tip opening of the two-fluid nozzle 60 has a different result from the initial detergency because the liquid flow rate is suppressed.

As a result, fine particles such as dust and slurry remain on the surface of the substrate W, leading to a decrease in yield in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which has been a serious problem.

In the above-described cleaning apparatus, since gas and liquid are mixed inside the cleaning two-fluid nozzle 60, dust is repelled by shaving irregularities on the inner wall surface of the nozzle 60. The dust repellency was sometimes generated by scraping off the adhered matter from which the liquid adhered in the nozzle 60 was dried during mixing.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above technical problems and to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of sufficiently removing fine particles on the substrate surface and cleaning the substrate surface.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a liquid discharging means for discharging a liquid; A gas discharging means for discharging a gas, wherein the liquid discharged from the liquid discharging means is mixed with the gas discharged from the gas discharging means in the air, and the cleaning liquid of the generated droplet collides with the substrate surface. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized by performing cleaning by causing the substrate to be cleaned.

The invention according to claim 2 is the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by discharging the liquid discharged from the liquid discharging means and discharging the liquid from the gas discharging means. This is characterized in that it is carried out by colliding the gas with air in the air.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by jetting one of the discharged liquid and the gas into the air. Is performed by ejecting the ink.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect, the liquid discharge means includes a liquid supply means, and a liquid discharge port for discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply means. Wherein the gas discharge means includes a gas supply means, and a gas discharge port for discharging gas supplied by the gas supply means, and a central axis passing through the liquid discharge port and passing through the gas discharge port. The angle formed by each axis at the intersection with the central axis is in the range of 0 to 110 degrees.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a liquid discharge port for discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply means; a gas discharge port for discharging the gas supplied from the gas supply means; Is provided in the nozzle, and to the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port, immediately after the liquid discharge port, is discharged from the gas discharge port so as to mix a gas, and the cleaning liquid of the droplet generated by mixing the liquid and the gas is removed. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that cleaning is performed by colliding with a substrate surface.

The invention according to claim 6 is the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by mixing the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port with the liquid discharged from the gas discharge port. This is characterized in that it is carried out by colliding the gas with air in the air.

The invention according to claim 7 is the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by jetting one of the discharged liquid and the gas into the air. Is performed by ejecting the ink.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the fifth aspect, each axis is formed at an intersection of a central axis passing through the liquid discharge port and a central axis passing through the gas discharge port. The angle is in a range of 0 degree or more and 110 degrees or less.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the fourth to eighth aspects, the gas supply means is activated to start discharging the gas, and after a predetermined time, the liquid supply means. And control means for controlling so as to start discharging the liquid.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, the operation of the liquid supply unit is stopped, and the operation of the gas supply unit is stopped after a predetermined time. And control means for performing control so as to perform

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is a substrate cleaning method, wherein a substrate is cleaned using the substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

The operation of the present invention is as follows. Here, according to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the first aspect, the gas and the liquid are mixed in the air, and the substrate surface is cleaned with the generated cleaning liquid of the droplet.

Here, the cleaning liquid of the droplet is generated after being discharged from the gas discharging means and the liquid discharging means. For this reason, the flow rates and the flow rates of the liquid and the gas are maintained independent of each other. Then, the discharged liquid and gas are mixed in the air, and as a result, become a droplet. Therefore, when the cleaning liquid of the droplet is generated, by mixing inside the tube like a conventional two-fluid nozzle, a desired droplet flow can be obtained without interference between the flows. Therefore, a desired droplet can be obtained by controlling the flow rate and flow rate of the liquid or gas as desired in the cleaning liquid generated by mixing in air in this manner, and thus the fine particles on the substrate surface can be sufficiently removed. By removing it, the cleaning power of the substrate surface can be improved. Further, by mixing the gas and the liquid in the air, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dust repellency due to scraping off deposits and dust inside the tube.

The “substrate surface” here may be the surface of the substrate on which the thin film is formed, the surface of the substrate on which the thin film is not formed, or the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate. Either may be used. That is, the substrate surface may be any surface except for the end surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate.

Further, the "cleaning liquid" as used herein means:
A liquid droplet and a gas are mixed to generate a spray, and the liquid droplet may be formed of only the liquid, or may be a liquid in which the gas is dissolved when the liquid is formed into a droplet. The liquid may be any of pure water and a chemical solution (for example, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, ammonia or an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide thereof), and any liquid capable of cleaning the substrate surface. Anything is fine. Further, the gas may be any of air, ozone gas, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the second aspect of the invention, the mixing of the liquid and the gas in the air is performed by colliding the liquid and the gas. As a result, a cleaning liquid of a droplet is reliably generated on the substrate surface, and the substrate surface can be cleaned.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the third aspect of the invention, the mixing of the liquid and the gas in the air is performed by discharging one of the liquid and the gas in a jet flow into the air. As a result, the cleaning liquid of the droplet is reliably generated, and the substrate surface can be cleaned. In addition, for example, when a liquid is ejected in a gas jet, the liquid is limited by the flow velocity of the gas immediately after the ejection, and is quickly mixed with the gas to generate droplets. Further, since the mixing is performed in the gas jet, the generated droplet is guided to the jet as it is, so that it is possible to prevent the droplet from scattering unnecessarily.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the collision between the liquid and the gas in the air is caused by the angle formed by each axis at the intersection of the central axis passing through the liquid discharge port and the central axis passing through the gas discharge port. Is set in a range of 0 degree or more and 110 degrees or less. As a result, the cleaning liquid of the droplet is reliably generated, and the substrate surface can be cleaned.

Furthermore, if the angle between the axes at the intersection of the central axes is 0 degrees, the discharge of the gas and the liquid is in a parallel state, and the discharge of one of the liquid and the gas is performed by discharging the other during the jet. Mixing is performed. In addition, when the temperature was 110 degrees or less, a droplet was satisfactorily generated due to collision between the liquid and the gas. However, when the angle was larger than 110 degrees, the collision between the liquid and the gas was close to the head-on collision, and it was confirmed that the droplets scattered in all directions instead of one direction. That is, when the substrate surface is cleaned, the number of droplets directed to the substrate surface is reduced, and good cleaning cannot be performed. Therefore, by setting the range of 0 ° or more and 110 ° or less, the cleaning liquid of the droplet can be directed in one direction.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the fifth aspect, the substrate surface is cleaned with the cleaning liquid in which the gas and the liquid form droplets in the air. And according to this substrate cleaning apparatus,
Since the nozzle is provided with the liquid discharge port and the gas discharge port, the cleaning liquid can collide with the substrate surface by disposing the nozzle on the substrate.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by causing the liquid and the gas to collide. As a result, a cleaning liquid of a droplet is reliably generated on the substrate surface, and the substrate surface can be cleaned.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by discharging one of the liquid and the gas in a jet flow into the air. As a result, a cleaning liquid of a droplet is reliably generated on the substrate surface, and the substrate surface can be cleaned.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the collision between the liquid and the gas in the air is caused by the angle formed by each axis at the intersection of the central axis passing through the liquid discharge port and the central axis passing through the gas discharge port. Is set in a range of 0 degree or more and 110 degrees or less. As a result, the cleaning liquid of the droplet is reliably generated, and the substrate surface can be cleaned.

According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of the ninth aspect, the liquid is discharged after the gas is discharged at the time of generating the droplet. As a result, the liquid collides with the gas from the beginning of the ejection to become liquid droplets, and wasteful collision with the substrate surface in the liquid flow can be eliminated.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the discharge of the gas is stopped after the discharge of the liquid is stopped when the cleaning is stopped. As a result, after the cleaning of the substrate surface with the cleaning liquid for the droplets, wasteful collision of the liquid flow with the substrate surface can be eliminated.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning method for cleaning a substrate with a cleaning liquid by droplets generated by mixing a gas and a liquid in the air. As a result, fine particles on the substrate surface can be sufficiently removed, and the detergency of the substrate surface can be improved.

[0038]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problems will be described.
This will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a disk-shaped spin chuck, on which six support pins 1a are provided upright. As shown in FIG.
Is rotated by an electric motor 5 via a rotating shaft 3 connected to its bottom surface. By this rotational driving, the substrate W whose peripheral edge is supported by the support pins 1a is rotated in a horizontal plane around the rotation center Pa. A scattering prevention cup 9 for preventing the cleaning liquid M discharged from the two-fluid cleaning nozzle 7 from scattering around the spin chuck 1 is provided. As shown by arrows in the figure, when the unwashed substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 1 or the transfer means (not shown) receives the washed substrate W from the spin chuck 1, It is configured to move up and down with respect to the spin chuck 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tip of a support arm 8 is connected to the body 7b of the cleaning nozzle 7, and the discharge surface 7a is supported in a posture facing the surface of the substrate W. On the other hand, the base end of the support arm 8 is connected to the lifting / moving mechanism 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the lifting / moving mechanism 11 is configured to move from the supply start position K of the cleaning liquid on the surface of the substrate W to the supply end position F through the rotation center Pa. Further, the support arm 8 includes a rotary motor 11a.
Of the rotary shaft 11b. This is for swinging the cleaning nozzle 7 on the substrate W around the rotation center Pb of the rotation motor 11a.

The cleaning nozzle 7 is a two-fluid nozzle in which a pipe 15a for introducing compressed air as gas and a pipe 15d for introducing pure water as liquid are connected to the body 7b. The pipe 15a is well connected to a compressed air supply unit 21 corresponding to the gas supply means of the present invention. The pipe 15a has an electropneumatic regulator 17a for adjusting the pressure of the flowing air to a pressure corresponding to the control signal input from the controller 20, a pressure sensor 18a for detecting the pressure of the air, and a flow sensor 1 for detecting the flow rate.
9a.

The pipe 15b has an electropneumatic regulator 17b for adjusting the pressure of the pure water flowing therethrough to a pressure corresponding to the control signal input from the controller 20, a pressure sensor 18b for detecting the pressure of the air, And a flow sensor 19b for detecting the flow rate. Note that the liquid used is not limited to pure water, and may be ultrapure water or the like. Further, any chemical solution (for example, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, ammonia, or an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide thereof) may be used.

A control signal is input from the controller 20 to each of the electropneumatic regulators 17a and 17b, and the pressure of each gas and pure water flowing through the pipes 15a and 15b is adjusted according to the control signal. On the other hand, the detection results sequentially detected from the pressure sensors 18a, 18b and the flow sensors 19a, 19b are fed back to the controller 20.

The controller 20 includes the electric motor 5 and
Elevating / moving mechanism 11, electropneumatic regulators 17a, 17
b, pressure sensors 18a, 18b, and flow sensor 19
a and 19b are connected. Cleaning conditions corresponding to the substrate W are stored in the controller 20 in advance as a cleaning program (also called a recipe), and the above-described units are controlled according to the cleaning program for each substrate W. This controller 20 corresponds to the control means of the present invention.

The controller 20 is further connected to an instruction unit 30 used to create and change a cleaning program and to select a desired one from a plurality of cleaning programs.

Next, the internal structure of the cleaning nozzle 7 having the characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 7 as viewed from the side of the apparatus.

The body 7b is fixed to one end of the support arm 8 with a bolt or the like. The gas discharge nozzle 100 having the gas discharge port 101 in the body 7b and the liquid having the liquid discharge port 201 in the body 7b. The discharge nozzle 200 is inserted and arranged. The gas discharge nozzle 100 and the liquid discharge nozzle 200 are connected to pipes 15 a and 15
b, the compressed air supply unit 21 and the pure water supply unit 2 described above.
5 is connected.

The gas discharge nozzle 100 is disposed such that the gas discharge port 101 faces the surface of the substrate W, and the central axis P1 passing through the gas discharge port 101 intersects perpendicularly with the surface of the substrate W. On the other hand, the liquid discharge nozzle 200 is disposed obliquely in the vicinity of the gas discharge nozzle 100, and a central axis P <b> 2 passing through the liquid discharge port 201 obliquely intersects the surface of the substrate W. Then, the intersection of the central axes P1 and P2 intersects with each other at a collision site G which is a mixed region of liquid and gas.

The body 7b of the cleaning nozzle 7 is formed in a columnar shape, and an umbrella portion 7c is formed in which the outer peripheral edge of the discharge surface 7a protrudes downward. On the upper surface 7d of the umbrella portion 7c, the gas discharge nozzle 10 is arranged so that the gas discharge port 101 is disposed.
0 is arranged, and the liquid ejection nozzle 200 is arranged so that the liquid ejection port 201 is arranged in the middle of the head portion 7c.
The body 7b is integrally formed of a fluorine resin such as Teflon (registered trademark).

Next, when the cleaning nozzle 7 generates the cleaning liquid in the form of spray droplets, the incident angle α of the central axes P1 and P2 at the collision site G slightly differs depending on the flow rate and the flow velocity of each fluid. A range from 0 degree to 110 degree is preferable. Here, if each incident angle α is 0 degrees, the discharge of air and pure water is in a parallel state, but droplets can be generated by discharging one jet into the other jet. This aspect will be described in detail in a second embodiment described later. However,
When the incident angle α is larger than 110 degrees, the collision between pure water and air is close to a head-on collision, and it has been confirmed that the droplet scatters not in one direction but in all directions. That is, when cleaning the surface of the substrate W, the number of droplets directed to the surface of the substrate W is reduced, and good cleaning cannot be performed. Therefore, when the incident angle α is 0 degree or more, 110
By setting the temperature within the range, the spray liquid can be directed in one direction.

Further, the collision portion G
Is preferably greater than 0 mm and not more than 20 mm as a distance at which the pressure of the liquid water jet is attenuated and the flow does not collapse.

The collision site G is located at the same position as the discharge surface 7 a of the cleaning nozzle 7 or slightly on the front surface side of the substrate W.
By doing so, external effects can be prevented by the umbrella portion 7c at the collision site G, and pure water and air can be mixed. Further, the umbrella portion 7 is not approached to the upper surface portion 7d.
It is possible to prevent spray-like droplets from adhering to the inner surface of the c and dropping. The distance between the collision site G and the surface of the substrate W may be any distance according to the desired cleaning ability, and is usually set to 100 mm or less, preferably about 3 to 30 mm.

With the above configuration, the electropneumatic regulator 17
When a and 17b are opened by the signal of the controller 20 and air and pure water are supplied from the gas discharge port 101 and the liquid discharge port 201, pure water is mixed into the jet of the jetting air to cause the jet structure to collapse. This promotes droplet formation. Then, the surface of the substrate W is cleaned with the spray liquid.

Next, the cleaning operation performed by the substrate cleaning apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, a cleaning program corresponding to a predetermined substrate W is selected from the instruction unit 30 and executed. Then, the scattering prevention cup 9 is lowered with respect to the spin chuck 1, and the substrate W is carried into the substrate cleaning apparatus by a hand of a substrate transfer robot (not shown) while the cleaning nozzle 7 is located at the standby position. It is placed and held on the upper surface of the spin chuck 1. Then, the scattering prevention cup 9 is raised, and the cleaning nozzle 7 is moved to the cleaning start position. Next, the spin chuck 1 holding the substrate W is rotated, and the substrate W is rotated in the rotational direction about the rotation center Pa (substrate rotating step).

Next, while rotating the substrate W at a low speed at a constant speed, the cleaning nozzle 7 moves from the cleaning liquid supply start position K through the rotation center Pa to the supply end position F as shown in FIG. Cleaning liquid supply step). The rotation speed of the spin chuck 1 is preferably from about 10 rpm to about 1000 rpm.

At this time, a control signal is sent from the controller 20 to each of the electropneumatic regulators 17a and 17b, and the pressure of the air and the pure water is appropriately adjusted so as to form droplets at the collision site G. At the same time, each of the pressure sensors 18a, 18b
And the results detected from the flow sensors 19a and 19b are sequentially fed back to the controller 20. That is,
The air supplied from the compressed air supply unit 21 is conveyed from the pipe 15a, and at the same time, pure water is supplied from the pure water supply unit 25 to the pipe 15a.
b.

At this time, the gas discharge port 101 of the cleaning nozzle 7
From the liquid discharge port 201 after a lapse of a predetermined time. By doing so, the pure water supplied to the collision site G is formed into droplets and simultaneously mixed with the supplied air. As a result, pure water collides with air from the beginning of discharge, and droplets generated are sprayed,
It is possible to eliminate waste caused by collision with the surface of the substrate W while maintaining the liquid flow. This droplet is directly supplied to the substrate W as it is.

Here, the jetting speed of the spray cleaning liquid can be set by adjusting the flow rates and the flow rates of pure water and air, which are maintained independently of each other. In this control, since air and pure water do not interfere with each other, desired droplets can be obtained by controlling the flow rate and flow rate of the liquid or gas as desired. Then, fine particles on the substrate surface can be sufficiently removed.

Next, the rotation of the substrate W by the spin chuck 1 is stopped. Finally, when the cleaning nozzle 7 reaches the supply end position F, a control signal from the controller 20 is sent to the electropneumatic regulators 17a and 17b to stop the supply of each supply, and the cleaning nozzle 7 is moved to the standby position 13. Be transported. When the cleaning is stopped, the cleaning nozzle 7 stops discharging pure water and then stops discharging air. As a result, after cleaning the surface of the substrate W with the spray-like cleaning liquid,
The waste that the liquid flow collides with the surface of the substrate W can be eliminated.

Then, the substrate W is rotated at a high speed so that the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the substrate W is scattered, and the surface of the substrate W is shake-dried to complete a series of operations (drying step). Finally, the substrate W is unloaded from the spin chuck 1 by a hand of a substrate transport robot (not shown), and one substrate W
Is completed in the substrate processing apparatus. After that, the substrates W are stored in a cassette that can store a plurality of substrates W.

As described above, according to the present invention, the substrate surface is cleaned with the cleaning liquid of the droplet generated by mixing the gas and the liquid in the air. At that time, the cleaning liquid of the droplet is generated after being discharged from the gas discharging means and the liquid discharging means. For this reason, the flow rates and the flow rates of the liquid and the gas are maintained independent of each other. Then, the discharged liquid and gas are mixed in the air, and as a result, become a droplet. Therefore, when the cleaning liquid for the droplets is generated, desired droplets can be obtained without interference between the flows. Therefore, fine particles on the substrate surface can be sufficiently removed, and the cleaning power on the substrate surface can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the central axis P1 passing through the gas discharge port 101 of the cleaning nozzle 7 is arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate W, but is arranged so as to be inclined. Is also good.

While the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can also be applied to the mixing of a liquid and a gas in other forms. <Second Embodiment> FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another configuration of a cleaning nozzle according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the side of the apparatus. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. Other configurations of the cleaning device using the cleaning nozzle of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The cleaning nozzle 71 has a body 71b into which a gas discharge nozzle 100 having a gas discharge port 101 therein is inserted. Then, the upper surface portion 7 of the umbrella portion 71c of the cleaning nozzle 7
At 1d, a gas discharge port 101 is arranged. Umbrella part 71c
The liquid ejection nozzle 300 is arranged at the lower end of the nozzle.

The liquid discharge nozzle 300 is disposed horizontally on the discharge surface 7a, and its tip is below the gas discharge port 101.
It is arranged to extend into a jet of air. Then, the tip is bent downward, and the liquid ejection port 301 is arranged so as to face the surface of the substrate W. Further, the central axis P1 passing through the gas discharge port 101 intersects perpendicularly with the surface of the substrate W, and also coincides with the central axis passing through the liquid discharge port 301. Then, in the immediate vicinity of the discharge direction of the liquid discharge port 301, the discharged pure water is rapidly turned into droplets by the jet of the surrounding air, so that G1 in the figure corresponds to the collision area where the liquid and gas are mixed. Become. That is, in the second embodiment, the incident angle between the central axis P1 and the central axis passing through the liquid ejection port 301 is set to 0 degree.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, by discharging pure water in a jet of air, droplets are immediately generated. Further, since the droplets are generated in the jet, the scattering of the droplets is small, and the cleaning effect is improved. In the second embodiment, it is only necessary to discharge one jet during one jet, and the respective central axes of the liquid discharge port 301 and the gas discharge port 101 do not necessarily have to coincide with each other. That is, the discharge port in the jet may be slightly inclined as long as the other jet can be discharged in one jet.

<Third Embodiment> FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a cleaning nozzle according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the side of the apparatus. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. This third
The other configuration of the cleaning apparatus using the cleaning nozzle of the embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The cleaning nozzle 81 is inserted with a liquid discharge nozzle 400 having a liquid discharge port 401 inside the body portion 81b. Then, the upper surface portion 8 of the umbrella portion 81c of the cleaning nozzle 81
1d, a liquid ejection port 401 is arranged. The gas discharge nozzle 500 defines a ring-shaped gas passage surrounding the liquid discharge nozzle 400. The distal end of the gas discharge nozzle 500 is tapered to have a tapered shape.
Facing the surface. The discharge trajectory of the gas from the gas discharge port 501 intersects the discharge trajectory of the pure water from the liquid discharge port 401. The liquid (pure water) flow from the liquid discharge port 401 collides with the gas flow at the collision site G2 in the mixing area. The gas flow is discharged so as to converge on the collision site G2. This mixed area is a space at the lower end of the body 81b. For this reason, the pure water is immediately turned into droplets by the gas colliding with the pure water immediately in the discharge direction of the pure water from the liquid discharge port 401.

That is, in the nozzle of the third embodiment,
The gas is discharged so as to surround the liquid flow of the discharged pure water, and the pure water and the gas collide and are mixed. The resulting droplet is
A limited area on the surface of the substrate W is cleaned in a uniformly distributed state. When the nozzle 81 scans the surface of the substrate W, the entire surface of the substrate W is cleaned with a mixture of gas and pure water. In this embodiment, the liquid discharge port 401 and the gas discharge port 501 do not need to be flush with each other on the upper surface portion 81d of the cleaning nozzle 81, and either one may protrude.

As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be embodied in other forms. (1) In this embodiment described above, air is supplied from the pipe 15a and pure water is supplied from the pipe 15b.
Alternatively, pure water may be supplied from a, and air may be supplied from the pipe 15b.

(2) Further, in the above-described embodiment, the gas supplied from the pipe 15a is only air, but a gas mixture of air and a gas contributing to the cleaning degree or a gas merely contributing to the cleaning degree For example, only ozone gas, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen may be supplied.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the soft type substrate cleaning apparatus supplies the cleaning liquid of the droplets from the cleaning nozzle 7, but the cleaning nozzle 7 and the hard type brush may be used in combination.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 7 oscillates only once in one direction in the surface of the substrate W for supplying the cleaning liquid. It may be.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, the spin chuck 1 is a pin-hold type spin chuck that rotates while rotating the peripheral portion of the substrate W with pins below and at the end face. A suction-type spin chuck that sucks and holds the lower surface may be used.

(6) Alternatively, the spin chuck 1 contacts the end surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate W while the rotation center Pa of the substrate W
Such as at least three roller pins that rotate about an axis parallel to. The spin chuck using the roller pins is particularly effective when cleaning both surfaces of the substrate W. If the cleaning nozzle 7 is disposed at a position sandwiching the substrate W, the entire area on both surfaces of the substrate W can be cleaned well.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the semiconductor wafer is cleaned as the substrate W is described.
The present invention can be widely applied to cleaning of a P (Plasma Display Panel) substrate, or other various substrates such as a glass substrate or a ceramic substrate for a magnetic disk. Further, as for the shape of the substrate, the present invention can be applied not only to the circular substrate of the above-described embodiment but also to a square or rectangular square substrate.

In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims.

[0077]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By mixing the gas and the liquid in the air outside the cleaning nozzle, a desired droplet flow can be obtained without mutual interference of the flows. Therefore, a desired liquid droplet can be obtained, and there is an effect that fine particles on the substrate surface can be sufficiently removed, and the detergency of the substrate surface can be improved. Furthermore, dust repellency such as dust can be prevented as compared with the case where mixing is performed inside the nozzle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a cleaning nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a configuration of a cleaning nozzle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a cleaning nozzle according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional cleaning device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a conventional cleaning nozzle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Spin chuck 7, 71, 81 Cleaning nozzle 15a-15d Piping 17a, 17b Electropneumatic regulator 18a, 18b Pressure sensor 19a, 19b Flow rate sensor 20 Controller 21 Compressed air supply unit 25 Pure water supply unit G, G1 Collision site W substrate 100 , 500 gas discharge nozzles 101, 501 gas discharge ports 200, 300, 400 liquid discharge nozzles 201, 301, 401 liquid discharge ports

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G11B 5/84 G11B 5/84 Z (72) Inventor Shuichi Yasuda 4 (72) Inventor Kenya Morinishi Kenya Morinishi 4-chome Tenjin Kitamachi 1-1-1 Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Term (reference) 2H088 FA21 FA30 HA01 MA20 2H090 JB02 JB04 JC19 5D112 AA02 AA24 BA03 BA04 BA09 GA08

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a liquid discharging unit that discharges a liquid; and a gas discharging unit that discharges a gas in proximity to the liquid discharging unit, wherein a liquid discharged from the liquid discharging unit is provided. A substrate cleaning apparatus, wherein the cleaning is performed by mixing the air with the gas discharged from the gas discharging means in the air, and causing the cleaning liquid of the generated droplets to collide with the substrate surface. 2. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by placing the liquid discharged from the liquid discharging unit and the gas discharged from the gas discharging unit in the air. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that the substrate is cleaned by collision. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by discharging one of the discharged liquid and the gas in a jet flow into the air. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 4. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge unit includes a liquid supply unit, and a liquid discharge port that discharges a liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit. The discharge unit includes a gas supply unit and a gas discharge port that discharges the gas supplied by the gas supply unit, at an intersection of a central axis passing through the liquid discharge port and a central axis passing through the gas discharge port. An angle between the axes ranges from 0 degree to 110 degrees. 5. A substrate cleaning apparatus, comprising: a nozzle provided with a liquid discharge port for discharging a liquid supplied from a liquid supply means, and a gas discharge port for discharging a gas supplied from a gas supply means, Immediately after the liquid discharge port, the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port is discharged from the gas discharge port to mix gas, and the cleaning liquid of the droplet generated by mixing the liquid and the gas is caused to collide with the substrate surface. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized by performing cleaning by: 6. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by mixing the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port and the gas discharged from the gas discharge port in the air. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that the substrate is cleaned by collision. 7. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mixing of the liquid and the gas is performed by discharging one of the discharged liquid and the gas in a jet flow into the air. A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 8. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an angle formed by each axis at an intersection of a central axis passing through the liquid ejection port and a central axis passing through the gas ejection port is 0 degree or more. A substrate cleaning apparatus, wherein the temperature is within a range of 110 degrees or less. 9. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas supply unit is operated to start gas discharge, and after a predetermined time, the liquid supply unit is operated to discharge liquid. Control means for controlling to start the substrate cleaning. 10. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation of the liquid supply unit is stopped, and after a predetermined time,
Control means for controlling the gas supply means to stop its operation. 11. A substrate cleaning method, comprising cleaning a substrate using the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.