JP2006245221A - Single-side processing apparatus for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a single-side processing apparatus for substrate which has a simple structure enough to prevent a processing liquid from filtrating into the non-processing surface of a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The single-side processing apparatus 20 processes a single side 21a of a substrate 21 having a flat plate shape. The apparatus is provided with a plurality of conveyance rollers 22 to convey the substrate 21 which is placed in freely rotatable manner and of which single side 21a is in contact with the outer circumference surface, and a processing liquid supply means 23 for supplying a processing liquid for the substrate 21 to the inside of the conveyance roller 22. The conveyance roller 22 discharges the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply means 23 to its outer circumference surface from its inside, so that the single surface 21a of the substrate 21 is processed by the discharged processing liquid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate such as a silicon wafer or glass.

  For example, in the manufacturing process of an electronic device, chemical surface treatment for a substrate which is a member constituting the device is frequently used. The chemical surface treatment for the substrate can be divided into a dry process using a reactive gas and a wet process using a chemical chemical. From the viewpoint of the number of processing substrates and the processing surface of the substrate, batch processing in which a plurality of flat substrates are simultaneously immersed in the processing liquid to process the entire surface, or only one surface of the flat substrate is in contact with the processing liquid for processing. Divided into single wafer processing.

  In recent years, single-wafer processing for processing only one side of a substrate has been frequently used due to demands for process shortening and cost reduction. The process of processing only one surface of a substrate having a flat shape is used for, for example, cleaning, removal of a surface-affected layer, thinning, processing of a surface shape, etc. for glass substrates, silicon wafers, and the like.

  Normally, when chemical treatment is applied to only one side, a masking tape that is resistant to the treatment liquid is applied to the side that does not require treatment or the surface to be protected, or a resin protective film such as wax or resist is formed. A method of immersing in a liquid is employed. However, such a method requires a masking tape or a resin protective film forming step, a peeling step after the surface treatment, and a cleaning step depending on the state after peeling. There is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases because extra material costs such as the material and the stripping treatment liquid are required.

  On the other hand, in the dry process using a reactive gas, the substrate is placed in close contact with the substrate stage, and the processing gas hardly reaches the back side that is in close contact with the substrate stage. It is easy to carry out only the processing. However, as compared with the wet process, the dry process apparatus has a problem that the equipment cost is high and the material gas cost is high because the equipment such as the vacuum exhaust system and the gas supply system is large. Also, in the dry process, it is difficult for the reactive gas to reach the back surface, and if it is not allowed to slightly wrap around the back surface, add a special back surface wrap prevention mechanism or provide a protective mask. There is a problem that it is necessary to form.

  As a conventional technique for solving such a problem, an apparatus is proposed in which an etching solution is brought into contact with only one surface of a semiconductor wafer placed on top of an etching processing container filled with an etching solution as a processing solution. (See Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a conventional single-sided etching apparatus 1. A conventional single-sided etching apparatus 1 includes an etching processing container 3 on which a semiconductor wafer 2 is placed and filled with an etching liquid, and an etching liquid supply container 4 that is communicated with the etching processing container 3 and supplied with the etching liquid. And a liquid level detecting means 5 for detecting the liquid level of the etching liquid supply container 4 and the height of the liquid level detected by the liquid level detecting means 5 is controlled so that the etching liquid contacts one side of the semiconductor wafer 2. And an etchant supply control means 6.

  According to this single-sided etching apparatus 1, processing can be performed by bringing the etching solution into contact with only one side of the semiconductor wafer 2. However, since the semiconductor wafer 2 is placed on the etching processing container 3, There is a problem that the entire surface cannot be etched. In Patent Document 1, in order to solve such a problem, a modified etching processing container 7 having a shape that is widened outward so that a portion on which the semiconductor wafer 2 is placed has an inverted trapezoidal shape is formed. 2 is fitted into the modified etching container 7 so that the entire surface of one side is etched.

  However, if the semiconductor wafer 2 is inserted into the modified etching processing vessel 7 and etched, the end surface of the semiconductor wafer 2 may be immersed in the etching solution, and the etching solution may be rippled and exist in each semiconductor wafer 2. There is a problem that the surface opposite to one surface of the semiconductor wafer 2 is also immersed in the etching solution due to the influence of warping or the like.

  As another conventional technique, a method has been proposed in which an etching solution is blown from below the surface of the etching solution to raise the liquid level, and one surface of the semiconductor wafer is brought into contact with the raised portion of the liquid level (Patent Document 2). reference).

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a single-sided etching apparatus 10 according to another prior art. The single-sided etching apparatus 10 includes an etching tank 11 formed in a double tank of an inner tank 11a and an outer tank 11b for containing an etching solution, a blowout nozzle 12 provided at the center of the bottom plate of the inner tank 11a, and a semiconductor wafer 13 And a wafer holding jig 14 for holding the wafer.

  As described above, in the single-sided etching apparatus 10, the semiconductor wafer 13 is held by the wafer holding jig 14 and is brought close to the liquid level of the etching liquid stored in the inner tank 11 a, and the etching liquid is blown from below the liquid level of the etching liquid. Then, the liquid level is raised, and the single side etching is performed so that the semiconductor wafer 13 is brought into contact with the raised part of the liquid level.

  However, in another conventional technique, the spray gas of the etching solution touches and wets the wafer holding jig 14 on the opposite side of the processing surface, and wraps around the end portion of the semiconductor wafer 13 to cause the end portion to be wet. There is a problem of etching. Further, when a new processing semiconductor wafer 13 is held by the wafer holding jig 14, the etching solution is dropped from the end of the wafer holding jig 14 wetted with the spray gas, whereby the wafer holding jig 14 of the semiconductor wafer 13. There is a risk that the holding boundary due to the above will be attacked by the etching solution.

  As seen in a polycrystalline silicon wafer used as a solar cell substrate, the thickness of the polycrystalline silicon wafer is being reduced from, for example, 300 μm to 200 μm due to the tightness of the supplied silicon material and the demand for cost reduction. Further progress in thinning is expected. In such a method of immersing only one side of the thinned wafer in the etching solution, it is not possible to avoid the introduction of the etching solution due to infiltration from the end surface of the wafer to the non-processed surface on the opposite side of the one side.

  In addition, as the required quality for single-sided etched wafers becomes higher, the ratio of wafers that do not allow the etching solution to flow into the non-processed surface in the single-sided etching process also increases, preventing the introduction of the etching solution and increasing the level of There is a demand for enabling single-sided etching with high quality and stability.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-195051 JP 2001-15476 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate that prevents the processing liquid from flowing into the non-processing surface of the substrate with a simple configuration and enables single-sided processing of the substrate with high quality and stability. It is.

The present invention relates to a single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate for processing one side which is one surface of a substrate having a flat plate shape.
A plurality of transport rollers provided rotatably, and transport rollers for transporting a substrate placed so that one surface thereof contacts the outer peripheral surface;
Processing liquid supply means for supplying a processing liquid for processing the substrate to the inside of the transport roller,
The transport roller
A substrate single-sided processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply unit from the inside of a transport roller to an outer peripheral surface, and processes one side of the substrate transported by the discharged processing liquid.

In the present invention, the transport roller includes a liquid supply roller that does not rotate, and a processing roller that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller to transport the substrate and process one side of the substrate by rotating. ,
The processing liquid supply means supplies the processing liquid to the inside of the liquid supply roller, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing roller through the liquid supply roller, and the supplied processing liquid is discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller through the processing roller. It is characterized by being.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the processing roller is formed so that a plurality of processing liquid discharge holes penetrates in the radial direction.

In the invention, it is preferable that the processing roller is made of a porous body or a fibrous body.
Further, the invention is characterized in that the liquid supply roller is formed so as not to supply the processing liquid to the top of the liquid supply roller which is the uppermost part in the vertical direction.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that a liquid receiving tank for receiving a processing liquid that is detached from the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller and falls is provided below the transport roller in the vertical direction.

  In the invention, it is preferable that the transport roller is provided so that a part of the transport roller is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the liquid receiving tank.

The present invention also includes a substrate detection sensor that detects a substrate conveyed by the conveyance roller;
Air blowing means for blowing gas toward the substrate to be conveyed;
And a control means for controlling the operation of the blower means in accordance with the detection output of the substrate detection sensor.

In the present invention, the control means includes
When the substrate detection sensor detects that a substrate is present at the top of the transport roller, which is the top of the transport roller in the vertical direction, the blowing means blows gas toward the substrate, and there is no substrate at the top of the transport roller. When the substrate detection sensor detects this, the operation of the blowing means is controlled so as to stop the blowing means from blowing the gas toward the substrate.

  According to the present invention, the transport roller that is rotatably provided and transports the substrate discharges the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit from the inside of the transport roller to the outer peripheral surface, and is transported by the discharged processing liquid. Since one side of the substrate to be processed is processed, it is possible to reliably prevent the processing liquid from flowing into the non-processed surface of the substrate, and to process only one side of the substrate stably with high quality.

  In addition, since only the necessary processing liquid for substrate processing can be supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller in the required amount, there is no need to install a processing liquid tank, greatly reducing the amount of processing liquid used. And miniaturization of the apparatus can be realized.

  According to the invention, the conveying roller includes a liquid supply roller that does not rotate, and a processing roller that rotates on the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller, and the processing liquid supply means is disposed inside the liquid supply roller. Is supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller from the liquid supply roller through the processing roller, so that the amount of processing liquid required for the processing is uniform and uniform on the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller. Stable supply.

  According to the invention, the processing roller is formed so that the plurality of processing liquid discharge holes penetrate in the radial direction, or is made of a porous body or a fibrous body. The outer peripheral surface of the substrate is uniformly wet over the entire surface, and the processing on one side of the substrate in contact with the transport roller is also performed uniformly.

  Further, according to the present invention, the liquid supply roller is formed so as not to supply the processing liquid to the top of the liquid supply roller, which is the uppermost part in the vertical direction. The amount of can be reduced. The substrate to be transported contacts the substrate at the top of the rotating transport roller, but when the end surface of the substrate passes through the top of the transport roller, there is no excess processing liquid at the top of the transport roller. Can be reliably prevented from entering the non-treated surface.

  Further, according to the present invention, a liquid receiving tank for receiving the processing liquid that falls off the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller is provided below the transport roller in the vertical direction. Therefore, a liquid tank for storing the recovered processing liquid is provided. Compared with providing, it can be set as a structure simple and less burdensome in cost.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the transport roller is provided so that a part thereof is immersed in the processing liquid stored in the liquid receiving tank, the uniform wetting of the processing liquid discharged onto the surface of the transport roller is further ensured. At the same time, the surface of the transport roller to be immersed can be refreshed.

  According to the invention, the substrate detection sensor for detecting the substrate conveyed by the conveyance roller, the blowing unit for blowing gas toward the substrate to be conveyed, and the operation of the blowing unit according to the detection output of the substrate detection sensor Therefore, it is possible to blow and blow air on the surface of the substrate passing over the transport roller. As a result, even if there is a slight warpage of the substrate, an irregularity in the level of the transport roller, etc., the substrate can be brought into close contact with the top of the rotating transport roller by the effect of pressing the substrate against the transport roller by blowing air. In addition to improving the processing efficiency on the conveying roller, stable conveyance becomes possible.

  Further, according to the present invention, when a substrate is present at the top of the transport roller, gas is blown toward the substrate, and when no substrate is present at the top of the transport roller, control is performed so as to stop the gas spray on the substrate. The means controls the operation of the blowing means. As a result, air can be prevented from being blown in the absence of the substrate, so that drying of the surface of the conveying roller due to vaporization of the processing liquid on the surface of the conveying roller is prevented, and wetting of the processing liquid on the surface of the conveying roller is ensured. And can contribute to reducing the burden on the exhaust system in the apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a substrate single-sided processing apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a transport roller 22 provided in the substrate single-sided processing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the transport roller 22 provided in the single-sided substrate processing apparatus 20 shown in FIG.

A substrate single-sided processing apparatus (hereinafter abbreviated as a single-sided processing apparatus) 20 is used to process a single-sided surface 21a which is one surface of a substrate 21 having a flat plate shape. Examples of the substrate 21 to be processed on one side include a silicon wafer and glass. In addition, examples of the single-side treatment include cleaning, removal of a surface altered layer by etching, thinning, surface shape processing, and the like. Any one of the above surface treatments is performed by selecting the type of treatment liquid shown below. be able to. The treatment liquid includes pure water, a mixed liquid of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO ₃ ) (may include water, acetic acid, etc.), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, potassium hydroxide ( KOH) solution, hydrofluoric acid (HF), buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF) and the like.

  The single-sided processing apparatus 20 is a plurality of conveyance rollers 22 provided rotatably, and conveys the substrate 21 and the conveyance roller 22 that conveys the substrate 21 placed so that the single-sided surface 21a contacts the outer peripheral surface. Processing liquid supply means 23 for supplying the processing liquid to the inside of the transport roller 22, and a liquid receiving tank 24 provided below the transport roller 22 in the vertical direction and receiving the processing liquid falling off the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22. A substrate detection sensor 25 that detects the substrate 21 that is transported by the transport roller 22, a blower unit 26 that blows gas toward the transported substrate 21, and a blower unit 26 according to the detection output of the substrate detection sensor 25. And a control means 27 for controlling the operation.

  The conveyance roller 22 is a liquid supply roller 31 that does not rotate, and a processing roller 32 that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller 31 and rotates to convey the substrate 21 and process one side 21 a of the substrate 21. It is comprised including.

  The liquid supply roller 31 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is formed of a material having resistance to the processing liquid, such as a metal material, vinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, or acrylic. A treatment liquid supply hole 33 is formed in the liquid supply roller 31 so as to pass through the center of the liquid supply roller 31 in the axial direction, and is connected to the treatment liquid supply hole 33 so as to be radially arranged at an equal angle and extend in the radial direction. A treatment liquid distribution groove 35 is formed so that the relay supply hole 34 is expanded in the circumferential direction at a portion where the hole 34 is formed and the relay supply hole 34 is opened on the outer peripheral surface of the roller.

  A pipe sealing member 36 is attached to one end of the liquid supply roller 31, and one end of a processing liquid supply pipe 38 included in the processing liquid supply means 23 is connected to the other end via a pipe joint 37. Is connected. The other end of the processing liquid supply pipe 38 is connected to a processing liquid supply source 39. The processing liquid supply source 39 includes, for example, a processing liquid tank and a pressure feed pump, and supplies the processing liquid to the processing liquid supply hole 33 of the liquid supply roller 31 through the processing liquid supply pipe 38. The processing liquid supply source 39 and the processing liquid supply pipe 38 constitute the processing liquid supply means 23.

  The processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source 39 to the processing liquid supply hole 33 flows through the processing liquid supply hole 33 from the other end portion to the one end portion in the axial direction of the liquid supply roller 31 and to the relay supply hole 34. Inflow, and further reaches the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller 31 from the processing liquid distribution groove 35.

  The processing roller 32 has a cylindrical shape, and is formed of a material having resistance to the processing liquid and excellent wettability to the liquid, such as a metal material, vinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, and acrylic. In the processing roller 32, a plurality of processing liquid discharge holes 40 penetrating in the radial direction from the inner surface to the outer surface of the cylinder are formed. The plurality of processing liquid discharge holes 40 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller 32 so as to be arranged in a staggered manner. The processing roller 32 is fitted on the outer periphery of the liquid supply roller 31, and the processing liquid is supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller 31 from the processing liquid distribution groove 35. The processing liquid is supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller 31 through the processing liquid supply hole 33, the relay supply hole 34, and the processing liquid distribution groove 35, and passes through the processing liquid discharge hole 40 to the processing roller 32. It is discharged on the outer surface. As a result, an appropriate amount of processing liquid is supplied so as to wet the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller 32 substantially uniformly.

  Roller side plates 41 are attached to both ends of the processing roller 32, respectively. The roller side plate 41 is provided with a bearing (not shown) inside, and the processing roller 32 is rotatably attached to the liquid supply roller 31 by the bearing. The processing roller 32 is connected to an electric motor via a driving means (not shown), for example, a pulley, and is rotationally driven in the direction of an arrow 42 (clockwise toward the paper surface of FIG. 1). The processing rollers 32 of the transport roller 22 may be individually driven to rotate by a driving means, and one is rotationally driven, and the other is connected to the rotationally driven processing roller 32 by an endless belt or the like so as to be driven to rotate. It may be configured. Regardless of the configuration, the processing roller 32 of the transport roller 22 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow 42, so that the substrate 21 is transported in the direction of the arrow 43 (the direction from the left toward the right in FIG. 1). Is done.

  In such a transport roller 22, the processing liquid passes through the transport roller 22 and is discharged from the processing liquid discharge hole 40 to the outer peripheral surface to uniformly wet the outer peripheral surface, and rotates in the direction of the arrow 42 to move the substrate 21. It is conveyed in the direction of the mark 43. In the course of this transport, the one surface 21a of the substrate 21 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22, so that the one surface 21a of the substrate 21 is wetted by the processing liquid that wets the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22, for example, one-side processing such as etching is performed. Will be made.

  At this time, the processing liquid discharged to the outer peripheral surface through the processing liquid discharge hole 40 of the transport roller 22 causes uniform wetting on the entire outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22, so that the processing liquid is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22. In this case, there is no local excitement, and there is no excessive retention. Therefore, even when the end surface of the substrate 21 to be conveyed passes through the top, which is the uppermost portion in the vertical direction of the conveying roller 22 while being in contact with the conveying roller 22, the surface 21b opposite to the one surface 21a (non-processing for convenience). It is possible to prevent the processing liquid from entering the surface 21b), and to perform single-sided processing of the substrate 21 with high quality and stability. The amount of the substrate 21 to be processed, such as etching, is determined by the rotational speed of the transport roller 22 and the number of the transport rollers 22 arranged.

  In the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the above-described substrate detection sensor 25, the air blowing means 26, and the control means are used in order to more reliably prevent the processing liquid from flowing into the non-processing surface 21b and to ensure the conveyance. 27 is provided.

  The substrate detection sensor 25 is, for example, a laser detection sensor or the like, and is provided for each conveyance roller 22 so as to irradiate the laser toward the top of the conveyance roller 22 above the conveyance roller 22. When the substrate 21 exists on the top of the transport roller 22, the laser emitted from the substrate detection sensor 25 to the top of the transport roller 22 detects the reflected light reflected by the non-processing surface 21 b and the presence of the substrate 21. Is detected. On the other hand, when the substrate 21 passes through the top of the transport roller 22 and the substrate 21 does not exist at the top, the laser emitted from the substrate detection sensor 25 to the top of the transport roller 22 Since it is scattered by the outer peripheral surface and the processing liquid on the outer peripheral surface, the reflected light is not sufficiently detected, and it is detected that the substrate 21 is not present. The detection output from the substrate detection sensor 25 is input to the control means 27.

  The blower means 26 is a blowing nozzle 44 provided for each conveying roller 22 so as to blow a gas above the conveying roller 22 toward the top of the conveying roller 22, and an air supply connected to each blowing nozzle 44. The piping 45 and the gas supply source 46 which supplies gas to the spray nozzle 44 via the air supply piping 45 are comprised. The spray nozzle 44 is a slit-like nozzle that extends in the axial direction of the transport roller 22. The gas supply source 46 is realized by an air compressor or high-pressure gas equipment, and the gas supply operation is controlled by the control means 27.

  The control means 27 is a processing circuit realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or the like, includes a memory (not shown), and executes the next operation control according to an operation control program stored in advance in the memory. When the substrate detection sensor 25 detects that the substrate 21 is present at the top of the transport roller 22, the control unit 27 blows gas toward the substrate 21 and the substrate is applied to the top of the transport roller 22. When the substrate detection sensor 25 detects that 21 is not present, the operation of the blowing unit 26 is controlled so that the blowing unit 26 stops blowing gas toward the substrate 21.

  In the single-sided processing device 20, the shafts of the plurality of transport rollers 22 are all located on the same plane by design, but there are problems such as the outer peripheral runout accuracy of the transport rollers 22. It is practically difficult for the substrate 21 to be formed to form a complete coplanar pass line. That is, when the substrate 21 to be transported is supported by, for example, three transport rollers 22, the substrate 21 is not in contact with all of the transport rollers 22, and for example, the top of one transport roller 22 is not touched. The phenomenon of not touching may occur. In such a case, the substrate 21 on the transport roller 22 is pressed against the transport roller 22 from the non-processing surface 21b side by blowing the gas from the spray nozzle 44 of the blowing unit 26 toward the top of the transport roller 22. Therefore, the substrate 21 bends toward the transport roller 22 and the adhesion between the substrate 21 and the transport roller 22 is ensured.

  For example, when a polycrystalline silicon wafer substrate having a size of 125 mm square or 155 mm square is exemplified, when a load is applied to the central portion while supporting both ends of the substrate, it can withstand bending of several mm to several tens of mm. In the single-sided processing device 20, it is sufficiently possible to suppress the flatness of the axis of the transport roller 22 to an accuracy of 1 mm or less, and therefore the blowing pressure is applied to the substrate 21 that can withstand bending of several mm to several tens of mm. Even if it is loaded and bent about 1 mm, there is no problem, and there is no possibility of damage such as cracks in the substrate 21. Note that it is preferable to set the gas blowing position by the blowing nozzle 44 at the top of the conveying roller 22 as described above so that an excessive stress is not generated on the substrate 21 when this blowing pressure is applied.

  By providing the air blowing means 26, the substrate 21 is brought into close contact with the top of the transport roller 22, and the substrate 21 can be transported smoothly, and one surface of the substrate 21 can be reliably in contact with the processing liquid on the top of the transport roller 22. Therefore, the single-sided processing of the substrate 21 performed in the single wafer processing can be executed with a stable quality level.

  In the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of this embodiment, the substrate detection sensor 25 provided above the transport roller 22 when the front end surface in the transport direction of the substrate 21 transported in the direction of the arrow 43 is located at the top of the transport roller 22. , The presence of the substrate 21 is detected, and the detection output is output to the control means 27. The control means 27 controls the operation of the gas supply source 46, and gas is supplied from the spray nozzle 44 above the transport roller 22 to the substrate 21. Spray.

  On the other hand, when the rear end surface in the transport direction of the substrate 21 transported in the direction of the arrow 43 passes through the top of the transport roller 22, the substrate detection sensor 25 provided above the transport roller 22 detects the passage of the substrate 21. The detection output is output to the control means 27, and the control means 27 controls the operation of the gas supply source 46 to stop the gas blowing from the blowing nozzle 44 above the conveying roller 22.

  Thus, only when the substrate 21 exists on the top of the transport roller 22, the outer periphery of the transport roller 22 wetted with the processing liquid is controlled by blowing the gas from the spray nozzle 44 above the transport roller 22. Since the time when the gas (air blow) from the spray nozzle 44 directly touches the surface is limited, volatilization of the processing liquid due to the air flow is suppressed. As a result, consumption due to volatilization of the treatment liquid can be suppressed, and the exhaust burden on the entire apparatus can be reduced. The gas blown by the blowing means 26 may be normal air, but other gases such as nitrogen gas or argon gas may be used if necessary.

  The single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the present embodiment is provided with the liquid receiving tank 24 described above. The liquid receiving tank 24 is a pan-shaped container made of a material having resistance to the processing liquid. Since the processing liquid discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the conveying roller 22 through the inside of the conveying roller 22 is continuously discharged, a part of the discharged liquid and the liquid after reacting with the substrate 21 are separated from the conveying roller 22. Then drop it downward. Although the liquid receiving tank 24 receives the dropped liquid separated from the conveying roller 22, it is collected separately in a recovery tank (not shown), so that a solid structure such as an etching tank provided in a conventional apparatus is not necessary, and simple. It can be handled with a simple structure.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the conveying roller 51 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Since the single-sided processing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the first exemplary embodiment except for the conveyance roller 51, the drawing of the overall configuration is omitted. Further, the conveyance roller 51 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus of the present embodiment is similar to the conveyance roller 22 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the first embodiment, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and described. Omitted.

  It should be noted that in the transport roller 51, the processing roller 52 is formed of a porous body or a fibrous body, and the relay ring 53 having the same structure as the processing roller 32 provided in the transport roller 22 of the first embodiment is provided with a liquid supply. It is provided between the roller 31 and the processing roller 52. Examples of the porous body include a ceramic sintered body having resistance to a processing solution. Examples of the fibrous body include fibrous graphite and Teflon (registered trademark) fiber having resistance to the treatment liquid.

  In the conveyance roller 51 in which the processing roller 52 is made of a porous or fibrous body, the processing liquid that passes through the liquid supply roller 31 and is discharged from the relay circulation hole 54 to the outer peripheral surface of the relay ring 53 infiltrates the processing roller 52. Further, the ink is discharged so as to exude on the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller 52. Although the amount of the processing liquid supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 51 in this manner is smaller than that of the transport roller 22 of the first embodiment, the uniformity of discharge with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 51 is further improved. be able to. By selecting either the transport roller 22 or the transport roller 51, various processes can be efficiently performed according to the purpose of the single-side processing.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the transport roller 61 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Since the single-sided processing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the first exemplary embodiment except for the conveyance roller 61, a drawing of the entire configuration is omitted. Further, the transport roller 61 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus of the present embodiment is similar to the transport roller 22 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the first embodiment, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and described. Omitted.

  What should be noted in the transport roller 61 is that the liquid supply roller 62 that does not rotate is formed so as not to supply the processing liquid to the top of the liquid supply roller 62 that is the uppermost part in the vertical direction. The transport roller 61 is configured not to supply the processing liquid to the top by not forming the relay supply hole 34 and the processing liquid distribution groove 35 toward the top. The region where the relay supply hole 34 and the processing liquid distribution groove 35 are not formed is not strictly limited because it is affected by the thickness of the substrate 21, the rotation speed of the transport roller 61, and the like. It is preferable that the angle α (= 5 to 30 °) in the clockwise direction and the angle α in the counterclockwise direction.

  The substrate 21 is processed by the processing liquid on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer roller 61 in the process of being transferred. When the front end of the substrate 21 in the transport direction (referred to as the front end for convenience) is in contact with the top of the transport roller 61, the lower portion of the front end contacts the processing liquid on the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 61. At this time, the amount of the processing liquid discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 61 is set so that the processing liquid does not flow over the entire front end portion of the substrate 21 or the front end portion of the substrate 21 and into the non-processing surface 21b. However, in the case of the thin substrate 21, in order to prevent the processing liquid from flowing into the non-processing surface 21b, the discharge amount must be considerably reduced, resulting in a decrease in processing speed. .

  According to the transport roller 61 of the present embodiment, the top of the liquid supply roller 62 of the transport roller 61, that is, the top 63 of the transport roller 61 where the substrate 21 to be transported first contacts the transport roller 61 and the vicinity thereof, The processing liquid is configured not to be discharged through the processing liquid discharge hole 40 of the processing roller 32. Accordingly, it is possible to surely prevent the processing liquid from entering the non-processing surface 21 b of the substrate 21 without reducing the amount of processing liquid supplied to the entire transport roller 61. The processing liquid discharged from the processing liquid distribution groove 35 of the liquid supply roller 62 formed immediately adjacent to the upstream side in the rotation direction of the processing roller 32 even when the processing liquid is not discharged at the top 63 of the transport roller 61 and the vicinity thereof. Thus, the amount of processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply hole 33 is set so that the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller 32, particularly the outer peripheral surface near the top 63, is wetted to the extent necessary for processing.

  Hereinafter, the reason for limiting the range of the angle α that defines the region where the relay supply hole 34 and the treatment liquid distribution groove 35 are not formed in the liquid supply roller 62 will be described. If the angle α is less than 5 °, a relatively large amount of the processing liquid supplied to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 61 from the relay supply hole 34 and the processing liquid distribution groove 35 formed in the immediate vicinity of the top 63 is brought to the top 63. Therefore, there is a possibility that the processing liquid cannot be sufficiently prevented from entering the non-processing surface 21b of the substrate 21. When the angle α exceeds 30 °, the distance from the top 63 becomes large even in the relay supply hole 34 and the treatment liquid distribution groove 35 formed in the immediate vicinity of the top 63, so that the relay near the top 63 is relayed. The amount of processing liquid supplied from the supply hole 34 and the processing liquid distribution groove 35 to the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 61 and brought to the top 63 is insufficient as compared with the amount necessary for processing the substrate 21. There is a risk that the speed at which it is performed decreases. Therefore, the angle α is set to 5 to 30 °.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a single-sided processing apparatus 70 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The single-sided processing device 70 of the present embodiment is similar to the single-sided processing device 20 of the first embodiment, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The single-sided processing device 70 of this embodiment is characterized in that the transport roller 22 is provided so that a part thereof is immersed in the processing liquid 71 accommodated in the liquid receiving tank 24.

  By immersing a part of the transport roller 22 in the processing liquid 71 stored in the liquid receiving tank 24, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating transport roller 22, specifically the processing roller 32, gets wet with the processing liquid 71. The processing liquid 71 stored in the liquid receiving tank 24 and wets the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller 32 acts as a processing liquid for processing the one surface 21a of the substrate 21 to be transported, and therefore is stored in the liquid receiving tank 24. The treated liquid 71 serves as a preliminary supply of the treated liquid.

  Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the processing liquid discharge load from the inside of the transport roller 22 and to reduce the number of the processing liquid discharge holes 40. Further, the processing liquid on the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22 after reacting in contact with the one surface 21 a of the substrate 21 is partially detached from the transport roller 22 and dropped, but a part of the processing liquid remains on the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller 22. To do. However, the transport roller 22 having the reaction liquid after the reaction adhered to the outer peripheral surface rotates in the direction of the arrow 42 and is immersed in the process liquid 71 in the liquid receiving tank 24. The outer peripheral surface of the conveying roller 22 is cleaned.

  As described above, according to the single-sided processing apparatus of the present invention, for example, only one side of a silicon wafer used in a semiconductor device, a solar cell or the like can be produced continuously and efficiently.

It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the board | substrate which is one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conveyance roller 22 provided in the single-sided substrate processing apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a front view of the conveyance roller 22 with which the single-sided processing apparatus 20 of the board | substrate shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the conveyance roller 51 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the conveyance roller 61 provided in the single-sided processing apparatus which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the single-sided processing apparatus 70 which is 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the single-sided etching apparatus 1 of a prior art. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the single-sided etching apparatus 10 in another prior art.

Explanation of symbols

20, 70 Single-sided processing device 21 Substrate 22, 51, 61 Transport roller 23 Processing liquid supply means 24 Liquid receiving tank 25 Substrate detection sensor 26 Blower means 27 Control means 31, 62 Liquid supply rollers 32, 52 Processing roller 33 Processing liquid supply hole 34 Relay supply hole 35 Treatment liquid distribution groove 40 Treatment liquid discharge hole 53 Relay ring 54 Relay flow hole

Claims (9)

In a single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate that processes one side of one surface of a substrate having a flat plate shape,
A plurality of transport rollers provided rotatably, a transport roller for transporting a substrate placed so that one surface thereof contacts the outer peripheral surface;
Processing liquid supply means for supplying a processing liquid for processing the substrate to the inside of the transport roller,
The transport roller
A substrate single-sided processing apparatus for discharging a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply means from the inside of a transport roller to an outer peripheral surface and processing one side of a substrate transported by the discharged processing liquid. The transport roller includes a liquid supply roller that does not rotate, and a processing roller that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the liquid supply roller and that rotates to transport the substrate and process one side of the substrate,
The processing liquid supply means supplies the processing liquid to the inside of the liquid supply roller, the processing liquid is supplied to the processing roller through the liquid supply roller, and the supplied processing liquid is discharged to the outer peripheral surface of the processing roller through the processing roller. The single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate according to claim 1, wherein:   3. The single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate according to claim 2, wherein the processing roller is formed so that a plurality of processing liquid discharge holes penetrates in the radial direction.   3. The substrate single-side processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing roller is made of a porous body or a fibrous body. The liquid supply roller
5. The single-sided substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the top surface of the liquid supply roller that is the uppermost part in the vertical direction is formed so as not to supply the processing liquid. 6. Below the transport roller in the vertical direction,
The substrate single-sided processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid receiving tank that receives the processing liquid that is detached from the outer peripheral surface of the transport roller and falls. The transport roller
The single-sided processing apparatus for a substrate according to claim 6, wherein a part of the processing liquid is provided so as to be immersed in a processing liquid stored in a liquid receiving tank. A substrate detection sensor for detecting a substrate conveyed by the conveyance roller;
Air blowing means for blowing gas toward the substrate to be conveyed;
8. The substrate single-sided processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls an operation of the blower unit in accordance with a detection output of the substrate detection sensor. The control means
When the substrate detection sensor detects that a substrate is present at the top of the transport roller, which is the top of the transport roller in the vertical direction, the blowing means blows gas toward the substrate, and there is no substrate at the top of the transport roller. 9. The single-sided substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the substrate detection sensor detects this, the operation of the blowing unit is controlled so as to stop the blowing unit from blowing the gas toward the substrate.

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