JP2008130820A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning device which minimizes variation of pushing force of a cleaning brush, promises stable cleaning ability, prevents damage on a substrate due to excess pushing force, improves through-put by reducing a cleaning time, readily changes pushing force nonstep and makes an air cylinder for brush pressurization adjustment function as a driving means for retreating of a cleaning brush when a substrate is carried in/out. <P>SOLUTION: A cleaning device 1 has unit frames 17, 25 wherein cleaning brushes 14, 24 are pivoted to rotate freely at one end side thereof and the cleaning brushes 14, 24 are retained so as to be capable of advancing and retreating to a substrate 6 by supporting a rotating shaft fixed to the other end side revolvably to a cleaning tank 2 side, a brush rotating motor which is disposed at the other end side and rotates the cleaning brushes 14, 24 through a rotation transmission means and actuators 23, 28 for brush pressurization wherein an operation force output end is connected to the unit frames 17, 25 and pushing force of the cleaning brushes 14, 24 are adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to a cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer after being processed by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) or the like.

  The wafer surface treated by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) etc. has a large amount of particles such as abrasives used, metal impurities contained in chemicals, metal ions and fine particles used for metal wiring on the wafer, etc. Adhering to Since these particles and the like adversely affect a semiconductor device or the like as a product, the polished wafer surface is cleaned. In this cleaning process, in order to enhance the cleaning effect, it is necessary to appropriately manage the pressing load of the cleaning brush on the wafer as the substrate.

  As a related art related to this, for example, the following automatic adjustment type semiconductor wafer cleaning brush device is known. In this prior art, the pressure applied to the semiconductor wafer by the upper rotating brush and the lower rotating brush depends on the thickness of the semiconductor wafer and the distance between the upper rotating brush and the lower rotating brush. For this reason, the height of the upper rotating brush is adjusted while maintaining the parallelism between the upper rotating brush and the lower rotating brush by the automatic support device, and a necessary interval is obtained between the upper rotating brush and the lower rotating brush. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  As another conventional technique, for example, the following cleaning method and apparatus are known. This prior art is a cleaning method in which a rotating wafer surface held on a stage is rubbed and cleaned with a rotating brush, the contact pressure of the brush against the wafer is detected by a piezoelectric element, and this detection information is controlled by a control unit. To send. The control unit receives the detection information and controls the drive unit so that the contact pressure becomes the set pressure. The brush is driven up and down by the drive unit, and is controlled so that the contact pressure of the brush with respect to the wafer always maintains the set pressure. The detection of the contact pressure and the maintenance control to the set pressure based on the detection result are always performed during cleaning with a brush (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Further, as another conventional technique, for example, the following substrate cleaning apparatus is known. In this prior art, a surface cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of a substrate is rotatably supported on a surface unit frame that is pivotally supported in a cleaning tank. The surface unit frame includes a surface link mechanism and A surface weight for adjusting the pressing load on the substrate surface is attached via a wire rope. A surface pressing load adjusting mechanism is constituted by the surface link mechanism and the surface weight. Further, a back surface cleaning brush for cleaning the back surface of the substrate is rotatably supported on a back surface unit frame pivotally supported in the cleaning tank, and a back surface link mechanism and a wire rope are provided on the back surface unit frame. A back surface weight for adjusting a pressing load on the back surface of the substrate is attached. A back surface pressing load adjusting mechanism is constituted by the back surface link mechanism and the back surface weight. The pressing load that the front surface cleaning brush acts on the substrate surface and the pressing load that the rear surface cleaning brush acts on the back surface of the substrate are independently adjusted by changing the weights of the front surface weight and the back surface weight. It has become so. In addition to the front surface pressing load adjusting mechanism and the back surface pressing load adjusting mechanism, the substrate cleaning apparatus includes a front surface cleaning brush retracting mechanism and a back surface cleaning for retracting the front surface cleaning brush and the back surface cleaning brush from the substrate when the substrate is carried in and out. A brush retracting mechanism is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent No. 3397525 (pages 5, 6 and 3-5). JP 59-193029 (pages 2 and 3, FIG. 1). Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-277082 (pages 5 to 8, FIGS. 1 to 5).

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the adjustment of the brush pressing force to the substrate is performed by adjusting the interval between the upper rotating brush and the lower rotating brush. For this reason, the distance between the brush and the substrate changes due to the eccentricity of the brush shaft at the time of rotating the brush, the eccentricity of the brush itself, the blur at the time of rotating the substrate, etc.

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 2, detection of the contact pressure of the brush with respect to the substrate and maintenance control to the set pressure based on the detection result are always performed during cleaning. However, it is difficult to make the control follow the brush that is rotating at a high speed during the cleaning and changing its position.

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 3, the pressing load acting on the substrate surface by the cleaning brush is adjusted by changing the weight of the weight. However, this adjustment method increases the inertia weight of the cleaning brush drive unit, and there is a problem in making the adjustment follow the cleaning brush rotating at a high speed as described above. Further, when changing the pressing load of the cleaning brush, it is necessary to replace the weight, and it takes time for the replacement. Further, in this prior art, a cleaning brush retracting mechanism is provided separately from the pressing load adjusting mechanism. This complicates the device configuration.

  Therefore, fluctuations in the pressing force of the cleaning brush during substrate cleaning can be minimized, stable cleaning performance can be expected, damage to the substrate due to excessive pressing force can be prevented, and cleaning time can be shortened to improve equipment throughput. Technology that should be solved to change the pressing force of the cleaning brush steplessly and easily, and to make the air cylinder for adjusting the brush pressure function as a drive means for retracting the cleaning brush when the substrate is carried in and out The present invention aims to solve this problem.

  The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and the invention according to claim 1 is a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the substrate by rotating a cleaning brush on the substrate rotating in the cleaning tank. A unit frame that pivotally supports the cleaning brush and rotatably supports a rotating shaft fixed to the other end side on the cleaning tank side so that the cleaning brush can move forward and backward with respect to the substrate; A brush rotation motor that is disposed on the other end side of the unit frame and rotates the cleaning brush through rotation transmission means, and an operating force output end are connected to the unit frame, and the pressing force of the cleaning brush against the substrate A cleaning device having a brush pressure adjusting actuator for adjusting the pressure is provided.

  According to this configuration, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the substrate surface while the substrate is rotated. In this state, the cleaning brush rotated by the brush rotating motor is pressed against the substrate surface with the required pressing force adjusted by the operating force from the brush pressure adjusting actuator, and the substrate surface is cleaned. During this cleaning process, the cleaning brush that is pivotally supported on the one end side of the unit frame so as to be able to advance and retract with respect to the substrate appropriately follows the movement of the substrate surface. In addition, since the brush rotating motor, which is a relatively heavy object, is disposed in the vicinity of the rotating shaft on the other end side of the unit frame, the moment around the rotating shaft can be suppressed to a small value. As a result, stable cleaning is performed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning apparatus for cleaning the substrate by rotating the cleaning brush on the substrate rotating in the cleaning tank, the upper cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of the substrate is rotatably supported at one end side. In addition, an upper unit frame having an upper rotation shaft fixed to the other end side and a lower cleaning brush for cleaning the back surface of the substrate on one end side are rotatably supported and a lower rotation shaft is provided to the other end side. A fixed lower unit frame, wherein the brush rotation motor is an upper brush rotation motor that rotates the upper cleaning brush and a lower brush rotation motor that rotates the lower cleaning brush, and the brush pressure adjustment motor The air cylinder adjusts the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate and the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate. To provide a cleaning device which is a brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.

  According to this configuration, the upper cleaning brush rotated by the upper brush rotating motor is pressed against the surface of the substrate with the required pressing force adjusted by the operating force from the air cylinder for adjusting the upper brush pressure. The surface of is cleaned. Also, the lower cleaning brush rotated by the lower brush rotating motor is pressed against the back surface of the substrate with the required pressing force adjusted by the operating force from the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder, and the back surface of the substrate is cleaned. Is done. Thus, the front and back surfaces of the substrate are cleaned by the upper cleaning brush and the lower cleaning brush. During this cleaning process, the upper cleaning brush appropriately follows the movement of the substrate surface, and the lower cleaning brush appropriately follows the movement of the back surface of the substrate.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus in which a motor housing portion is formed in a watertight manner on the other end side of the unit frame, and the brush rotation motor is disposed in the motor housing portion.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid or the like from attaching to the brush rotation motor disposed in the vicinity of the rotation shaft on the other end side of the unit frame.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus, wherein the wiring of the brush rotation motor is led out of the cleaning tank through the hollow shaft portion of the rotating shaft formed of a hollow shaft.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of disturbance due to the motor wiring when the unit frame rotates about the rotation axis.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cleaning apparatus, wherein the brush pressure adjusting actuator is a brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.

  According to this configuration, the adjustment of the pressing force of the cleaning brush with respect to the substrate is specifically performed by the air cylinder for adjusting the brush pressure.

  The invention described in claim 6 provides a cleaning device in which the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is attached to the outside of the cleaning tank through a buffering means.

  According to this configuration, the air cylinder for adjusting the pressure of the brush is attached to the external position of the cleaning tank via the buffer means such as a shock absorber or a damper. As a result, vibration generated in the cleaning apparatus main body during substrate cleaning is suppressed from reaching the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus, wherein the pressurized air for operating the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is a control output of an external pilot precision regulator operated by pilot air controlled by an electropneumatic regulator. To do.

According to this configuration, the electropneumatic regulator operates using the external electric signal as a pilot signal, and pilot air having an air pressure corresponding to the signal level of the external electric signal is output from the electropneumatic regulator. An external pilot precision regulator is operated by this pilot air, and pressurized air having an air pressure corresponding to the air pressure of the pilot air is output from the external pilot precision regulator. A brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is operated by this pressurized air, and the pressing force of the cleaning brush against the substrate is adjusted to a required pressing force steplessly by the operating force of the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus for retracting the cleaning brush from the substrate through the unit frame by an operating force of the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder when the substrate is carried in and out.

  According to this configuration, the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is also used as a retreat driving means for retracting the cleaning brush from the substrate when the substrate is carried in and out, and when the substrate is carried in and out, the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder The cleaning brush is moved to the retracted position by the operating force.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the operating force output from the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder approaches the surface of the substrate by the weight of the upper brush unit including the upper cleaning brush and the upper unit frame. The pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate is adjusted by canceling the moment around the upper rotation axis generated in the operation, and the operating force output from the lower brush pressurizing adjustment air cylinder is The lower cleaning brush and the lower brush unit including the lower unit frame cancel the moment around the lower rotation shaft generated in the direction away from the back surface of the substrate by the weight of the lower brush unit, and Provided is a cleaning device in which a pressing force is adjusted.

  According to this configuration, a moment about the upper rotation axis is generated in the upper brush unit in the direction approaching the surface of the substrate due to its own weight. The upper cleaning brush is adjusted to a required pressing force and pressed against the surface of the substrate after the moment around the upper rotation axis is canceled by the operating force from the air brush for adjusting the upper brush pressure. Further, the lower brush unit generates a moment around the lower rotation axis in the direction away from the back surface of the substrate due to its own weight. The lower cleaning brush is adjusted to a required pressing force and pressed against the back surface of the substrate after the moment around the lower rotation axis is canceled by the operating force from the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cleaning brush is rotatably supported on one end side, and a rotating shaft fixed to the other end side is rotatably supported on the cleaning tank side, and the cleaning brush is moved forward and backward with respect to the substrate. A flexible unit frame, a brush rotation motor disposed on the other end side of the unit frame and rotating the cleaning brush via a rotation transmission means, and an operating force output end connected to the unit frame; And a brush pressure adjusting actuator for adjusting the pressing force of the cleaning brush against the substrate, so that the cleaning brush appropriately follows the movement of the substrate surface during the cleaning process, thereby cleaning the substrate surface during the cleaning process. Variations in the pressing force of the brush can be minimized. Further, the moment around the rotation axis of the unit frame due to the arrangement of the brush rotation motor can be suppressed to a small value. Therefore, it is possible to expect a stable cleaning ability and prevent damage to the substrate due to excessive pressing force. Furthermore, the cleaning time can be shortened and the throughput of the apparatus can be improved. Furthermore, there is an advantage that the pressing force of the cleaning brush against the substrate surface can be easily changed steplessly by the brush pressure adjusting actuator.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning device for cleaning the substrate by rotating the cleaning brush on the substrate rotating in the cleaning tank, the upper cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of the substrate is rotatable at one end side. An upper unit frame that is pivotally supported and has an upper rotating shaft fixed to the other end side, and a lower cleaning brush that cleans the back surface of the substrate on one end side is rotatably supported and rotated downward to the other end side. A lower unit frame to which a shaft is fixed, and the brush rotation motor is an upper brush rotation motor for rotating the upper cleaning brush and a lower brush rotation motor for rotating the lower cleaning brush, The adjustment air cylinder adjusts the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate and the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate. Since the air cylinder for adjusting the pressure of the lower brush is used, the upper cleaning brush appropriately follows the movement of the substrate surface during the cleaning process, and the lower cleaning brush appropriately follows the movement of the back surface of the substrate. Variations in the pressing force of the upper and lower cleaning brushes on the front and back surfaces of the substrate can be minimized. Therefore, there is an advantage that a stable cleaning ability for both the front and back surfaces of the substrate can be expected.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, a motor housing portion is formed in a watertight manner on the other end side of the unit frame, and the brush rotation motor is disposed in the motor housing portion. There is an advantage that the cleaning liquid or the like is prevented from being attached, the rotation function for the cleaning brush can be normally generated, and the life of the brush rotation motor can be extended.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, since the wiring of the brush rotation motor is led out of the cleaning tank through the hollow shaft portion of the rotation shaft composed of a hollow shaft, the unit frame is rotated. The occurrence of disturbance due to motor wiring at the time is suppressed, and easy adjustment of the cleaning brush pressing force against the substrate surface by the brush pressure adjusting actuator is obtained. Further, there is an advantage that fluctuations in the cleaning brush pressing force with respect to the substrate surface during the cleaning process can be more reliably suppressed.

  In the invention according to claim 5, since the brush pressure adjusting actuator is a brush pressure adjusting air cylinder, the pressing force of the cleaning brush against the substrate is at a level corresponding to the air pressure of the operating pressure air. There is an advantage that the pressure can be adjusted to the required pressure steplessly by the air cylinder for pressure adjustment of the brush that outputs the operating force.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, since the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is mounted outside the cleaning tank via a buffering means, the vibration generated in the cleaning apparatus main body during substrate cleaning is a brush pressure adjusting air cylinder. There is an advantage that fluctuations in the pressing force of the cleaning brush can be more reliably suppressed.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the pressurized air for operating the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is a control output of an external pilot precision regulator operated by pilot air controlled by an electropneumatic regulator. The advantage is that the cleaning brush pressing force against the substrate surface can be easily adjusted to the required pressing force steplessly via the electropneumatic regulator, external pilot precision regulator, and brush pressure adjustment air cylinder. is there.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the substrate is carried in and out, the cleaning brush is retracted from the substrate via the unit frame by the operating force of the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder. There is an advantage that the adjustment air cylinder can also function as a retreat driving means for retreating the cleaning brush from the substrate when the substrate is carried in and out.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the operating force output from the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder approaches the surface of the substrate by the weight of the upper brush unit including the upper cleaning brush and the upper unit frame. The pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate is adjusted by canceling the moment around the upper rotation axis generated in the operation, and the operating force output from the lower brush pressurizing adjustment air cylinder is The lower cleaning brush and the lower brush unit including the lower unit frame cancel the moment around the lower rotation shaft generated in the direction away from the back surface of the substrate by the weight of the lower brush unit, and Since the pressing force is adjusted, a moment around the upper rotation axis is generated in the upper brush unit due to its own weight, and the lower brush unit Even if a moment around the lower rotation axis is generated by its own weight, the respective moments are offset by the operating force of the air brush for adjusting the upper brush pressure and the operating force of the air cylinder for adjusting the lower brush pressure. There is an advantage that the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate and the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate can be adjusted to the required pressing force, respectively.

  Minimizes fluctuations in the pressing force of the cleaning brush during substrate cleaning, so that stable cleaning performance can be expected, damage to the substrate due to excessive pressing force is prevented, cleaning time is shortened, and the throughput of the device is improved. In order to achieve the purpose of changing the pressing force of the cleaning brush steplessly and easily, and further functioning the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder as a driving means for retracting the cleaning brush when the substrate is carried in and out, In a cleaning apparatus that cleans the substrate by pressing and rotating the cleaning brush against the substrate rotating in the cleaning tank, the upper rotating shaft that pivotally supports the upper cleaning brush on one end side and is fixed on the other end side. Is supported on the cleaning tank side so that the upper cleaning brush can be moved forward and backward with respect to the surface of the substrate, and the lower cleaning brush is rotatable on one end side. A lower unit frame that pivotally supports and is rotatably supported on the cleaning tank side by a lower rotating shaft fixed to the other end side so that the lower cleaning brush can be moved back and forth with respect to the back surface of the substrate; and the upper unit An upper brush rotating motor that is disposed on the other end side of the frame and rotates the upper cleaning brush via an upper rotation transmission means, and a lower rotation transmission means that is disposed on the other end side of the lower unit frame. A lower brush rotating motor for rotating the lower cleaning brush, an operating force output end connected to the upper unit frame, and an upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder for adjusting the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate; A lower brush pressurizing adjustment air shim that is connected to the lower unit frame and that adjusts the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate. The operating force output from the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is generated in a direction approaching the surface of the substrate by the weight of the upper brush unit including the upper cleaning brush and the upper unit frame. The pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate is adjusted by canceling the moment around the upper rotation axis, and the operating force output from the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is the lower cleaning A pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate by canceling a moment around the lower rotation axis generated in a direction away from the back surface of the substrate by the weight of the lower brush unit including the brush and the lower unit frame It was realized by adjusting.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the cleaning apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the cleaning apparatus.

  First, the configuration of the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. 1 and 2, the cleaning apparatus 1 mainly supplies cleaning liquid to the front and back surfaces of the substrate 6 such as the substrate holding and rotating mechanism 3, the upper brush unit 4, the lower brush unit 5, and the semiconductor wafer in the cleaning tank 2. A cleaning liquid supply nozzle (not shown) is provided, and on the outside of the cleaning tank 2, an upper brush pressure adjusting cylinder mechanism 7 serving as an upper brush pressure adjusting actuator mechanism and a lower brush serving as a lower brush pressure adjusting actuator mechanism are disposed. A pressure adjusting cylinder mechanism 8 is provided.

  The substrate holding / rotating mechanism 3 is mainly composed of four rollers including one driving roller 9a and three holding rollers 9b to 9d. The one driving roller 9a and the three holding rollers 9b to 9d are rotatably supported on the bottom plate 2b side of the cleaning tank 2 through shaft members 10a, 10b,... And bearings 11a, 11b,. ing.

The one driving roller 9a is connected to a rotational driving means such as a motor (not shown) through a gear 12 or the like. Further, the periphery of the shaft members 10a, 10b,... Is covered with a seal member 13 to prevent the shaft members 10a, 10b,... From getting wet with the cleaning liquid and to prevent the cleaning liquid from splashing outside the cleaning tank 2. Has been. The substrate 6 is held by a total of four rollers, that is, the one driving roller 9a and the three holding rollers 9b to 9d, and is rotated by the driving force of the driving roller 9a.

  Each of the two driving rollers 9a and the holding roller 9b, and the holding roller 9c and the holding roller 9d are mounted on a common base (not shown), and the two driving and holding rollers 9b and 9c are illustrated by a moving mechanism (not shown). The other two holding rollers 9a and 9d are configured to be movable in the direction of arrow Q in the direction of arrow P in FIG.

  When the substrate 6 is carried into the cleaning tank 2 through the carry-in / out door 2a opened by a conveying means (not shown), the two drive and holding rollers 9b and 9c move in the direction of the arrow P and retract. The other two holding rollers 9a and 9d move in the direction of arrow Q and retract. When the substrate 6 is carried into the cleaning tank 2, the driving roller 9 a and the holding rollers 9 b, 9 c, 9 d return to the predetermined positions shown in FIG. 1 and hold the peripheral edge of the substrate 6. At this time, the carry-in / out door 2a is closed.

  An upper cleaning brush 14 for cleaning the surface of the substrate 6 is rotatably supported at one end side of the upper brush unit 4, and upper rotary shafts 15, 15 fixed to the other end side are provided with bearings 16, 16. The upper unit frame 17 is rotatably supported on the cleaning tank 2 side so that the upper cleaning brush 14 can be moved forward and backward with respect to the surface of the substrate 6, and the upper unit frame 17 is disposed on the other end side. An upper brush rotating motor 19 for rotating the upper cleaning brush 14 through an upper rotation transmission means 18 including a sprocket 18a, a chain 18b, a gear meshing means 18c, and the like is provided.

  The upper unit frame 17 is formed in a substantially U shape in plan view, and the upper cleaning brush 14 is rotatably supported through bearings 20 and 20 on the open end side of the U shape. The upper cleaning brush 14 is coated with a soft sponge or the like on the surface, and a number of protrusions 14a are formed on the surface.

  Further, an upper motor housing portion 17a is formed in a watertight manner on the other end side of the upper unit frame 17, that is, inside the U-shaped closed end, and the upper brush rotating motor 19 is formed in the upper motor housing portion 17a. Is placed inside. With this arrangement mode, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from adhering to the upper brush rotating motor 19 and to extend the life of the upper brush rotating motor 19. The upper motor housing portion 17 a extends to the upper rotation transmission means 18 side and covers the upper rotation transmission means 18.

  A wiring (not shown) of the upper brush rotating motor 19 is led out of the cleaning tank 2 through the hollow shaft portion 15a of the upper rotating shaft 15 formed of a hollow shaft. Due to this derivation mode, the occurrence of disturbance due to wiring when the upper unit frame 17 rotates about the upper rotation shafts 15, 15 is suppressed.

  A cylinder mechanism 7 for adjusting the upper brush pressure for adjusting the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush 14 against the surface of the substrate 6 is disposed outside the cleaning tank 2 corresponding to the other end side of the upper unit frame 17. Has been.

  One end of the upper brush pressurizing adjustment cylinder mechanism 7 is attached to an external position of the cleaning tank 2 via an upper link 21 fixed to the outer protruding end of the upper rotating shaft 15 and an upper bracket 22. Further, an upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23 as an upper brush pressure adjusting actuator is provided. The tip of the piston rod 23a in the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23 is rotatably connected to the other end of the upper link 21.

  Between the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 23 and the external position of the cleaning tank 2, between the external position and the upper bracket 22 or between the upper bracket 22 and the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder. 23, a shock absorber (not shown) such as a shock absorber or a damper is interposed. By virtue of the buffering means, the vibration generated in the main body of the cleaning device 2 when the substrate 6 is cleaned can be prevented from reaching the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23.

  The upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23 and the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder described later reduce fluctuations in the pressing force to the substrate 6 due to brush eccentricity as much as possible. Those with low resistance are used.

  The lower brush unit 5 is configured substantially symmetrically with the upper brush unit 4 with the substrate 6 as the center of symmetry. A lower cleaning brush 24 for cleaning the back surface of the substrate 6 is rotatably supported at one end side of the lower brush unit 5, and a lower rotation shaft (not shown) fixed to the other end side is disposed on the cleaning tank 2 side. A lower unit frame 25 is provided which is rotatably supported and allows the lower cleaning brush 24 to advance and retreat with respect to the back surface of the substrate 6. A lower brush rotation motor (not shown) that rotates the lower cleaning brush 24 is disposed on the other end side of the lower unit frame 25.

  Similar to the upper cleaning brush 14, the lower cleaning brush 24 is covered with a soft sponge or the like, and a plurality of protrusions are formed on the surface.

  The rotation direction of the lower cleaning brush 24 driven by the lower brush rotation motor and the rotation direction of the upper cleaning brush 14 driven by the upper brush rotation motor 19 are opposite to each other.

  A cylinder mechanism 8 for adjusting the lower brush pressure for adjusting the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush 24 against the back surface of the substrate 6 is disposed at the outer position of the cleaning tank 2 corresponding to the other end side of the lower unit frame 25. Has been.

  One end of the lower brush pressure adjusting cylinder mechanism 8 is attached to the external position of the cleaning tank 2 via a lower link 26 fixed to the external projecting end of the lower rotating shaft and a lower bracket 27. A lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28 is provided as a lower brush pressure adjusting actuator. The tip of the piston rod 28a in the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28 is rotatably connected to the other end of the lower link 26. Between the lower brush pressurization adjusting air cylinder 28 and the external position of the cleaning tank 2, the same buffering means as described above is interposed.

  The forward direction of the piston rod 28a in the lower brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 28 and the forward direction of the piston rod 23a in the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 23 are opposite to each other. When the piston rod 28a in the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28 is operated in the forward direction, the lower unit frame 25 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 and the lower cleaning brush 24 is pressed against the back surface of the substrate 6. On the other hand, when the piston rod 23a in the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23 is operated in the forward direction, the upper unit frame 17 is rotated in the clockwise direction as described above, but the upper cleaning brush 14 is attached to the substrate 6. Move away from the surface.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually showing the control system of the cleaning apparatus 1. Air from the air pressure source 29 is input to the input port of the external pilot type precision regulator 30. Pilot air from an electropneumatic regulator 32 that operates using an external electrical signal from the controller 31 as a pilot signal is input to the pilot port of the external pilot precision regulator 30.

  The external pilot precision regulator 30 is operated by pilot air from the electropneumatic regulator 32, and pressurized air as its control output is input to the cylinder port of the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23 (28). .

  Then, the electropneumatic regulator 32 operates using the external electric signal from the controller 31 as a pilot signal, and pilot air having an air pressure corresponding to the signal level of the external electric signal is output from the electropneumatic regulator 32. The external pilot type precision regulator 30 is operated by this pilot air, and pressurized air having an air pressure corresponding to the air pressure of the pilot air is output from the external pilot type precision regulator 30. The air cylinder 23 (28) for adjusting the brush pressure is operated by this pressurized air, and the pressing force of the cleaning brush 14 (24) against the substrate 6 is not applied by the operating force of the air cylinder 23 (28) for adjusting the brush pressure. The required pressing force is adjusted in stages.

  The relationship between the operating force (thrust) of the air cylinder 23 (28) for adjusting the brush pressure, that is, the air pressure of the pressurized air and the pressing force (pressing load) of the cleaning brush 14 (24) against the substrate 6 is shown in FIG. The operating force (thrust force) of the air cylinder 23 (28) for adjusting the brush pressure detected in step (2) and the pressing force (pressing load) applied to the substrate 6 measured by the load calibration jig 34 are input to the controller 31. Is obtained in advance. Then, an external electric signal having a required signal level is sent from the controller 31 to the electropneumatic regulator 32, and the pressing force (pressing load) of the cleaning brush 14 (24) against the substrate 6 is a pressure value at which stable cleaning ability can be expected. Set to The load cell 33 monitors and records the brush pressing during the cleaning process.

  Next, the operation of the cleaning apparatus configured as described above will be described. When the substrate 6 is carried into the cleaning tank 2, the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 23 is operated to advance the piston rod 23 a, and the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 23 is operated by the operating force of the upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder 23. The unit frame 17 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2, and the upper cleaning brush 14 moves to the retracted position. Further, the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28 operates so as to retract the piston rod 28a, and the lower unit frame 25 is driven by the weight of the lower brush unit 5 and the operating force of the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28. 2 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2, and the lower cleaning brush 24 moves to the retracted position.

  Thus, the upper and lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinders 23 and 28 also function as retraction drive means for retracting the upper and lower cleaning brushes 14 and 24 from the substrate 6 when the substrate 6 is carried in and out of the cleaning tank 2. .

  On the other hand, in the substrate holding and rotating mechanism 3, the two driving and holding rollers 9a and 9b are moved in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 1 and retracted by the moving mechanism, and the other two holding rollers 9c and 9d are Move in the direction and evacuate. In this retracted state, when the substrate 6 is carried in by the conveying means through the opened carry-in / out door 2a, the driving roller 9a and the holding rollers 9b, 9c, 9d are returned to predetermined positions and the peripheral portion of the substrate 6 Is retained. At this time, the carry-in / out door 2a is closed.

  In a state where the substrate 6 is held by the rollers 9a to 9d, the drive roller 9a is rotationally driven by the rotation driving means, whereby the substrate 6 starts to rotate. With the substrate rotated, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle to both the front and back surfaces of the substrate 6.

In this state, the upper cleaning brush 14 that is rotationally driven by the upper brush rotating motor 19 is pressed against the surface of the substrate 6 by the operating force from the upper brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 23. Further, the lower cleaning brush 24, which is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the upper cleaning brush 14 by the lower brush rotating motor, is applied to the rear surface of the substrate 6 by the operating force from the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder 28. Pressed against.

  At this time, a moment around the upper rotation shaft 15 is generated in the upper brush unit 4 in a direction approaching the surface of the substrate 6 due to its own weight. The upper cleaning brush 14 presses the required pressing force by canceling out the moment around the upper rotating shaft 15 by the operating force in the direction of moving the piston rod 23a forward from the air cylinder 23 for adjusting the upper brush pressure. The pressure is adjusted and pressed against the surface of the substrate 6. Further, the lower brush unit 5 generates a moment around the lower rotation axis in a direction away from the back surface of the substrate 6 due to its own weight. The lower cleaning brush 24 requires the lower cleaning brush 24 by canceling out the moment so that the operating force in the direction of moving the piston rod 28a forward from the lower brush pressurizing air cylinder 28 exceeds the moment about the lower rotation axis. The pressure is adjusted and pressed against the back surface of the substrate 6.

  In this way, the upper cleaning brush 14 and the lower cleaning brush 24 that rotate in opposite directions are pressed against the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 6 with the required pressing force, respectively, and the front and back surfaces of the substrate 6 are cleaned. .

  During this cleaning process, the upper cleaning brush 14 supported on one end side of the upper unit frame 17 so as to be movable back and forth with respect to the substrate 6 appropriately follows the movement of the substrate surface. In addition, the lower cleaning brush 24 that is pivotally supported on one end side of the lower unit frame 25 so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the substrate 6 appropriately follows the movement of the back surface of the substrate.

  Further, the upper and lower brush rotation motors 19 and so on, which are relatively heavy objects, are disposed in the vicinity of the rotation shafts 15 and the other side of the unit frames 17 and 25, so that the unit frames 17 and 25 are arranged. The moment around each pivot shaft 15 is reduced to a small value. As a result, stable cleaning is performed.

  When the required cleaning process is completed, the substrate 6 is carried out of the cleaning tank 2 by the transfer means and transferred toward the next process. Note that the operation of the cleaning apparatus when the substrate 6 is carried out of the cleaning tank 2 is the reverse of the operation at the time of carry-in, and the basic operation is almost the same.

  As described above, in the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment, the cleaning brushes 14 and 24 follow the movement of the substrate surface during substrate cleaning, so that the pressing force of the cleaning brushes 14 and 24 against the substrate surface during cleaning is reduced. Variation can be minimized. By arranging the brush rotation motors 19 in the vicinity of the rotation axes of the unit frames 17 and 25, the moment around the rotation axes of the unit frames 17 and 25 can be suppressed to a small value.

  Therefore, stable cleaning ability can be expected, and damage to the substrate 6 due to excessive pressing force can be prevented. Further, the cleaning time can be shortened and the throughput of the apparatus can be improved.

  By arranging the brush rotation motors 19 in the motor housing 17a, the rotation function for the cleaning brushes 14 and 24 can be normally generated normally and the brush rotation motors 19 and long lifespan. Can be achieved.

  By attaching the brush pressure adjusting air cylinders 23 and 28 to the outside of the cleaning tank 2 through the buffering means, vibration generated in the cleaning apparatus main body during the substrate cleaning may reach the brush pressure adjusting air cylinders 23 and 28. Thus, the fluctuation of the pressing force of the cleaning brush can be more reliably suppressed.

  By using the pressurized air that operates the air cylinders 23 and 28 for adjusting the brush pressure as the control output of the external pilot precision regulator 30, the pressing force of the cleaning brushes 14 and 24 on the substrate surface is set to an appropriate value steplessly. Can be adjusted easily.

  The brush pressure adjusting air cylinders 23 and 28 can also function as retraction driving means for retreating the cleaning brushes 14 and 24 from the substrate 6 when the substrate 6 is carried in and out.

  In this embodiment, the brush pressure adjusting actuator is an air cylinder, but other actuators such as an electromagnetic plunger can be applied as the brush pressure adjusting actuator.

  In this embodiment, the upper and lower cleaning brushes are used to clean the front and back surfaces of the substrate. However, the present invention is also applicable to a method of cleaning only the surface of the substrate held and rotated on the stage. be able to.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is targeted for cleaning, but other substrates such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device can also be targeted for cleaning.

  The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally extends to the modified ones.

The drawing shows a cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The top view which shows the internal structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus. The side view which shows the internal structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus. The block diagram which shows notionally the control system of a washing | cleaning apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning apparatus 2 Cleaning tank 3 Board | substrate holding | maintenance rotation mechanism 4 Upper brush unit 5 Lower brush unit 6 Board | substrate 7 Upper brush pressurization adjustment cylinder mechanism (upper brush pressurization adjustment actuator mechanism)
8 Lower brush pressure adjustment cylinder mechanism (lower brush pressure adjustment actuator mechanism)
9a Drive roller 9b to 9d Holding roller 10a, 10b Shaft member 11a, 11b Bearing 12 Gear 13 Seal member 14 Upper cleaning brush 15 Upper rotating shaft 15a Hollow shaft portion 16 Bearing 17 Upper unit frame 17a Upper motor housing portion 18 Upper rotation transmission Means 19 Upper brush rotation motor 20 Bearing 21 Upper link 22 Upper bracket 23 Upper brush pressure adjustment air cylinder (upper brush pressure adjustment actuator)
23a Piston rod 24 Lower cleaning brush 25 Lower unit frame 26 Lower link 27 Lower bracket 28 Air cylinder for lower brush pressure adjustment (lower brush pressure adjustment actuator)
28a Piston rod 29 Air pressure source 30 External pilot precision regulator 31 Controller 32 Electropneumatic regulator 33 Load cell 34 Load calibration jig

Claims (9)

In the cleaning apparatus for cleaning the substrate by rotating the cleaning brush on the substrate rotating in the cleaning tank,
A unit frame in which the cleaning brush is rotatably supported at one end side and a rotating shaft fixed to the other end side is rotatably supported on the cleaning tank side so that the cleaning brush can be moved forward and backward with respect to the substrate. A brush rotation motor disposed on the other end side of the unit frame and rotating the cleaning brush via a rotation transmission means, and an operating force output end connected to the unit frame, and the cleaning brush with respect to the substrate A cleaning apparatus comprising: a brush pressure adjusting actuator for adjusting a pressing force.   In a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate by rotating a cleaning brush on a substrate that rotates in a cleaning tank, an upper cleaning brush for cleaning the surface of the substrate is rotatably supported on one end side and on the other end side. An upper unit frame to which a rotating shaft is fixed and a lower unit frame in which a lower cleaning brush for cleaning the back surface of the substrate is rotatably supported on one end side and a lower rotating shaft is fixed to the other end side. The brush rotation motor is an upper brush rotation motor for rotating the upper cleaning brush and a lower brush rotation motor for rotating the lower cleaning brush, and the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is provided on the surface of the substrate. An upper cylinder pressure adjusting air cylinder for adjusting the pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the lower surface, and a lower brush pressure adjusting air for adjusting the pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate Cleaning apparatus, characterized in that the cylinder.   The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a motor housing portion is formed in a watertight manner on the other end side of the unit frame, and the brush rotation motor is disposed in the motor housing portion.   4. The cleaning according to claim 1, wherein the wiring of the brush rotating motor is led out of the cleaning tank by passing through the hollow shaft portion of the rotating shaft formed of a hollow shaft. apparatus.   5. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the brush pressure adjusting actuator is a brush pressure adjusting air cylinder.   6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is attached outside the cleaning tank through a buffering means.   The pressurized air for operating the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is a control output of an external pilot precision regulator operated by pilot air controlled by an electropneumatic regulator. , 4, 5 or 6.   6. The cleaning brush is retracted from the substrate through the unit frame by an operating force of the brush pressure adjusting air cylinder when the substrate is carried in and out. , 6 or 7. The upper rotating shaft in which the operating force output from the upper brush pressurizing adjustment air cylinder is generated in the direction approaching the surface of the substrate by the weight of the upper brush unit including the upper cleaning brush and the upper unit frame. The pressing force of the upper cleaning brush against the surface of the substrate is adjusted by offsetting the moment of rotation, and the operating force output from the lower brush pressure adjusting air cylinder is applied to the lower cleaning brush and the lower unit frame. That the lower brush unit pressing force of the lower cleaning brush against the back surface of the substrate is adjusted by offsetting the moment around the lower rotation axis generated in the direction away from the back surface of the substrate by the weight of the lower brush unit including 9. A cleaning device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

Images