JP2012253185A - Substrate cleaning method and substrate cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure to clean a substrate surface efficiently while preventing a cleaning liquid from contacting with an adhesive on the substrate rear surface side.SOLUTION: A substrate cleaning apparatus 10 includes: a substrate support part 16 supporting a substrate 12 at a downward posture; a cleaning plate 24 having a liquid support surface 22 and disposed at an upward posture in a working position that enables the liquid support surface 22 to face a first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support part 16 through a clearance G having a predetermined dimension; a cleaning liquid supply part 26 supplying a cleaning liquid to a center region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24; and a cleaning plate driving part 28 rotating the cleaning plate 24 around a cleaning plate axis line 24a substantially perpendicular to the liquid support surface 22. The substrate cleaning apparatus 10 causes the cleaning liquid, flowing along the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 rotating around the cleaning plate axis line 24a, to contact with the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 and thereby cleaning the first surface 12a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning method and a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surface of a substrate.

  In a semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing technique, after a circuit is formed on one surface of a wafer having a predetermined thickness, a support plate made of a film, glass or the like is protected and supported on the circuit forming surface (hereinafter referred to as a circuit surface). In the affixed state, the back surface opposite to the circuit surface is ground to uniformly reduce the thickness of the wafer, and the thinned wafer is cut by cutting (generally referred to as dicing) to produce a plurality of semiconductor chips. There is a known technique to do this. When dicing, a support film for protection and support is attached to the back surface of the thinned wafer, while the support plate is peeled off from the circuit surface of the wafer to cut the exposed circuit surface. Here, since the adhesive used to stick the support plate may remain on the circuit surface of the wafer from which the support plate has been peeled off, the circuit surface is generally cleaned before dicing is performed. .

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses “a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of easily and quickly peeling a wafer from a support plate without damaging the wafer”. Patent Document 1 discloses that “the gas supply unit 11 includes a gas supply port 11a, a vacuum port 11b, and a solution / gas supply port 11c penetrating in the thickness direction”. Then, by supplying a gas to the adhesive layer 3 dissolved by the supply of the dissolving liquid, pressure is applied to the adhesive layer 3 in the direction of separating the substrate 1 from the support plate 2. At this time, the support plate Since 2 is fixed to the gas supply means 11, the substrate 1 can be peeled from the support plate 2 by the pressure applied to the adhesive layer 3. "," The cleaning liquid supply means peels the support plate 2 from the substrate 1. After that, it is means for cleaning the surface of the substrate 1. ”,“ The vacuum port 11b and the solution / gas supply port 11c of the gas supply unit 11 are the vacuum port and the cleaning liquid supply of the cleaning liquid supply unit. "The gas supply means 11 is arranged so as to face the substrate 1 and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port 11c. The cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port 11c is the gas supply means." 9, the flow of the cleaning liquid is indicated by arrows in Fig. 9. Thus, the exposed dicing tape 4a is exposed to the cleaning liquid. The substrate 1 can be satisfactorily cleaned without any failure. "

JP 2009-059776 A (paragraphs 0008, 0023, 0026, 0035, 0037, 0071)

  As in the wafer cleaning process before dicing in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the substrate surface (first surface) is attached to the back surface (second surface) of the substrate with the support (support film in the case of a wafer) attached. For example, when cleaning is performed for the purpose of removing residual adhesive, it may be required that the cleaning liquid for cleaning the surface does not come into contact with the adhesive used to attach the support to the back surface of the substrate. is there. In this case, it is desired that the substrate surface can be more reliably and efficiently cleaned while preventing the cleaning liquid from coming into contact with the adhesive on the back side of the substrate.

  One aspect of the present invention is a substrate cleaning method, comprising: preparing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a cleaning plate having a liquid support surface; The first surface and the cleaning plate are disposed in a downward posture in which the first surface is directed downward, the cleaning plate is disposed in an upward posture in which the liquid support surface is directed upward, the substrate in the downward posture and the cleaning plate in the upward posture are disposed on the first surface and the liquid. A step of disposing a support surface at a working position facing a gap of a predetermined dimension, a step of supplying a cleaning liquid to a central region of a liquid support surface of a cleaning plate in an upward posture, and a cleaning plate in an upward posture A step of rotating about a cleaning plate axis defined by the cleaning plate as an axis substantially orthogonal to the liquid support surface in the central region, and a cleaning liquid flowing along the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate contacting the first surface of the substrate Cleaning the first surface of the substrate. Tsu and up, is a substrate cleaning method, including.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a first surface of a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the substrate has a downward posture with the first surface facing downward. A cleaning plate having a liquid support surface and a substrate support portion that can be supported at a work position where the liquid support surface can face the first surface of the substrate supported by the substrate support portion via a gap of a predetermined dimension. A cleaning plate arranged in an upward orientation with the liquid support surface facing upward, a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the central region of the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate, and the cleaning plate substantially at the liquid support surface in the central region A cleaning plate driving section that rotates around a cleaning plate axis defined on the cleaning plate as an orthogonal axis, and the cleaning liquid can be brought into contact with the first surface of the substrate to clean the first surface of the substrate. A substrate cleaning apparatus.

  According to the substrate cleaning method of one aspect of the present invention, the substrate is placed in a downward posture in which the first surface faces downward, and the cleaning plate is placed in an upward posture in which the liquid support surface faces upward. The cleaning process is performed at a work position where the liquid support surface faces each other with a predetermined gap.

  According to the substrate cleaning apparatus of another aspect of the present invention, the substrate support unit supports the substrate in a downward posture in which the first surface is directed downward, while the cleaning plate is directed upward in which the liquid support surface is directed upward. The cleaning process is executed in a posture and in a state where the liquid support surface is disposed at a work position facing the first surface of the substrate with a predetermined gap.

  Therefore, according to any of the above aspects of the present invention, the cleaning liquid that flows outward from the central region of the liquid support surface due to the centrifugal force generated with the rotation of the cleaning plate is caused to follow the rotating liquid support surface and move in the rotation direction. The first surface of the substrate can be brought into uniform contact with the first surface of the substrate, and as a result, the portion of the cleaning liquid that contacts the first surface of the substrate can be renewed continuously and rapidly while the first surface is reliably and It can be cleaned efficiently. In addition, any of the above aspects of the present invention has a configuration in which the cleaning liquid flows on the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate in the upward posture, and thus is a case where a support that is a separate member is attached to the second surface of the substrate. However, the cleaning liquid can be easily disposed at a position where it does not contact the support. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesive used for attaching the support to the second surface of the substrate from being cleaned and dissolved by the cleaning liquid.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a substrate cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the washing | cleaning board unit of the board | substrate washing | cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate to which a substrate cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. It is a figure which shows the board | substrate cleaning method by the 1st Embodiment of this invention using the board | substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the washing | cleaning step in the board | substrate cleaning method of FIG. It is a top view which shows typically the washing | cleaning step of FIG. (A)-(g) It is a top view which shows typically the various washing | cleaning boards which can be used with the board | substrate washing | cleaning apparatus of FIG. It is a partial cross section figure which shows typically the board | substrate cleaning apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the board | substrate cleaning method by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention using the board | substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 8, and is an expanded sectional view which shows a washing | cleaning step.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Corresponding components are denoted by common reference symbols throughout the drawings.
1 and 2 show a substrate cleaning apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a substrate 12 to which a substrate cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied, and FIGS. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a substrate cleaning method using the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The illustrated substrate cleaning method and substrate cleaning apparatus 10 are in a state in which a support 14 which is a separate member is attached to a second surface 12b on a substrate 12 having a first surface 12a and a second surface 12b opposite to the first surface 12a. The first surface 12a is cleaned, for example, for the purpose of removing the residual adhesive, and can be applied, for example, to a wafer cleaning process before dicing in a semiconductor chip manufacturing process. In the case of the wafer cleaning process before dicing, the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate (wafer) 12 is a support film 14 described later. However, the use of the substrate cleaning method according to one aspect of the present invention and the substrate cleaning apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is not limited thereto.

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 10 includes a substrate support unit 16 that can support the substrate 12 having the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b in a downward posture in which the first surface 12a faces downward in the gravitational direction (FIGS. 1 and 4). The substrate support portion 16 has a surface 18 a that contacts the support 14, a table 18 that supports the substrate 12 and the support 14 fixedly on the surface 18 a, and the substrate 12 and the support 14 on the surface 18 a of the table 18. And a fixing mechanism 20 for releasably fixing. The table 18 has sufficient rigidity to stably support and fix the substrate 12 and the support 14 on the surface 18a against external force. The table 18 is configured, for example, as a perforated body whose surface 18a acts as a vacuum suction surface. In the configuration in which the surface 18a of the table 18 acts as a vacuum suction surface, the fixing mechanism 20 includes a vacuum device including a vacuum pump or the like communicating with the surface 18a of the table 18, and the substrate 12 and the table surface 18a are attached to the table surface 18a by a vacuum action. The support 14 is fixed releasably. Further, depending on the material of the support object such as the substrate 12 or the support 14, the fixing mechanism 20 can be configured from a magnet device. In addition, the structure of the table 18 and the fixing mechanism 20 is not specifically limited.

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 10 includes a cleaning plate 24 having a liquid support surface 22, a cleaning liquid supply unit 26 for supplying a cleaning liquid L (FIG. 5) to the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24, and a cleaning plate 24. A cleaning plate drive unit 28 that rotates around a cleaning plate axis 24a defined on the cleaning plate 24 as an axis substantially orthogonal to the liquid support surface 22 in the central region 22a is further provided (FIGS. 1 and 2). The cleaning plate 24 is disposed at a working position (FIG. 4) where the liquid support surface 22 can face the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support portion 16 via a gap G having a predetermined size. Are arranged in an upward posture facing upward in the direction of gravity. The cleaning plate 24 has rigidity capable of supporting the cleaning liquid L on the liquid support surface 22 while maintaining its own shape when rotated by the cleaning plate driving unit 28. The liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 can have a mirror-like surface structure that allows the cleaning liquid L to be smoothly distributed throughout.

  In the illustrated configuration, the cleaning plate 24 is connected to the plate-shaped main portion 30 having the liquid support surface 22 and the center of the main portion 30, extends along the cleaning plate axis 24 a, and extends to the central region 22 a of the liquid support surface 22. And a hollow shaft portion 32 that opens. The cleaning plate 24 is rotatably supported by the housing 36 via a bearing device 34 attached to the shaft portion 32. The housing 36 internally defines a cleaning chamber 38 that rotatably accommodates at least the main portion 30 of the cleaning plate 24.

  The cleaning liquid supply unit 26 includes a cleaning liquid supply source 40 and a nozzle 42 that discharges the cleaning liquid L supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source 40 toward the central region 22 a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24. In the illustrated configuration, a liquid pipe 44 through which the cleaning liquid supply source 40 and the nozzle 42 are connected to each other to flow the cleaning liquid L is accommodated in the hollow shaft portion 32 of the cleaning plate 24. In the illustrated configuration, a shoulder surface 46 capable of temporarily receiving the cleaning liquid L supplied to the central region 22a is formed at the opening of the shaft portion 32 in the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22, and the nozzle 42 is The cleaning liquid L is discharged toward the shoulder surface 46 at the end of the liquid pipe 44.

  The cleaning plate drive unit 28 includes a prime mover 48 such as an air motor that is fixedly supported by the housing 36, and a power transmission mechanism 50 such as a belt / pulley that transmits the rotation output of the prime mover 48 to the shaft portion 32 of the cleaning plate 24. Prepare. The cleaning plate driving unit 28 has a gap between the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support unit 16 and the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 in a state where the cleaning plate 24 is disposed at the above-described working position. The cleaning plate 24 can be rotated around the cleaning plate axis 24a while maintaining G stably. In the illustrated configuration, the cleaning plate 24 and the cleaning plate driving unit 28 are both supported by the housing 36, thereby forming a cleaning plate unit 52 that can place the cleaning plate 24 at the aforementioned working position (see FIG. 2).

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 10 including the substrate support unit 16, the cleaning plate 24, the cleaning liquid supply unit 26, and the cleaning plate drive unit 28 flows along the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 that rotates about the cleaning plate axis 24a. By bringing the cleaning liquid L into contact with the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support portion 16, the liquid support surface 22 and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 are maintained in a non-contact state, and the first One surface 12a can be cleaned (FIG. 4). In this cleaning step, the substrate support unit 16 supports the substrate 12 in a downward posture in which the first surface 12a faces downward in the gravitational direction, while the cleaning plate 24 supports an upward posture in which the liquid support surface 22 faces upward in the gravitational direction. In addition, the process is executed in a state where the liquid support surface 22 is disposed at a work position facing the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 via the gap G. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid L that flows outward from the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 by the centrifugal force generated with the rotation of the cleaning plate 24 follows the rotating liquid support surface 22 and moves in the rotational direction while moving the substrate 12. The first surface 12a can be uniformly contacted, and as a result, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 is cleaned by the cleaning liquid L while the portion of the cleaning liquid L that contacts the first surface 12a is continuously and rapidly updated. Can be reliably and efficiently cleaned. In addition, since the cleaning liquid L flows on the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 in the upward orientation, the cleaning liquid L can be easily disposed at a position where it does not contact the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesive used for attaching the support 14 to the second substrate surface 12b from being cleaned and dissolved by the cleaning liquid L.

  As described above, the substrate cleaning method using the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the substrate 12 having the first surface 12a and the second surface 12b, and the cleaning plate 24 having the liquid support surface 22. Preparing the substrate 12 with the first surface 12a in a downward posture in which the first surface 12a faces downward in the direction of gravity, and setting the cleaning plate 24 in an upward posture in which the liquid support surface 22 faces in the upper direction of gravity; Arranging the substrate 12 in the downward posture and the cleaning plate 24 in the upward posture at work positions where the first surface 12a and the liquid support surface 22 face each other with a gap G having a predetermined dimension; The step of supplying the cleaning liquid L to the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24, and the cleaning plate 24 in the upward orientation as the axis substantially orthogonal to the liquid support surface 22 in the central region 22a. The step of rotating the cleaning plate axis 24a as defined in FIG. 2 and the cleaning liquid L flowing along the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 rotating around the cleaning plate axis 24a at the working position. Cleaning the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 in contact with 12a.

  In the substrate cleaning method described above, when the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 is cleaned, the cleaning liquid L is in contact with the first surface 12a and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support 16 is cleaned. The liquid support surface 22 of the plate 24 can be relatively moved in a direction other than the rotation direction of the cleaning plate 24 around the cleaning plate axis 24a. In order to perform this relative movement, the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 determines the cleaning plate 24 and the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support 16 on the table 12 on the table 18 as an axis substantially orthogonal to the first surface 12a. A rotation drive unit 54 that relatively rotates about the substrate axis 12c is further provided. In the illustrated configuration, the rotation driving unit 54 is configured as a table driving unit (including a motor and a power transmission mechanism (not shown)) that rotates the table 18 around the substrate axis 12c. The cleaning step in the substrate cleaning method includes a step of relatively rotating the substrate 12 and the cleaning plate 24 around the substrate axis 12c with the cleaning liquid L in contact with the first surface 12a. Become.

  By providing the rotation drive unit 54, the relative movement speed at the time of contact between the cleaning liquid L supported on the liquid support surface 22 and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 can be easily increased. The first surface 12a can be cleaned using a liquid support surface 22 smaller than 12a. As a result, the cleaning efficiency with the cleaning liquid L can be improved. Instead of or in addition to configuring the rotation drive unit 54 as a table drive unit that rotates the table 18 about the substrate axis 12c, a cleaning plate unit drive that rotates the cleaning plate unit 52 about the substrate axis 12c. It can also be configured as a part. In addition, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support unit 16 and the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 are relatively moved by an operation other than rotation about the substrate axis 12c (for example, a linear reciprocating operation). It can also be made. However, it is advantageous to provide the rotation drive unit 54 from both the machine configuration and control configuration viewpoints.

  In the above substrate cleaning method, when the substrate 12 in the downward posture and the cleaning plate 24 in the upward posture are arranged at the work position, the substrate 12 and the cleaning plate 24 are quickly and accurately positioned at a predetermined work position. Can do. In order to perform this positioning, the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 sets the cleaning plate 24 and the table 18 supporting the substrate 12 to a standby position where the liquid support surface 22 and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 do not face each other, and the liquid support surface. A positioning drive unit 56 that relatively moves between the work position 22 and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 facing each other through a substantially uniform gap G, and is positioned at the work position. Prepare. In the illustrated configuration, the positioning drive unit 56 is configured as a table drive mechanism (including a prime mover and a power transmission mechanism not shown) that moves the table 18 between the standby position and the work position. By providing the positioning drive unit 56, after the substrate support unit 16 supports the substrate 12 at the standby position, the substrate 12 and the cleaning plate 24 can be quickly and accurately positioned at the work position. In addition, the substrate 12 can be easily detached from the substrate support 16 at the standby position after cleaning the substrate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate 12 as an example to which the above-described substrate cleaning method can be applied is a disk-shaped member having a first surface 12a and a second surface 12b that are circular surfaces centering on the substrate axis 12c. is there. The first surface 12a and the second surface 12b of the substrate 12 are both substantially flat surfaces and are disposed substantially parallel to each other. A disc-shaped support 14 having a surface 14a larger than the second surface 12b is attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12 using an adhesive (not shown). When the substrate 12 is a wafer that is a base material of a semiconductor chip, the support 14 is a flexible member that is attached to the back surface (second surface 12b) of the wafer for protection and support when dicing the back-ground wafer. It is the support film which has property. In this case, the frame member 58 has an annular shape and dimensions that can be arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the support (support film) 14 and has higher rigidity than the support (support film) 14. It fixes to the support body (support film) 14 using joining means, such as.

  The substrate 12 can be, for example, a wafer made of silicon, gallium arsenide, crystal, sapphire, glass, or another substrate. When the substrate 12 has a disk shape, the diameter of the substrate 12 may be about 50 mm to about 500 mm, for example. When the substrate 12 is a wafer, the first surface 12a is a circuit surface on which a required circuit pattern is formed. The thickness of the wafer is, for example, about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm, and is standardized with the diameter. Moreover, the thickness of the semiconductor chip after back grinding is, for example, about 50 μm to about 100 μm. The material, shape, dimensions, etc. of the substrate 12 are not particularly limited.

  The support body (support film) 14 is a flexible film-like element, and is made of a resin or the like with a uniform thickness as a whole. When the substrate (wafer) 12 is diced, the support (support film) 14 is fixed to the second surface (back surface) 12b of the substrate (wafer) 12 with a desired adhesive to protect and support the second surface 12b. can do. When a radiation curable adhesive is used as the adhesive, it is desirable that the support (support film) 14 has sufficient radiation transparency. For example, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyolefin resin such as polypropylene, It can be a polymer film made of polyvinyl chloride resin, polyvinylidene chloride resin, polyamide resin or the like. Moreover, as one aspect, it is desirable that the support (support film) 14 has physical properties capable of protecting the second surface (back surface) 12b of the substrate (wafer) 12 so as not to be contaminated during dicing. In this case, the thickness of the support (support film) 14 is, for example, about 5 μm to about 200 μm. The illustrated support body (support film) 14 has a circular shape similar to the disk shape of the substrate 12 (which shares the substrate axis 12c), but has a larger surface than the second surface 12b of the substrate 12. Except for the point having 14a, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of the support 14 are not particularly limited.

  The adhesive used to attach the support (support film) 14 to the second surface (back surface) 12b of the substrate (wafer) 12 is hardened or solidified to cure the support 14 on the second surface 12b of the substrate 12. Adhesive force that holds the surface 14a firmly fixed can be exhibited. For example, a curable adhesive, a solvent-based adhesive, a thermoplastic resin including a hot-melt adhesive, a water-dispersed adhesive, etc. Can be. Here, the curable adhesive is a liquid adhesive that is cured by energy rays such as heat and ultraviolet rays, the solvent-based adhesive is a liquid adhesive that is solidified by evaporation of the solvent, and the hot-melt adhesive is An adhesive that melts by heating and solidifies by cooling. The water-dispersed adhesive is an adhesive in which an adhesive component is dispersed in water and is solidified by evaporation of water. As curable adhesive, one-component thermosetting adhesive based on epoxy, urethane, two-component mixed reaction adhesive based on epoxy, urethane, acrylic, UV curable type based on acrylic, epoxy, An electron beam curable adhesive is mentioned. Examples of the solvent-based adhesive include a rubber-based adhesive in which rubber, elastomer or the like is dissolved in a solvent. In the present application, curing and solidification in a narrow sense are collectively referred to as “solidification”.

  When the substrate 12 is a wafer, the above-described adhesive is the same as the adhesive used for attaching a protective and supporting support plate to the circuit surface (first surface 12a) in the wafer back grinding process. Can be. When dicing, a protective film (support 14) for protection and support is attached to the back surface of the thinned wafer, while the support plate is peeled off from the circuit surface of the wafer to cut the exposed circuit surface. Here, the adhesive used to attach the support plate may remain on the circuit surface of the wafer from which the support plate has been peeled off, so the circuit surface is cleaned as necessary before dicing. To do. The substrate cleaning apparatus 10 and the substrate cleaning method according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to this circuit surface cleaning process.

  The frame member 58 is made, for example, from metal, resin, etc., with a uniform thickness throughout. Since the frame member 58 is fixed to the surface 14a along the outer peripheral edge of the support member 14, the frame member 58 has sufficient rigidity to maintain the central region of the support member 14 located inside the frame member 58 in an extended state. . The rigidity of the frame member 58 can be set depending on the material, size, shape, etc. For example, as long as the frame member 58 is not rigidly deformed or deformed even when some tension is applied to the support 14, for example. Good. For example, when the frame member 58 is an annular ring made of stainless steel, the thickness is about 1 mm to about 2 mm, the inner diameter is about 350 mm, and the outer diameter is about 400 mm. Suitable for silicon wafers. Although the illustrated frame member 58 has an annular shape similar to the disk shape of the substrate 12 (which shares the substrate axis 12c), a shape that can be arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the support 14 and The material, shape, dimensions, and the like of the frame member 58 are not particularly limited, except for having a dimension and having a higher rigidity than the support 14. The frame member 58 may be formed from the same material as the support 14.

The configuration of a specific mode of the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 used for cleaning the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 as an example will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
The table 18 of the substrate support unit 16 has a substantially flat circular surface 18a similar to the disk shape of the substrate 12 and the support 14, and the entire support 14 can be supported by the surface 18a. The fixing mechanism 20 can be composed of the above-described vacuum apparatus that releasably fixes the substrate 12 and the support 14 to the surface 18a of the table 18 by a vacuum action. When the frame member 58 fixed along the outer peripheral edge of the support 14 is made of metal, the fixing mechanism 20 can also be configured from a magnet device.

  The liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 can be a circular surface centered on the cleaning plate axis 24a (FIG. 2). In this case, the diameter of the liquid support surface 22 is set to be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12 and larger than the radius. When the diameter of the liquid support surface 22 is smaller than the diameter of the first surface 12a, the working position is a position where the substrate axis 12c and the cleaning plate axis 24a are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other (FIG. 4).

  The liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 can have a substantially flat concave portion 60 and a convex portion 62 adjacent to the concave portion 60 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The convex portion 62 is substantially flat as a whole, and is located so as to protrude from the concave portion 60 in the direction along the cleaning plate axis 24a. The protruding height of the convex surface portion 62 with respect to the concave surface portion 60 is, for example, about 1 mm to about 2 mm. In this configuration, the gap G formed between the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 supported by the substrate support 16 at the work position and the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 is separated from the first surface 12a of the substrate 12. It is formed between the convex portion 62 of the liquid support surface 22. The gap G is, for example, about 0.1 mm to about 0.5 mm. Then, while the cleaning plate 24 rotates around the cleaning plate axis 24 a by driving the cleaning plate driving unit 28, the cleaning liquid L flowing in the concave portion 60 is supplied to the first of the substrate 12 while the gap G is stably maintained. The cleaning liquid L flowing through the convex portion 62 can be brought into contact with the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 without being brought into contact with the surface 12a (FIG. 5).

  The convex portion 62 of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 is formed in a region including at least a part of a virtual circumference P that is centered on the cleaning plate axis 24a and whose diameter is substantially equal to the radius of the first surface 12a of the substrate 12. (FIG. 6). In the illustrated configuration, the convex surface portion 62 is an annular portion formed in a region including the entire virtual circumference P, and is disposed along the outer peripheral edge of the circular liquid support surface 22 so that the entire concave surface portion 60 is formed. Go (Figure 2). In this case, the working position is a position where the substrate axis 12c and the cleaning plate axis 24a are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other by a distance that is approximately half the radius of the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 (FIGS. 4 and 4). 6).

  The shaft portion 32 of the cleaning plate 24 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and the shoulder surface 46 provided in the central region 22 a of the liquid support surface 22 is between the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the shaft portion 32 and the liquid support surface 22. It can have a truncated cone shape that extends smoothly (FIGS. 1 and 2). In this case, the nozzle 42 of the cleaning liquid supply unit 26 is disposed at a position where the cleaning liquid discharge port faces the shoulder surface 46 of the cleaning plate 24.

  The housing 36 of the cleaning plate unit 52 can include a cylindrical outer wall 64 that defines a cleaning chamber 38 therein (FIGS. 1 and 2). Further, an annular flange portion 66 projecting inward toward the main portion 30 of the cleaning plate 24 accommodated in the cleaning chamber 38 can be formed at the upper end in the axial direction of the outer wall 64 where the cleaning chamber 38 opens. The outer wall 64 and the annular flange portion 66 flow the cleaning liquid L that flows along the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 rotating about the cleaning plate axis 24 a and scatters outward of the cleaning plate 24. It functions as a cleaning liquid recovery unit that recovers at (FIG. 5). In this configuration, the housing 36 can be provided with a discharge port 68 for discharging the cleaning liquid L collected by the outer wall 64 and the annular flange portion 66 toward a cleaning liquid storage unit (not shown) (FIG. 1).

  The cleaning plate unit 52 may include an exhaust unit 70 that makes the cleaning chamber 38 have a negative pressure (FIG. 1). The exhaust unit 70 can be configured to suck the vapor of the cleaning liquid L supplied to the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 from the cleaning chamber 38 and exhaust it toward, for example, a filtration device (not shown). By providing the exhaust part 70, it is possible to prevent the vapor of the cleaning liquid L from flowing out of the housing 36 and diffusing during the cleaning process.

  The cleaning plate unit 52 includes an accessory device 72 having a required function, such as a nitrogen supply device that supplies nitrogen to the surrounding space of the cleaning plate 24 and a hot air supply device that supplies hot air to the surrounding space of the cleaning plate 24. Further, it can be provided (FIG. 1). By providing a nitrogen supply device as the attachment device 72, even if the flammable cleaning liquid L is used, the oxygen in the atmosphere can be supplied by continuously supplying nitrogen to the space around the cleaning plate 24 during the cleaning process. The ignition of the cleaning liquid L can be prevented beforehand by reducing the concentration. Further, by providing a warm air supply device as the attachment device 72, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 after cleaning can be quickly supplied by continuously supplying warm air to the space around the cleaning plate 24 after the cleaning process is completed. Can be dried. These nitrogen and warm air can be supplied to the surrounding space of the cleaning plate 24 through the shaft portion 32 of the cleaning plate 24.

  In the cleaning process, a plurality of types of cleaning liquids L having different compositions can be prepared. In this case, the cleaning liquid supply unit 26 can supply a plurality of types of cleaning liquids L to the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 in a predetermined order. Thereby, in the cleaning process, a plurality of types of cleaning liquids L can be brought into contact with the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 in a predetermined order. For example, the first cleaning liquid L that is rich in cleaning power but contains a solvent that is difficult to dry such as acetone is first used to clean the first surface 12a of the substrate 12, and then the second cleaning liquid L such as isopropyl alcohol. By cleaning the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 and removing the first cleaning liquid L, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 can be easily dried.

The substrate cleaning method for the substrate 12 shown in FIG. 3 by the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 having the illustrated configuration is performed in the following procedure.
A support 14 having a frame member 58 fixed thereto is attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12 along the outer peripheral edge. In the substrate cleaning apparatus 10, the cleaning plate 24 of the cleaning plate unit 52 is installed in the working position in advance, and the table 18 of the substrate support unit 16 is placed in the standby position. The substrate 12 having the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b is fixed to the surface 18a of the table 18 placed at the standby position by the fixing mechanism 20 in a posture in which the entire first surface 12a is exposed, and the positioning drive unit 56 Accordingly, the table 18 is moved from the standby position to the work position, and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 is moved to the work position facing the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 substantially in parallel with a substantially uniform gap G. Position. In the working position, the substrate axis 12c of the substrate 12 and the cleaning plate axis 24a of the cleaning plate 24 are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other by a distance that is approximately half the radius of the first surface 12a of the substrate 12. The convex portion 62 of the liquid support surface 22 is disposed in a region including the entire virtual circumference P with the diameter about the cleaning plate axis 24a and substantially the same as the radius of the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 (FIG. 4, FIG. FIG. 6).

  At the working position, the table 18 supporting the substrate 12 is rotated about the substrate axis 12c by the rotation driving unit 54, and the cleaning plate 24 is rotated about the cleaning plate axis 24a by the cleaning plate driving unit 28. The rotation direction of the substrate 12 and the rotation direction of the cleaning plate 24 may be the same or opposite. The rotation speed of the substrate 12 (that is, the table 18) is, for example, about 2 rpm to about 20 rpm, and the rotation speed of the cleaning plate 24 is, for example, about 100 rpm to about 2000 rpm. The substrate 12 and the cleaning plate 24 rotate while maintaining the gap G stably.

  The cleaning liquid L is continuously or intermittently supplied to the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 by the cleaning liquid supply unit 26 while rotating the cleaning plate 24 around the cleaning plate axis 24a. At this time, the cleaning liquid L discharged from the nozzle 42 is temporarily received by the shoulder surface 46 provided in the central region 22 a of the liquid support surface 22, and then supported by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the cleaning plate 24. It rides on the concave portion 60 of the surface 22 and flows outward (FIG. 5). By temporarily receiving the cleaning liquid L on the shoulder surface 46, the cleaning liquid L flows over a wide area on the concave portion 60 of the liquid support surface 22. The shoulder surface 46 is not limited to the illustrated truncated cone shape, and other shapes such as a stepped shape can be adopted, but it is desirable that the cleaning liquid L has a shape that does not remain on the shoulder surface 46.

  The cleaning liquid L flows outwardly from the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 through the concave portion 60 without contacting the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the cleaning plate 24, and the convex portion 62. 5, it contacts the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12 while moving in the rotational direction following the rotating liquid support surface 22 (FIG. 5). With respect to the cleaning plate 24 that rotates about the cleaning plate axis 24a, the substrate 12 rotates about the substrate axis 12c, so that the convex portion 62 and the first surface 12a have the above-described position and dimensional relationship (FIG. 6). The cleaning liquid L contacts the entire first surface 12a of the substrate 12 evenly. As a result, the cleaning liquid L reliably and efficiently cleans the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 while continuously and rapidly updating the portion in contact with the substrate first surface 12a.

  Since the convex surface portion 62 is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the liquid support surface 22, the peripheral speed of the convex surface portion 62 can be easily increased. Therefore, it is possible to easily increase the moving speed of the cleaning liquid L that moves in the rotation direction following the convex surface portion 62, and thus the cleaning ability of the substrate first surface 12a by the cleaning liquid L can be easily improved. .

  The cleaning liquid L that has cleaned the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12 scatters out of the cleaning plate 24 from the convex portion 62 of the liquid support surface 22 due to the centrifugal force generated as the cleaning plate 24 rotates. The scattered cleaning liquid L is received by the outer wall 64 and the annular flange portion 66 of the housing 36 of the cleaning plate unit 52, flows down along the inner surface of the outer wall 64, and is discharged from the outlet 68 and collected (FIG. 4, FIG. FIG. 5). In this manner, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 can be reliably and efficiently cleaned with the cleaning liquid L without bringing the cleaning liquid L into contact with the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesive used for attaching the support 14 to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12 from being cleaned and dissolved by the cleaning liquid L.

  During the above-described cleaning process, if necessary, the exhaust chamber 70 (FIG. 1) creates a negative pressure in the cleaning chamber 38 to prevent the vapor of the cleaning liquid L from flowing out of the housing 36 and diffusing, Nitrogen is supplied to the surrounding space of the cleaning plate 24 by a nitrogen supply device as the attached device 72 (FIG. 1) to prevent ignition of the flammable cleaning liquid L, or a plurality of cleaning liquid supply units 26 (FIG. 1) Various types of cleaning liquid L can be supplied to the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 of the cleaning plate 24 in a predetermined order. Further, after the cleaning process is completed, if necessary, hot air is supplied to the space around the cleaning plate 24 by the hot air supply device as the attachment device 72 (FIG. 1), and the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 after cleaning is removed. It can be dried quickly.

  FIG. 7 schematically shows the configuration of the liquid support surface 22 of various cleaning plates 24 that can be used in the substrate cleaning apparatus 10. The configuration of the liquid support surface 22 is not limited to the configuration of (a) including the one annular convex surface portion 62 described above. For example, (b) two large and small annular convex surfaces arranged concentrically. A configuration including a portion 62; (c) a configuration including a plurality of arcuate convex surface portions 62 divided in the circumferential direction; and (d) a configuration including a convex surface portion 62 arranged linearly along the diameter of the cleaning plate 24. (E) A configuration including a plurality of convex surface portions 62 arranged radially can be employed. In any configuration, at least one convex surface portion 62 is formed in a region including at least a part of the aforementioned virtual circumference P (FIG. 6). Further, as shown in (f) and (g), the central region 22a of the liquid support surface 22 may be configured such that the opening (FIG. 1) of the shaft portion 32 and the shoulder surface 46 are not provided. In this case, the nozzle 42 can be installed in an idle space above the liquid support surface 22.

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 80 according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the substrate cleaning method according to the second embodiment of the present invention using the substrate cleaning apparatus 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. The substrate cleaning apparatus 80 and the substrate cleaning method according to the second embodiment are the same as the substrate cleaning apparatus 10 and the substrate cleaning method described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 except that the configuration of the cleaning plate 24 is different. It has a configuration. Accordingly, corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 80 includes a cleaning plate 24 having a liquid support surface 82 having a uniform flat surface as a whole. The liquid support surface 82 may be a circular surface centered on the cleaning plate axis 24a. In this case, the diameter of the liquid support surface 82 is set to be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12 and larger than the radius. When the diameter of the liquid support surface 82 is smaller than the diameter of the first surface 12a, the working position is a position where the substrate axis 12c and the cleaning plate axis 24a are arranged to be shifted substantially parallel to each other (FIG. 8). When the diameter of the liquid support surface 82 is equal to the diameter of the first surface 12a, the working position is a position where the substrate axis 12c and the cleaning plate axis 24a coincide with each other.

  The substrate cleaning apparatus 80 has a cleaning plate driving unit 28 that rotates the cleaning plate 24 about the cleaning plate axis 24a, and the substrate 12 supported by the cleaning plate 24 and the substrate support unit 16 relative to each other about the substrate axis 12c. A rotation drive unit 54 is provided for rotation. When the diameter of the liquid support surface 82 of the cleaning plate 24 is equal to the diameter of the first surface 12a of the substrate 12, the mode in which the substrate 12 is rotated in the same direction as the cleaning plate 24 at the same speed in the cleaning step is excluded. Thus, the substrate 12 can be appropriately rotated or not rotated.

The substrate cleaning method for the substrate 12 shown in FIG. 3 by the substrate cleaning apparatus 80 having the illustrated configuration is performed in the same procedure as the substrate cleaning method described above by the substrate cleaning apparatus 10.
In the cleaning process, at the work position, the table 18 supporting the substrate 12 is rotated about the substrate axis 12c (FIG. 1) by the rotation driving unit 54, and the cleaning plate 24 is moved to the cleaning plate axis 24a by the cleaning plate driving unit 28. Rotate to center. The cleaning liquid L is continuously or intermittently supplied to the central region 82 a of the liquid support surface 82 of the cleaning plate 24 by the cleaning liquid supply unit 26 while rotating the cleaning plate 24 around the cleaning plate axis 24 a. The cleaning liquid L flows outward from the central region 82a of the liquid support surface 82 while being in contact with the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 due to the centrifugal force generated as the cleaning plate 24 rotates, and at the same time, the liquid support surface 82 that rotates. The first surface 12a of the substrate 12 is brought into contact with the first surface 12a while moving in the rotational direction following the movement (FIG. 9). When the substrate 12 rotates about the substrate axis 12c with respect to the cleaning plate 24 that rotates about the cleaning plate axis 24a, the cleaning liquid L uniformly contacts the entire first surface 12a of the substrate 12 (liquid support). If the diameter of the surface 82 is equal to the diameter of the first surface 12a, the substrate 12 may not be rotated). As a result, the cleaning liquid L reliably and efficiently cleans the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 while continuously and rapidly updating the portion in contact with the substrate first surface 12a.

  The cleaning liquid L that has cleaned the first surface 12 a of the substrate 12 scatters from the liquid support surface 82 to the outside of the cleaning plate 24 due to the centrifugal force generated as the cleaning plate 24 rotates. The scattered cleaning liquid L is received by the outer wall 64 and the annular flange portion 66 of the housing 36 of the cleaning plate unit 52, flows down along the inner surface of the outer wall 64, and is discharged from the outlet 68 and collected (FIG. 8, FIG. 9). In this manner, the first surface 12a of the substrate 12 can be reliably and efficiently cleaned with the cleaning liquid L without bringing the cleaning liquid L into contact with the support 14 attached to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesive used for attaching the support 14 to the second surface 12b of the substrate 12 from being cleaned and dissolved by the cleaning liquid L.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 80 Substrate cleaning apparatus 12 Substrate 12a First surface 12b Second surface 12c Substrate axis 14 Support body 16 Substrate support portion 18 Table 20 Fixing mechanism 22, 82 Liquid support surface 24 Cleaning plate 24a Cleaning plate axis 26 Cleaning liquid supply portion 28 Cleaning Plate drive unit 32 Shaft unit 38 Cleaning chamber 42 Nozzle 46 Shoulder surface 52 Cleaning plate unit 54 Rotation drive unit 60 Concave surface part 62 Convex surface part 64 Outer wall 70 Exhaust part 72 Attached device

Claims (5)

A substrate cleaning method,
Providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a cleaning plate having a liquid support surface;
Placing the substrate in a downward posture with the first surface facing downward;
Placing the cleaning plate in an upward posture with the liquid support surface facing upward;
Disposing the substrate in the downward posture and the cleaning plate in the upward posture at a working position where the first surface and the liquid support surface face each other with a predetermined size gap therebetween;
Supplying a cleaning liquid to a central region of the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate in the upward posture;
Rotating the cleaning plate in the upward posture around a cleaning plate axis defined on the cleaning plate as an axis substantially orthogonal to the liquid support surface in the central region;
Cleaning the first surface of the substrate by bringing the cleaning liquid flowing along the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate into contact with the first surface of the substrate;
A substrate cleaning method comprising:   The step of cleaning the first surface of the substrate includes a step of relatively rotating the substrate and the cleaning plate around a substrate axis defined on the substrate as an axis substantially orthogonal to the first surface. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 1. In a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a first surface of a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface,
A substrate support unit capable of supporting the substrate in a downward posture with the first surface facing downward;
A cleaning plate having a liquid support surface, wherein the liquid support surface is disposed at a work position where the liquid support surface can face the first surface of the substrate supported by the substrate support portion via a gap having a predetermined size. A cleaning plate arranged in an upward posture with the surface facing upward;
A cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to a central region of the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate;
A cleaning plate driving section that rotates the cleaning plate around a cleaning plate axis defined by the cleaning plate as an axis substantially orthogonal to the liquid support surface in the central region;
The cleaning liquid can be brought into contact with the first surface of the substrate to clean the first surface of the substrate.
Substrate cleaning device.   A rotation driving unit is further provided for rotating the cleaning plate and the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit relative to each other about a substrate axis defined on the substrate as an axis substantially orthogonal to the first surface. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 3.   The first surface of the substrate is a circular surface centered on the substrate axis, the liquid support surface of the cleaning plate is a circular surface centered on the cleaning plate axis, and the diameter of the liquid support surface is The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the substrate cleaning apparatus has a diameter equal to or smaller than a diameter of the first surface.

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