JP2016152345A - Substrate washing device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate washing device and method capable of carrying out the self-cleaning of a washing member at any timing regardless of a position or state of the washing member such as a roll sponge, keeping the washing member clean, and expecting a long life of the washing member.SOLUTION: A substrate washing device rotating a substrate and washing the substrate while contacting a washing member 41 with the rotating substrate, includes: a self-cleaning member 48 which is provided on an arm 42 for supporting the washing member 41, and contacts with the washing member 41 to self-wash the washing member 41; and a moving mechanism 45 which is provided on the arm 42 for supporting the washing member 41, and moves the self-cleaning member 48 between a position contacting with the washing member 41 and a position separated from the washing member 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly to a substrate cleaning apparatus and method having a self-cleaning function for self-cleaning a cleaning member that contacts the substrate and cleans the substrate.

In recent years, scrub cleaning having a merit that particles such as polishing liquid can be efficiently dropped is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, particularly chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus cleaning apparatuses. In scrub cleaning, substrate cleaning with a roll sponge is widely used, which has advantages such as not damaging the substrate, absorbing dirt such as polishing liquid, and having a high scraping effect.
Further, when cleaning the surface of the substrate, a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sponge is used to remove fine particles, and when cleaning the back surface of the substrate, the substrate is mounted with a top ring as a substrate holding device. When held, the substrate comes into contact with the membrane and dirt adheres due to the bonding force with the substrate, so the sponge is made of a nonwoven fabric in which the fibers are hardened with resin etc. and fine holes are formed on the surface by the gaps of the fibers Sometimes.

In scrub cleaning with a cleaning member such as a roll sponge, since the cleaning member is brought into direct contact with the substrate, contamination of the cleaning member itself becomes a factor that affects the cleaning effect. When contamination of the cleaning member progresses, contaminants are removed from the substrate, while contaminants deposited on the cleaning member may contaminate the substrate and the cleaning effect may not be obtained. These phenomena are called back-contamination, and it is a problem to prevent back-contamination as much as possible. Therefore, attempts are currently being made to prevent back-contamination.
As one means for preventing back contamination, a method called self-cleaning (self-cleaning) is used in which the cleaning member itself is cleaned without being replaced even if the cleaning member is contaminated.

There are mainly two self-cleaning methods currently used.
The first method is an inner rinse method in which the roll sponge is cleaned by passing a cleaning liquid from the inside to the outside of the roll sponge. This method is a simple method of rinsing with a cleaning liquid, and can be carried out arbitrarily regardless of the structure of the roll washer and the position of the roll, and has the advantage of not causing extra damage to the sponge.
In the second method, a roll cleaning machine in which the roll sponge is retracted from the substrate is provided with a cleaning plate at the retracted position of the roll sponge, so that the roll sponge is rubbed against the cleaning plate while the roll sponge is retracted. It is a method to do.

JP 09-092633 A JP-A-10-323631 Special table 2008-541413

Of the two self-cleaning methods described above, a method called inner rinse, in which cleaning liquid is passed from the inside to the outside of the roll sponge, has a low effect of removing dirt clogged in the roll sponge and a low cleaning effect. There is a problem.
Further, the method of cleaning the roll sponge by rubbing it against the cleaning plate at the retracted position of the roll sponge has a problem that cleaning can be performed only when the roll sponge is at the retracted position. Further, when the roll sponge is in the retracted position, it is always pressed against the cleaning plate, and it is impossible to cancel self-cleaning while the roll sponge is waiting. That is, there is a problem that the self-cleaning time cannot be arbitrarily controlled. In the case of operation with a long standby time, there is a problem that the roll sponge is prematurely worn.

  The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and can perform self-cleaning of the cleaning member at any timing regardless of the position and state of the cleaning member such as a roll sponge, and can keep the cleaning member clean, It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus and method capable of prolonging the life of a cleaning member.

  In order to achieve the above object, a substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention is provided in an arm that supports the cleaning member in the substrate cleaning apparatus that rotates the substrate and cleans the substrate while bringing the cleaning member into contact with the rotating substrate. A self-cleaning member that contacts the cleaning member to self-clean the cleaning member, and an arm that supports the cleaning member, and a position at which the self-cleaning member contacts the cleaning member and a position at which the cleaning member is separated from the cleaning member And a moving mechanism for moving between them.

  According to the present invention, since the arm that supports the cleaning member is provided with the self-cleaning member and the moving mechanism that moves the self-cleaning member, the moving mechanism is operated during the cleaning of the substrate, and the self-cleaning member is moved to the cleaning member. The cleaning member can be self-cleaned by contacting the cleaning member. In addition, regardless of the position of the cleaning member (cleaning position or standby position) or state (during cleaning or standby), the moving mechanism is operated at any timing, and the self-cleaning member is brought into contact with the cleaning member to Self-cleaning can be performed.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the cleaning member is made of a roll sponge.
According to the present invention, since the substrate is cleaned with the roll sponge, it is possible to absorb the dirt such as the polishing liquid without damaging the substrate and to perform the substrate cleaning with a high dirt scraping effect.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the self-cleaning member is attached to the arm via an attachment member.
According to the present invention, the self-cleaning member is attached to the arm by the attachment member, and the moving mechanism is attached to the arm directly or via the attachment member.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the self-cleaning member is attached to the moving mechanism provided on the arm.
According to the present invention, the self-cleaning member is attached to the moving mechanism, and the moving mechanism is attached to the arm directly or via the attaching member.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the self-cleaning member comprises a cleaning plate.
According to the present invention, the cleaning plate constituting the self-cleaning member has, for example, a smooth surface.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism is a linear moving mechanism or a rotational moving mechanism.
According to the present invention, the moving mechanism is composed of a linear moving mechanism such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder, or a rotational moving mechanism such as a rotary actuator.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism is housed in a waterproof housing, and the housing is formed with a hole for allowing the moving operation of the moving portion of the moving mechanism. Features.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a bellows is provided so as to surround the hole of the housing and the moving portion of the moving mechanism.
According to the present invention, since the moving mechanism is housed in the waterproof casing and the moving part of the moving mechanism is surrounded by the bellows, the cleaning liquid (chemical solution) is prevented from adhering to the moving mechanism and the moving part of the moving mechanism. It is possible to prevent malfunction of the moving mechanism due to adhesion after the cleaning liquid.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a nozzle is provided on an arm that supports the cleaning member, and supplies a cleaning liquid to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the self-cleaning member.
According to the present invention, a cleaning liquid as a self-cleaning liquid can be supplied during self-cleaning of the cleaning member, and the self-cleaning effect can be enhanced. Pure water or chemicals can be used as the cleaning liquid as the self-cleaning liquid.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate processing unit that performs predetermined processing on a substrate; and a substrate cleaning device that cleans a substrate that has been subjected to predetermined processing by the substrate processing unit. The apparatus is a substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the substrate processing unit includes a polishing unit that polishes the substrate.

The substrate cleaning method of the present invention rotates a substrate, cleans the substrate while bringing the cleaning member into contact with the rotating substrate, and makes the cleaning member self contact with the cleaning member while cleaning the substrate. It is characterized by washing.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, after the cleaning of the substrate, the cleaning member is moved away from the substrate and moved to a standby position, and the cleaning member in contact with the cleaning member waiting at the standby position is brought into contact with the cleaning member. It is characterized by washing.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a cleaning liquid can be supplied to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the self-cleaning member during the self-cleaning of the cleaning member.

The present invention has the following effects.
(1) During cleaning of the substrate, the self-cleaning member can be brought into contact with the cleaning member to perform self-cleaning of the cleaning member, so that dirt does not accumulate on the cleaning member. Therefore, the cleaning member can be kept clean, a high substrate cleaning effect can be expected, and a longer life of the cleaning member can be expected.
(2) The cleaning member can be self-cleaned at an arbitrary timing regardless of the position (cleaning position or standby position) or state (during cleaning or standby) of the cleaning member. Therefore, the cleaning timing and cleaning time of the cleaning member can be freely set during the substrate processing step. In addition, a high self-cleaning effect can be obtained while suppressing the wear of the cleaning member, and the life of the cleaning member can be expected to be extended.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module. FIG. 3 is a view showing a first embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a perspective view of the cleaning module. FIG. 4 is a view showing a second embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a partial cross-sectional front view of the cleaning module. FIG. 5 is a view showing a third embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module. FIG. 6 is a view showing a fourth embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a partial cross-sectional front view of the cleaning module.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a substrate cleaning apparatus and method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus provided with the substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a substantially rectangular housing 1, and the interior of the housing 1 is divided into a load / unload unit 2, a polishing unit 3, and a cleaning unit 4 by partition walls 1a and 1b. Has been. The load / unload unit 2, the polishing unit 3, and the cleaning unit 4 are assembled independently and exhausted independently. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a control unit 5 that controls the substrate processing operation.

  The load / unload unit 2 includes two or more (four in this embodiment) front load units 20 on which wafer cassettes for stocking a large number of wafers (substrates) are placed. These front load portions 20 are arranged adjacent to the housing 1 and are arranged along the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the substrate processing apparatus. The front load unit 20 can be equipped with an open cassette, a SMIF (Standard Manufacturing Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). Here, SMIF and FOUP are sealed containers that can maintain an environment independent of the external space by accommodating a wafer cassette inside and covering with a partition wall.

  In addition, a traveling mechanism 21 is laid along the front load unit 20 in the load / unload unit 2, and two transfer robots that can move along the arrangement direction of the wafer cassettes on the traveling mechanism 21. A (loader) 22 is installed. The transfer robot 22 can access the wafer cassette mounted on the front load unit 20 by moving on the traveling mechanism 21. Each transfer robot 22 has two hands on the upper and lower sides, the upper hand is used when returning the processed wafer to the wafer cassette, and the lower hand is used when taking out the wafer before processing from the wafer cassette. The upper and lower hands can be used properly. Furthermore, the lower hand of the transfer robot 22 is configured to be able to reverse the wafer by rotating around its axis.

  Since the load / unload unit 2 is an area where it is necessary to maintain the cleanest state, the pressure inside the load / unload unit 2 is higher than any of the outside of the substrate processing apparatus, the polishing unit 3 and the cleaning unit 4. Is always maintained. The polishing unit 3 is the most dirty region because slurry is used as the polishing liquid. Therefore, a negative pressure is formed inside the polishing unit 3, and the pressure is maintained lower than the internal pressure of the cleaning unit 4. The load / unload unit 2 is provided with a filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter such as a HEPA filter, a ULPA filter, or a chemical filter. From the filter fan unit, particles, toxic vapor, Clean air from which toxic gases have been removed is constantly blowing out.

  The polishing unit 3 is a region where the wafer is polished (flattened), and includes a first polishing unit 3A, a second polishing unit 3B, a third polishing unit 3C, and a fourth polishing unit 3D. The first polishing unit 3A, the second polishing unit 3B, the third polishing unit 3C, and the fourth polishing unit 3D are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first polishing unit 3A includes a polishing table 30A to which a polishing pad 10 having a polishing surface is attached, and polishing while holding the wafer and pressing the wafer against the polishing pad 10 on the polishing table 30A. A top ring 31A for polishing, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32A for supplying a polishing liquid or a dressing liquid (for example, pure water) to the polishing pad 10, and a dresser 33A for dressing the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10. And an atomizer 34A for spraying a mixed fluid of liquid (for example, pure water) and gas (for example, nitrogen gas) or a liquid (for example, pure water) to the polishing surface in the form of a mist.

  Similarly, the second polishing unit 3B includes a polishing table 30B to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a top ring 31B, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32B, a dresser 33B, and an atomizer 34B. The third polishing unit 3C includes a polishing table 30C to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a top ring 31C, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32C, a dresser 33C, and an atomizer 34C. The fourth polishing unit 3D includes a polishing table 30D to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a top ring 31D, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32D, a dresser 33D, and an atomizer 34D.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning unit 4 is divided into a first cleaning chamber 190, a first transfer chamber 191, a second cleaning chamber 192, a second transfer chamber 193, and a drying chamber 194. In the first cleaning chamber 190, an upper primary cleaning module and a lower primary cleaning module arranged in the vertical direction are arranged. Similarly, an upper secondary cleaning module and a lower secondary cleaning module arranged in the vertical direction are arranged in the second cleaning chamber 192. In the drying chamber 194, an upper drying module and a lower drying module arranged in the vertical direction are arranged. A first transfer robot that can move up and down is arranged in the first transfer chamber 191, and a second transfer robot that can move up and down is arranged in the second transfer chamber 193.

  Since the cleaning unit 4 includes two primary cleaning modules and two secondary cleaning modules, a plurality of cleaning lines for cleaning a plurality of wafers in parallel can be configured. The cleaning line is a moving path when one wafer is cleaned by a plurality of cleaning modules inside the cleaning unit 4. For example, a single wafer can be cleaned and dried at approximately the same time (typically two) by two parallel cleaning lines.

2 and 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cleaning module.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning module (substrate cleaning apparatus) includes a plurality of spindles 40 that support the peripheral portion of the substrate W and rotate the substrate W in a horizontal state, and a substrate that is rotated by the spindle 40. And a roll sponge 41 constituting a cleaning member for scrub cleaning in contact with the surface of W. The roll sponge 41 is held by a roll arm 42, and the roll sponge 41 is configured to rotate around its axis. The roll sponge 41 is made of a roll sponge having a cylindrical shape and slightly longer than the diameter of the substrate W. The roll sponge 41 is made of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sponge or the like that can easily remove fine particles when cleaning the surface of the substrate. It has become.

  The roll arm 42 includes a long arm portion 42a extending along the longitudinal direction of the roll sponge 41 above the roll sponge 41, and support portions 42b extending downward from both ends of the arm portion 42a. Both ends of the sponge 41 are supported. A housing 43 is fixed to the arm portion 42 a of the roll arm 42, and an actuator 45 is accommodated in the housing 43. The actuator 45 is fixed to the housing 43, and the housing 43 and the actuator 45 are configured to move together in accordance with the movement of the roll arm 42. The casing 43 is preferably made of a waterproof member so that liquid such as cleaning liquid does not enter the inside.

  An attachment member 44 made up of a pair of left and right brackets is fixed to the arm portion 42a of the roll arm 42 so as to sandwich the housing 43 therebetween. A flat cleaning plate 48 is attached to the attachment member 44. The cleaning plate 48 is composed of a quartz plate, a sapphire glass plate, or the like. The cleaning plate 48 constitutes a self-cleaning member that contacts the roll sponge 41 and self-cleans the roll sponge 41 as the roll sponge 41 rotates. Further, a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 is attached to the attachment member 44 immediately above the cleaning plate 48. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 is composed of a pipe-shaped member extending along the roll sponge 41, and a plurality of holes for supplying a cleaning liquid as a self-cleaning liquid to the roll sponge 41 are formed in the pipe-shaped member at regular intervals. Has been. The cleaning plate 48 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are set slightly longer than the roll sponge 41 and extend along the roll sponge 41. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 may be shorter than the roll sponge 41 as long as the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the entire roll sponge 41.

  The actuator 45 is composed of an air cylinder or an electric cylinder. The actuator 45 pushes the cleaning plate 48 forward to bring the cleaning plate 48 into contact with the roll sponge 41, and rolls the cleaning plate 48 away from the cleaning plate 48 backward. A rod 46 that moves between a retracted position for separating the sponge 41 from the sponge 41 is provided. That is, the actuator 45 constitutes a moving mechanism that moves the cleaning plate 48 constituting the self-cleaning member between a position where the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 and a position where the cleaning plate 48 is separated from the roll sponge 41. A hole is provided in the housing 43 so that the tip of the rod 46 does not contact the housing 43 when the rod 46 moves forward. A cylindrical bellows made of a fluororesin or the like may be provided at a location corresponding to the hole so that liquid such as cleaning liquid does not touch the rod 46 and liquid does not enter the housing 43. In this case, it is preferable that one end of the cylindrical bellows is fixed to the casing 43 so as to surround the hole of the casing 43, and the other end of the bellows is fixed to the tip of the rod 46 of the casing 43. The actuator 45 is connected to an air pipe (in the case of an air cylinder) and electric wiring (in the case of an electric cylinder) for operating the actuator 45.

  In the cleaning module (substrate cleaning apparatus) configured as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the actuator 45 is actuated to advance the rod 46, the rod 46 pushes the cleaning plate 48, and the cleaning plate 48 is a roll sponge. 41 abuts. At this time, the cleaning liquid (self-cleaning liquid) is supplied to the contact portion between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49. Thereby, the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 in a state where the cleaning liquid is interposed between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48, and self-cleans the roll sponge 41 as the roll sponge 41 rotates.

  When the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 is finished, the rod 46 is moved backward by the actuator 45 to separate the rod 46 from the cleaning plate 48. The attachment member 44 is constituted by, for example, a leaf spring and has resilience, and the attachment member 44 is configured to return to its original position when the rod 46 moves backward and the pressing force of the rod 46 disappears. . When the attachment member 44 returns to the original position, the cleaning plate 48 is separated from the roll sponge 41 and the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 can be terminated. The cleaning plate 48 may be configured to return directly to the original position by the actuator 45.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cleaning module for cleaning the back surface of the substrate W is provided on the back surface side of the substrate W. The roll sponge, the roll arm that supports the roll sponge, and the roll sponge are provided. The configuration of the self-cleaning member for self-cleaning is the same as that shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a second embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module, corresponding to FIG.
In the cleaning module (substrate cleaning apparatus) shown in FIG. 4, a cleaning plate 48 and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are attached to the tip of the rod 46 of the actuator 45. The cleaning plate 48 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are set slightly longer than the roll sponge 41 and extend along the roll sponge 41. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 is attached to the rod 46 so as to be positioned above the cleaning plate 48. The configuration of the spindle 40, the roll sponge 41, the roll arm 42, the housing 43, etc. is the same as that of the cleaning module shown in FIGS.

  In the cleaning module configured as shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning plate 48 comes into contact with the roll sponge 41 when the actuator 45 is operated to advance the rod 46. At this time, the cleaning liquid (self-cleaning liquid) is supplied to the contact portion between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49. Thereby, the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 in a state where the cleaning liquid is interposed between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48, and self-cleans the roll sponge 41 as the roll sponge 41 rotates. When the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 is ended, the cleaning plate 48 is separated from the roll sponge 41 by retracting the rod 46 by the actuator 45, and the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 can be ended.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module and corresponds to FIG.
In the cleaning module (substrate cleaning apparatus) shown in FIG. 5, a cleaning plate 48 and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are attached to the tip of the rod 46 of the actuator 45. Further, the roll arm 42 and the actuator 45 are connected (integrated) by attaching the actuator 45 to the roll arm 42 via the attachment member 50. In this embodiment, since the roll arm 42 and the actuator 45 are integrated, the space of the apparatus can be saved. The configuration of the spindle 40, the roll sponge 41, the roll arm 42, the cleaning plate 48, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49, and the like are the same as those of the cleaning module shown in FIG.

  In the cleaning module configured as shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning plate 48 comes into contact with the roll sponge 41 when the actuator 45 is operated to advance the rod 46. At this time, the cleaning liquid (self-cleaning liquid) is supplied to the contact portion between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49. Thus, with the cleaning liquid interposed between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48, the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 and self-cleans the roll sponge 41 as the roll sponge rotates. When the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 is ended, the cleaning plate 48 is separated from the roll sponge 41 by retracting the rod 46 by the actuator 45, and the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 can be ended.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a fourth embodiment of the cleaning module installed in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial sectional front view of the cleaning module, corresponding to FIG.
In the cleaning module (substrate cleaning apparatus) shown in FIG. 6, a cleaning plate 48 and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are attached to the tip of the rod 46 of the actuator 45. Further, by attaching the actuator 45 directly to the roll arm 42, the roll arm 42 and the actuator 45 are connected (integrated). In this embodiment, since the roll arm 42 and the actuator 45 are integrated, the space of the apparatus can be saved. The configuration of the spindle 40, the roll sponge 41, the roll arm 42, the cleaning plate 48, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49, and the like are the same as those of the cleaning module shown in FIG.

  In the cleaning module configured as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 when the actuator 45 is operated and the rod 46 moves forward. At this time, the cleaning liquid (self-cleaning liquid) is supplied to the contact portion between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49. Thereby, the cleaning plate 48 contacts the roll sponge 41 in a state where the cleaning liquid is interposed between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48, and self-cleans the roll sponge 41 as the roll sponge 41 rotates. When the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 is ended, the cleaning plate 48 is separated from the roll sponge 41 by retracting the rod 46 by the actuator 45, and the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 can be ended.

Next, a substrate cleaning process and a self-cleaning process by the cleaning module configured as shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 will be described.
When the substrate W is supplied in a state where the plurality of spindles 40 are moved away from each other, the plurality of spindles 40 are advanced, and the peripheral edge of the substrate W is held by a roller at the upper end of the spindle 40. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate W is held horizontally by the spindle 40. At this time, the roll sponge 41 is in a standby position (described later). By rotating the spindle 40 connected to the motor among the plurality of spindles 40, a rotational force is applied to the substrate W, the roll arm 42 is moved while the substrate W is rotated, and the roll sponge 41 is moved. Move from the standby position to the cleaning position. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the roll sponge 41 is rotated and brought into contact with the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W. At this time, since the actuator 45, the cleaning plate 48 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are provided on the roll arm 42, they move together with the roll arm 42.

  With the substrate W rotated in this way, the roll sponge 41 is rotated and brought into contact with the surface of the substrate W while supplying the cleaning solution to the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W from a cleaning liquid supply nozzle (not shown). Thus, the surface of the substrate W is scrubbed with the roll sponge 41 in the presence of the cleaning liquid.

  During the cleaning process, the actuator 45 constituting the moving mechanism is operated, the cleaning plate 48 constituting the self-cleaning member is brought into contact with the roll sponge 41, and the roll sponge 41 is self-cleaned. The self-cleaning liquid may be supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 to the contact portion between the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate 48. This self-cleaning may be started at any timing from the start of cleaning to the end of cleaning. Also, the self-cleaning time can be arbitrarily set between the start of cleaning and the end of cleaning.

After cleaning, the roll arm 42 is moved, and the roll sponge 41 is moved from the cleaning position to the standby position. Since the actuator 45, the cleaning plate 48 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 are provided on the roll arm 42, they move together with the roll arm 42.
The standby position of the roll sponge 41 is on the side (lateral direction) or above (vertical direction) of the substrate W held by the spindle 40. When the standby position is on the side, the roll sponge 41 moves up in the horizontal direction after rising from the cleaning position, reaches the standby position, and waits at the standby position. When the standby position is on the upper side, the roll sponge 41 rises from the cleaning position to the standby position and waits at the standby position. When the standby position is on the side, the roll sponge 41 moves in the horizontal direction after rising from the cleaning position, and then descends to reach the standby position and may wait at the standby position.

  During the standby process, the actuator 45 constituting the moving mechanism is operated, the cleaning plate 48 constituting the self-cleaning member is brought into contact with the roll sponge 41, and the self-cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 to the roll sponge 41 and the cleaning plate. 48, the self-cleaning of the roll sponge 41 is performed. This self-cleaning may be started at any timing from when the roll sponge 41 starts waiting at the standby position to when the standby ends. Further, the self-cleaning time can be arbitrarily set between the start of standby and the end of standby.

  The roll sponge for cleaning the back surface of the substrate W has a standby position below the substrate W. Therefore, the roll sponge reciprocates between the cleaning position and the standby position only by the lifting operation. In this case, the self-cleaning of the roll sponge at the cleaning position and the standby position is performed in the same manner as the roll sponge 41 for cleaning the surface of the substrate W.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the length of the roll sponge 41 is slightly longer than the diameter of the substrate W, and the length of the cleaning plate 48 is longer than the length of the roll sponge 41 to prevent the roll sponge 41 from being left unwashed. Longer is preferred. In this embodiment, the length of the roll sponge 41 is set to 309 mm while the diameter of the substrate is 300 mm.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the cleaning member for cleaning the substrate uses a roll sponge, but a cleaning member other than the roll sponge may be used. Further, although the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49 is provided for cleaning the roll sponge 41, the apparatus may be provided with only the self-cleaning member including the cleaning plate 48 and the like without providing the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 49.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the linear movement mechanism is exemplified as the movement mechanism for moving the self-cleaning member, but a rotary movement mechanism such as a rotary actuator for rotating and moving the self-cleaning member may be used.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea.

1a, 1b Bulkhead 2 Load / unload unit 3 Polishing unit 3A First polishing unit 3B Second polishing unit 3C Third polishing unit 3D Fourth polishing unit 4 Cleaning unit 10 Polishing pad 20 Front load unit 21 Traveling mechanism 22 Transport robot ( Loader)
30A, 30B, 30C, 30D Polishing table 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D Top ring 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D Polishing liquid supply nozzle 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D Dresser 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D Atomizer 40 Spindle 41 Roll sponge 42 Roll arm 43 Housing 44 Mounting member 45 Actuator 46 Rod 48 Cleaning plate 49 Cleaning liquid supply nozzle 50 Mounting member 190 First cleaning chamber 191 First transport chamber 192 Second cleaning chamber 193 Second transport chamber 194 Drying chamber W Substrate

Claims (14)

In the substrate cleaning apparatus for rotating the substrate and cleaning the substrate while bringing the cleaning member into contact with the rotating substrate,
A self-cleaning member that is provided on an arm that supports the cleaning member and that self-cleans the cleaning member in contact with the cleaning member;
Substrate cleaning comprising: a moving mechanism provided on an arm that supports the cleaning member and moving the self-cleaning member between a position for contacting the cleaning member and a position for separating the cleaning member from the cleaning member apparatus.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is made of a roll sponge.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the self-cleaning member is attached to the arm via an attachment member.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the self-cleaning member is attached to the moving mechanism provided in the arm.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the self-cleaning member includes a cleaning plate.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism includes a linear moving mechanism or a rotational moving mechanism.   7. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism is housed in a waterproof casing, and the casing is formed with a hole for allowing a moving operation of the moving portion of the moving mechanism. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.   The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a bellows is provided so as to surround a hole of the housing and a moving part of the moving mechanism.   9. The nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle that is provided on an arm that supports the cleaning member and supplies a cleaning liquid to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the self-cleaning member. Substrate cleaning device. In a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate processing unit that performs predetermined processing on a substrate; and a substrate cleaning device that cleans a substrate that has been subjected to predetermined processing in the substrate processing unit.
The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate cleaning apparatus is the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the substrate processing unit includes a polishing unit that polishes a substrate. Rotate the substrate, clean the substrate while bringing the cleaning member into contact with the rotating substrate,
A method of cleaning a substrate, wherein the cleaning member is self-cleaned by bringing the self-cleaning member into contact with the cleaning member during the cleaning of the substrate. After cleaning the substrate, the cleaning member is moved away from the substrate and moved to a standby position,
13. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning member is self-cleaned by bringing the self-cleaning member into contact with the cleaning member waiting at the standby position.   14. The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein a cleaning liquid can be supplied to a contact portion between the cleaning member and the self-cleaning member during the self-cleaning of the cleaning member.

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