JP2019083302A - Wafer cleaning device and wafer cleaning method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wafer cleaning device that integrates cleaning motions of a wafer into a single wafer feeding mechanism to make .a motion mechanism in a cleaning tank a simple configuration to achieve downsizing of a capacity of the cleaning tank and compactness of the cleaning device, and a method for cleaning a wafer.SOLUTION: A wafer cleaning device comprises: fixed arm means 21 that is implemented such that a wafer W can be mounted; a wafer feeding mechanism 40 that holds a wafer, rotates the wafer a little, and feeds the wafer in sequence in a rotation direction; and an ultrasonic wave generator 70 for radiating a generated ultrasonic wave onto the wafer in the cleaning tank. The device raises the wafer, places adjoining wafers in a non-contact state, makes a wafer feeding mechanism swing and rise and fall, and the wafer in the cleaning tank is delivered and received between fixed wafer mount tables 24, 25, 26 and movable wafer delivery tables 44, 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method for irradiating a ultrasonic wave to clean a wafer in a cleaning tank.

A silicon wafer (Silicon Wafer) used for a semiconductor device is processed by chamfering, polishing, etching or the like on a substantially disk-shaped wafer substrate sliced from a silicon ingot. In these processing steps, fine particles such as abrasive powder are generated during wafer processing and adhere to the wafer, so it is necessary to clean the wafer using a wafer cleaning apparatus after processing. In addition, it is necessary to quickly remove the generation of heat generated around the driving means of the wafer cleaning apparatus.

Conventionally, as a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning and removing fine particles (for example, nano level particles) adhering to the wafer surface, a wafer cleaning apparatus for irradiating the wafer with ultrasonic waves while rotating the wafer in the circumferential direction to clean the wafer Has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2114-94858

The wafer cleaning apparatus in Patent Document 1 is formed to move the wafer support, which is a wafer support member, and the wafer guide in the vertical direction relative to each other, and the failure of the wafer support member, the attenuation of ultrasonic waves, and the cleaning tank. The apparatus is configured to minimize the influence of the nonuniform distribution of the processing solution, and the processing nonuniformity is eliminated to clean the wafer. However, this wafer cleaning apparatus has at least the following problems (1) (2) (3).
(1) There is a risk that fine particles once removed from the wafer may reattach to the wafer being cleaned.
(2) A wafer cleaning apparatus includes a wafer support for holding a wafer in a cleaning tank so as to be able to swing, a wafer swing mechanism for swinging the wafer support, and a wafer holding mechanism capable of lifting and lowering a wafer in the cleaning tank. A set of wafer guides and an elevation mechanism for raising and lowering the wafer guides are separately required, and the structure for moving the wafer pedestal and the wafer guides relative to each other in the vertical direction increases the capacity of the cleaning tank and the cleaning apparatus. It can not be made large and compact.
(3) Adjacent wafers in the cleaning tank [i] when held by the wafer pedestal; [ii] when held by the wafer guide: [iii] between the wafer pedestal and the wafer guide When the wafer is delivered (transferred), it is easy to be in contact, and uneven cleaning occurs in the contact portion during cleaning.
(4) It is difficult to quickly remove the sprouting generated around the driving means of the wafer cleaning apparatus.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to hold each wafer independently in a standing state in a cleaning tank and place adjacent wafers in a non-contact state, The cleaning liquid supplied from the lower part of the cleaning tank flows smoothly between the wafers as a liquid flow rising in the cleaning tank as the wafer rotates and moves up and down, and the cleaning liquid contacts the wafer without stagnation, so that efficient cleaning can be achieved. While guaranteeing, the fine particles removed from the wafer are guided by the liquid flow to the upper part in the cleaning tank, and the particles are discharged out of the cleaning tank together with the overflowed cleaning liquid, and the fine particles once removed from the wafer are being cleaned It is an object of the present invention to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method which avoid reattachment to a wafer.

Another object of the present invention is to use a single wafer (single wafer cleaning operation) for performing wafer cleaning while rotating the wafer while making small rotations of the wafer intermittently while holding the wafer in the cleaning tank. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method which are integrated into a feed mechanism and have a simple operation mechanism in a cleaning tank to miniaturize the capacity of the cleaning tank and compact the cleaning apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is that, in the cleaning tank, an adjacent wafer is erected and placed in a non-contact state, and (i) the wafer is held on a fixed wafer mounting table provided with a fixed arm means. (Ii) when the wafer is held by the movable wafer carriage constituting the movable arm device; (iii) delivery of the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm device and the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm device When there is a problem (accident) in which adjacent wafers are in contact with each other when there is a transfer (transfer), there is no need to provide a cleaning device and a wafer cleaning method without any uneven cleaning due to the cleaning solution evenly flowing around the wafer peripheral surface. .

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer in which driving means for driving a wafer feeding mechanism is provided outside the cleaning tank and dusts are not mixed in the cleaning tank by the operation of the driving means. It is to provide a cleaning method.

A wafer cleaning apparatus according to the present invention comprises a cleaning tank for containing a cleaning solution;
Fixed arm means disposed so as to be able to mount a wafer in the cleaning tank;
A wafer feed mechanism for holding the wafer, slightly rotating the wafer, and sequentially feeding the wafer in a rotational direction;
Driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism;
And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank and irradiating the generated ultrasonic wave to the wafer.
A wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning the wafer by transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism;
The fixed arm means is configured to include at least a pair of left and right fixed wafer mounting tables which are disposed facing the bottom of the cleaning tank and are formed in parallel spaced apart with a distance.
In the longitudinal direction of the top portion of each fixed wafer mounting table, a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer is provided in a row,
The wafer feeding mechanism includes movable arm means disposed in the cleaning tank,
The movable arm means is swingable in a pendulum shape and configured to be movable up and down, and is configured to include a pair of left and right movable wafer feeders formed to be separated at a lower portion with a distance,
In the longitudinal direction of the top of each movable wafer feeder, a row groove for locking a part of the wafer is provided in a row.
The movable arm means receives the wafer held by the fixed arm means when it is raised when the swing angle is a first angle, and lifts the wafer, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. The wafer held by the movable arm means is delivered to the fixed arm means when it descends when the angle is 2;
In the cleaning tank, the wafer is erected and the adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state to swing the wafer feed mechanism and to be movable up and down. The fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer support are It is characterized in that the wafer in the cleaning tank is transferred between the two.

The wafer feeding mechanism makes it possible to perform the following operations (1) to (4) in the cleaning tank, and transfers the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage. Preferably, the wafer is slightly rotated in the circumferential direction while the small rotation is intermittently performed so that the wafer is rotated once in the cleaning tank to perform ultrasonic cleaning of the wafer.
(1) First operation:
When the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, the movable arm means ascends, and the movable wafer carriage receives and abuts each of the wafers held upright by the fixed wafer mounting table. A first operation of lifting the wafers while keeping the wafers in a non-contact state.
(2) Second operation:
After the first operation, the movable wafer carriage swings the swinging angle of the movable arm means to the second angle while holding the wafers upright and maintaining the non-contact state, thereby circumferentially moving the wafers. The second action to rotate.
(3) Third operation:
After the second operation, a third operation of delivering the wafer to the fixed wafer mounting table by lowering the movable arm means while the movable wafer support holds the wafers upright and maintains a non-contact state. .
(4) Fourth operation:
After the third operation, while the wafer is held by the fixed wafer mounting table, the swinging angle of the movable arm means is swung from the second angle to the first angle so that the movable arm means is in its original shape The fourth operation to return to

Each groove formed in the fixed wafer mounting table has an arc-shaped groove matching the arc of the wafer, and the groove is formed in a V-groove in a longitudinal sectional shape, and the V-groove is the wafer The fixed wafer mounting surface is formed with a two-step groove surface including an inclined locking guide surface for guiding the locking of the lock and a locking groove surface for wafer locking provided continuously to the lock guiding surface. It is possible to guide the locking of the wafer when transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the table and the movable wafer carriage, and to separate and stand the plurality of wafers vertically. It is good to form.

Each groove portion formed in the movable wafer feeder includes an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the arc of the wafer, and the groove is formed as a V-shaped groove in a longitudinal sectional shape, and the V-shaped groove is a portion of the wafer. The fixed wafer mounting table is formed with a two-step groove surface including an inclined locking guide surface for guiding locking and a locking groove surface for wafer locking provided continuously with the locking guide surface. When the wafer in the cleaning tank is transferred between the wafer transfer table and the movable wafer carriage, the locking of the wafer is guided, and a plurality of the wafers can be separated and erected for vertical placement. It is good to do.

The movable wafer support may be positioned outside the fixed wafer mounting table and formed parallel to the fixed wafer mounting table.

The driving means includes a swing mechanism portion for swinging the movable arm means, and an elevation mechanism portion for lifting and lowering the movable arm means, and the swing mechanism portion and the elevation mechanism portion are disposed outside the cleaning tank. It will be set up.

Furthermore, a circulating liquid supply means for supplying filtered circulating liquid to the washing tank as a washing liquid is provided, the circulating liquid supply means is connected to the lower part of the washing tank, and the circulating liquid is supplied into the washing tank. It is preferred that a fluid flow be generated in the washing tank.

The movable arm means is pivotally supported by a pivot bearing that is the center of pivoting, and includes a vacuum unit for vacuuming the pivot bearing, and the pivot bearing is formed as a bearing to which chemical resistance is imparted. .

The elevating mechanism portion includes a bellows portion, and the bellows portion is formed by sealing the upper and lower bearings and providing acid resistance.

The cleaning tank can be formed of either transparent quartz or stainless steel.

The fixed arm means preferably includes a fine adjustment mechanism capable of finely adjusting the position in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The wafer cleaning method according to the present invention
A cleaning tank containing a cleaning solution,
Fixed arm means disposed so as to be able to mount a wafer in the cleaning tank;
A wafer feed mechanism for holding the wafer, slightly rotating the wafer, and sequentially feeding the wafer in a rotational direction;
Driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism;
And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank and irradiating the generated ultrasonic wave to the wafer.
Transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism to clean the wafer;
The fixed arm means is configured to include a pair of left and right fixed wafer mounting tables disposed facing the bottom of the cleaning tank and formed to be separated by a distance.
In each of the fixed wafer mounting bases, a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The wafer feeding mechanism includes movable arm means disposed in the cleaning tank,
The movable arm means swings in a pendulum shape and is configured to be vertically movable, and includes a pair of left and right movable wafer feeders formed in parallel at a lower portion with a distance therebetween,
The movable wafer feeder is carried out using a wafer cleaning apparatus in which a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The movable arm means receives the wafer held by the fixed arm means when it is raised when the swing angle is a first angle, and lifts the wafer, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. When it descends at an angle of 2, the wafer held by the movable arm means is delivered to the l fixed arm means,
In the cleaning tank, the wafer is erected, the adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state, the wafer feed mechanism is oscillated and raised and lowered, and the wafer is moved between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer transfer table. It is characterized in that the wafer in the cleaning tank is delivered.

In the wafer cleaning method according to the present invention,
The wafer feeding mechanism makes it possible to perform the following operation steps (1) to (4) in the cleaning tank, and delivers the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage. Preferably, the wafer is slightly rotated in the circumferential direction while the small rotation is intermittently performed so that the wafer is rotated once in the cleaning tank, and the wafer is subjected to ultrasonic cleaning at that time. It is.
(1) The movable arm means is raised when the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, and the movable wafer feed stand is for holding each wafer held upright by the fixed wafer mounting table. A first operation step of receiving and lifting the adjacent wafers while keeping them in a non-contact state.
(2) After the first operation step, the movable wafer carriage swings the rocking angle of the movable arm means to the second angle while holding the wafers upright and maintaining the non-contact state. A second operation step of rotating the wafer in the circumferential direction;
(3) After the second operation step, the movable wafer carriage raises and holds the wafers and lowers the movable arm means while maintaining the non-contact state, and delivers the wafers to the fixed wafer mounting table Third operation step.
(4) After the third operation step, the movable arm means is swung from the second angle to the first angle while holding the wafer on the fixed wafer mounting table to move the movable A fourth operation step of returning the arm means to its original state.

The present invention is configured as described above and exhibits the following effects.
(1) Each wafer is independently held upright in the cleaning tank, each adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state, and the cleaning liquid supplied from the lower part of the cleaning tank is cleaned along with the rotation and elevation of the wafer. In the tank, the rising liquid flow smoothly flows between the wafers, and the cleaning solution contacts the wafer without stagnation, ensuring efficient cleaning, and the fine particles removed from the wafer are removed by the liquid flow in the cleaning tank. Wafer cleaning apparatus and wafer cleaning apparatus for discharging particles out of the cleaning tank together with the overflow cleaning liquid so as to lead to the upper part of the wafer, and for preventing fine particles once removed from the wafer from reattaching to the wafer being cleaned The way is obtained.
(2) In the cleaning tank, the small rotation of the wafer is intermittently performed in the circumferential direction while holding the wafer, and the cleaning operation of the wafer performed while rotating the wafer once is integrated into one (single) wafer feeding mechanism. Thus, a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method can be obtained in which the operation mechanism in the cleaning tank is simple and the capacity of the cleaning tank can be reduced and the cleaning apparatus can be compact.
(3) Place adjacent wafers in the cleaning tank in a non-contact manner, [i] when the wafer is held by the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm means; [ii] on the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm means When a wafer is held; [iii] when a wafer is delivered between the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm means and the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm means; Can be obtained, and a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method can be obtained which have a mechanism in which the cleaning solution is evenly distributed on the peripheral surface of the wafer and no cleaning unevenness occurs.
(4) The driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism is disposed outside the cleaning tank, and the operation of the driving means provides a wafer cleaning apparatus and a wafer cleaning method in which dusts are not mixed in the cleaning tank.

It is a cross-sectional schematic which shows the structure of the wafer cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the X1-X1 cross section principal part expansion schematic of FIG. It is a perspective schematic drawing which shows the structure outline of a wafer cleaning apparatus. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows when a wafer feed mechanism is in an initial state (at the time of an origin) in a cleaning tank. It is plane schematic drawing of the fixed wafer mounting base which comprises a fixed arm means. It is a schematic perspective view which expands and shows a part of fixed wafer mounting base of a fixed arm means. It is X2-X2 cross section schematic drawing of FIG. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the X3-X3 end face of FIG. 5, showing that a groove portion formed on a fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm means is formed including a V-groove. It is a top view of a wafer feed mechanism. It is X4-X4 cross-section schematic of FIG. It is X5-X5 cross section schematic drawing of FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a movable wafer carriage that constitutes a wafer feeding mechanism. It is a schematic perspective view which expands and shows a part of movable wafer support which comprises a wafer feed mechanism. It is X6-X6 cross section schematic drawing of FIG. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged schematic view of an X7-X7 end face of FIG. 12, showing that a groove portion formed on a movable wafer carriage of the wafer feeding mechanism is formed including a V-groove. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation | movement of rotation and raising / lowering of the wafer by a wafer feed mechanism. In (a), when the wafer feed mechanism is at the origin, (b) when the origin is from the origin, the wafer feed mechanism ascends, and the wafer held by the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm means is moved to the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm means. (C) When the wafer feeding mechanism is at the upper position, (c) shakes the movable arm means counterclockwise by + 2θ (+ 10 °) from the state (b) where the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm means holds the wafer. (D) moves the movable arm means counterclockwise by + 2θ (+ 10 °) when movement (point Q on the circumference of the wafer moves + 10 ° counterclockwise). The feed mechanism is lowered to transfer the wafer held by the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm means to the fixed wafer placement stand of the fixed arm means, and the wafer feed mechanism is in the lower position. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation | movement of rotation and raising / lowering of the wafer by a wafer feed mechanism. In (e), the movable arm means is swung -2θ (-10 °) clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 16 (d) in which the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm means holds the wafer, and the origin [FIG. 16 (a) When returning to [state of], It is an operation view of a wafer feed mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

(About the wafer cleaning device):
First, a wafer cleaning apparatus will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
In FIGS. 1 to 4, the wafer cleaning apparatus 1 includes a cleaning tank 10 for containing a cleaning liquid, a fixed arm means 21 disposed so as to be able to mount the wafer W in the cleaning tank, and a wafer. A wafer feed mechanism 40 for rotating the wafer in small rotation and sequentially rotating the wafer, a driving means 60 for driving the wafer feed mechanism, and an ultrasonic transducer 72 are generated to generate an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank. And an ultrasonic generator 70 for irradiating the wafer with the generated ultrasonic waves. The wafer is cleaned while the wafer in the cleaning tank is delivered between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism. Reference numeral 95 is a propagation water tank filled with propagation water.

The cleaning tank 10 is formed to have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and the opening side is formed as a four-sided overflow structure. The washing tank 10 is formed with a discharge port 12 for discharging the washing liquid overflowing, and the washing liquid overflowed from the washing tank is collected through the discharge port 12, and the collected washing liquid is filtered by the circulating liquid filtering means 90. The circulating fluid supply means 80 circulates and supplies the cleaning tank 10 as a cleaning fluid (circulating fluid). The circulating fluid supply means 80 is disposed at the lower part of the side surface of the washing tank 10, and when the circulating fluid (washing fluid) is supplied into the washing tank 10, a liquid flow is generated in the washing liquid in the washing tank. The circulating fluid filtering means 90 includes a circulating pump 91 and a filter 92 disposed in the circulating path. The code | symbol 15 is a washing tank stand.

The cleaning tank 10 is made of transparent quartz or stainless steel, and the material is appropriately selected so that it can be applied to an organic solvent which is a cleaning liquid.

The fixed arm means 21 is fixed at its upper portion to the washing tank 10 with a screw (not shown) and provided with fixed arm portions 21A and 21B hanging from the upper portion (FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5) A pair of left and right first fixed wafer mounts 24 and 25 facing the bottom of the cleaning tank 10 are disposed below the fixed arms 21A and 21B. The fixed wafer mounts 24 and 25 are spaced apart in parallel with a distance L1 (see FIG. 5) (see FIG. 5), and hold part of the wafers in the longitudinal direction of the tops of the fixed wafer mounts. The groove portions 27, 28 are arranged in a row to form a groove portion group (FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7).

Each of the groove portions 27 and 28 is provided with arc-shaped grooves 31 and 32 coinciding with the arc of the wafer (FIG. 8). Each of the groove grooves 31 and 32 has a vertical cross-sectional shape formed substantially in a V-shaped groove, and inclined locking guide surfaces 34 and 35 for guiding locking of the wafer W, and a wafer connector continuously connected to the locking guide surface. The groove is formed with two steps of groove surfaces 36, 37 for locking. At the time of transferring (transferring) the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage, the locking of the wafer is guided to separate and stand a plurality of wafers and place them vertically. Make it possible (Figure 8).

A second fixed wafer mounting table 26 is disposed between the first fixed wafer mounting tables 24 and 25 (closer to the first fixed wafer mounting table 24), and the top of the second fixed wafer mounting table is provided. In the longitudinal direction, stripe grooves 29 for locking a part of the wafers W are arranged in a row (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7).

The first fixed wafer mounts 24 and 25 and the second fixed wafer mount 26 are fixed to the fixed arms 21A and 21B by screws (not shown).

Each of the groove portions 29 is provided with an arc-shaped groove which conforms to the arc of the wafer, like each of the groove portions 27 and 28 of the first fixed wafer mounting table, and each of the groove grooves has a longitudinal sectional shape Is formed in a substantially V-shaped groove, and has a two-step groove surface of a locking guide surface for guiding locking of the wafer and a locking groove surface for wafer locking arranged continuously with the locking guide surface. Guiding the locking of the wafer when transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage, and separating and standing the plurality of wafers vertically Contribute to The groove portion 29 stabilizes the locking of the wafer W by the first fixed wafer mounting table 24, 25.

The fixed arm means 21 includes position adjustment means 22 for finely adjusting the position in each direction of up and down, left and right, front and back, and the fixed arm after replacement of the washing tank due to aging deterioration or breakage of the washing tank 10. The position of the means can be finely adjusted and maintenance is easy.

The wafer feed mechanism 40 includes a movable arm means 41 disposed in the cleaning tank 10. The movable arm means 41 is made of quartz, swings like a pendulum, and is movable up and down, and comprises movable arm portions 41A and 41B suspended from the upper part (FIG. 9, FIG. 10, FIG. 11) A pair of left and right movable wafer feeders 44 and 45 facing the bottom of the cleaning tank 10 are disposed under the portions 41A and 41B. The movable wafer carriages 44 and 45 are spaced apart in parallel with a distance L2 (see FIG. 12) (see FIG. 12), and the movable wafer carriages have a strip for locking part of the wafers in the longitudinal direction. Grooves 47 and 48 are arranged in a row to form a groove group (FIGS. 12 and 13).

In the longitudinal direction of the top of the movable wafer feeders 44 and 45, groove portions 47 and 48 for locking a part of the wafers are arranged in a row to form a clause portion group. The movable wafer feed tables 44 and 45 are located outside the fixed wafer mounting tables 24 and 25 and are formed in parallel with the fixed wafer mounting tables 24 and 25 (FIGS. 13 and 14).

The groove portions 47 and 48 are provided with arc-shaped groove grooves 51 and 52 coinciding with the arc of the wafer, and each of the groove grooves is formed as a V-shaped groove in a longitudinal sectional shape and inclined to guide locking of the wafer. It is formed with a two-step groove surface of the locking guide surfaces 54 and 55 and the locking groove surfaces 56 and 57 for wafer locking provided continuously with the locking guide surfaces (FIGS. 13 and 14). FIG. 15), when transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage, guiding the locking of the wafer to separate and stand a plurality of wafers. It is possible to put it.

The movable arm means 41 has pivot bearings 63A. It has a vacuum unit that is pivotally supported by 63B and vacuums the pivot bearing, and the pivot bearing is formed as a bearing to which chemical resistance is imparted.

The movable arm means 41 receives and lifts the wafer W held by the fixed arm means 21 when it is raised when the swing angle is the first angle, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. Move the wafer held by the movable arm means to the fixed arm means, and raise the wafer and place the adjacent wafer in a non-contact state in the cleaning tank to move the wafer feeding mechanism Can be moved up and down to transfer the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage (FIGS. 16, 17 and 18).

Here, the operation of the wafer feeding mechanism 40 will be described.
The wafer feeding mechanism can perform the following operations (1) to (4) in the cleaning tank 10, and the fixed wafer mounting tables 24, 25 and 26 and the movable wafer feed table 44 , 45, while rotating the wafer by small [2θ (10 °)] in the circumferential direction while delivering the wafer W, and intermittently performing the small rotation of 2θ 36 times, in the cleaning tank The wafer is rotated once and ultrasonic cleaning of the wafer is performed.
That is,
(1) When the swing angle of the movable arm means 41 is at the first angle, the movable arm means ascends, and the fixed wafer mounting tables 24, 25 and 26 stand and hold the wafer W and do not contact. A first operation in which the movable wafer carriages 44 and 45 receive the wafers kept in the state and hold the adjacent wafers upright and lift the wafers while maintaining the non-contact state.
(2) After the first operation, the movable wafer carriage swings the swinging angle of the movable arm means to the second angle while holding the wafers upright and maintaining the non-contact state, and the wafer The second operation of rotating the lens by a small amount in the circumferential direction [plus 2θ (+ 10 °)].
(3) After the second operation, the movable wafer carriage raises and holds the wafers and lowers the movable arm means while maintaining the non-contact state so that the wafer is delivered to the fixed wafer mounting table and fixed A third operation of moving the movable arm means while keeping the respective wafers supported by the wafer mounting table upright and maintaining the non-contact state.
(4) After the third operation, the swing angle of the movable arm means is changed from the second angle to the first angle while the fixed wafer mounting table holds the wafer upright and maintains the non-contact state. The fourth operation of causing the movable arm means to return to its original state by oscillating [minus 2θ (−10 °) oscillating].
Of each operation (see FIG. 16, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18).

The driving means 60 includes a swing mechanism portion 61 for swinging the movable arm means 41, and an elevation mechanism portion 62 (62A, 62B) for raising and lowering the movable arm means 41 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Reference), the swing mechanism 61 and the lift mechanism 62 are disposed outside the cleaning tank 10. As described above, the swing mechanism portion 61 includes the pivot bearing 63 (63A.63B) for bearing the movable arm means 41, and dusts are mixed in the cleaning tank by vacuuming the rotary bearing. It does not have a structure. The elevating mechanism 62 is provided with a PFA-made bellows 64 (64A, 64B) for sealing up and down shafts, and by the operation of the elevating mechanism 62, the dust is not mixed in the cleaning tank.

(About the wafer cleaning method):
Next, the wafer cleaning method will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
The method of cleaning the wafer is performed using the above-described wafer cleaning apparatus, and the wafer feed mechanism 40 performs the following operation steps (1) to (4) of rotating the wafer W in the circumferential direction by a small amount. The wafer W is slightly rotated in the circumferential direction while transferring the wafer between the table 24.25 and the movable wafer carriages 44 and 45, and the small rotation is intermittently performed to transfer the wafer in the cleaning tank 10 Is rotated one time, at which time ultrasonic cleaning of the wafer is performed (see FIGS. 16, 17 and 18).
(1) Operation step from the position of P1 in FIG. 18 (first operation step):
When the movable arm means 41 is at the lower position P1 and the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, the movable arm means 41 is raised, and the fixed wafer mounting table 24, 25, 26 is moved. The movable wafer carriages 44 and 45 of the movable arm means receive the held wafers and lift the adjacent movable wafers 41 to the upper position P2 while lifting up the adjacent wafers while maintaining the non-contact state. To perform the first operation step.
(2) Operation step from the position of P2 in FIG. 18 (second operation step):
After the first operation step, while the movable arm means 41 is at the upper position P2 and the wafers are held upright and kept in a non-contact state, the swinging angle of the movable arm means 41 is the first angle. The movable arm means 41 is moved to the upper position P3 by swinging to a different second angle, and the wafer held by the arm is rotated in the circumferential direction to rotate the point Q of the wafer by 2θ (10 degrees) Perform the operation steps of
(3) Operation step from position P3 in FIG. 18 (third operation step):
After the second operation step, the movable arm means 41 holds the wafers upright and lowers the movable arm means from the upper position P3 while keeping the non-contact state, and the fixed wafer mounted on the fixed arm means 21 is mounted. The wafer is transferred to the table 24, 25, 26, and the third operation step is performed to move the movable arm means 41 to the lower position P4 while keeping the non-contact state by holding the wafer by the fixed wafer table. .
(4) Operation step from position P4 in FIG. 18 (fourth operation step):
After the third operation step, the swing angle of the movable arm means 41 is set to the second angle from the second angle while the fixed wafer mounting tables 24, 25 and 26 hold and hold each wafer upright. A fourth operation step is carried out to swing the movable arm means to the original state by swinging (minus 2θ swing) to an angle of 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 wafer cleaning apparatus 10 cleaning tank 12 discharge port 15 cleaning tank base 21 fixed arm means 21 A fixed arm part 21 B fixed arm part 22 position adjustment means 24 first fixed wafer mounting table 25 first fixed wafer mounting table 26 second Fixed wafer mounting table 27 groove groove 28 groove groove 29 groove groove 31 groove 32 groove 34 locking guide surface 35 locking guide surface 36 locking groove surface 37 locking groove surface 40 wafer feeding mechanism 41 movable arm means 41A movable arm Part 41B Movable arm part 44 Movable wafer feeder 45 Movable wafer feeder 47 Slot groove part 48 Slot groove part 51 Slot groove 52 Track groove 54 Locking guide surface 55 Locking guide surface 56 Locking groove surface 57 Locking groove surface 60 Driving means 61 Swinging mechanism 62 Lifting mechanism 63 Rotating bearing 64 Bellows 70 Ultrasonic generator 72 Ultrasonic vibrator 80 Circulating fluid supply means 90 Circulating fluid filtering means 91 Circulating pump 92 filters 95 for propagation of water tank

JP, 2014-93388, published gazette

The wafer cleaning method according to the present invention
A cleaning tank containing a cleaning solution,
Fixed arm means disposed so as to be able to mount a wafer in the cleaning tank;
A wafer feed mechanism for holding the wafer, slightly rotating the wafer, and sequentially feeding the wafer in a rotational direction;
Driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism;
And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank and irradiating the generated ultrasonic wave to the wafer.
Transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism to clean the wafer;
The fixed arm means is configured to include a pair of left and right fixed wafer mounting tables disposed facing the bottom of the cleaning tank and formed to be separated by a distance.
In each of the fixed wafer mounting bases, a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The wafer feeding mechanism includes movable arm means disposed in the cleaning tank,
The movable arm means swings in a pendulum shape and is configured to be vertically movable, and includes a pair of left and right movable wafer feeders formed in parallel at a lower portion with a distance therebetween,
The movable wafer feeder is carried out using a wafer cleaning apparatus in which a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The movable arm means receives the wafer held by the fixed arm means when it is raised when the swing angle is a first angle, and lifts the wafer, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. The wafer held by the movable arm means is delivered to the fixed arm means when it descends when the angle is 2;
In the cleaning tank, the wafer is erected, the adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state, the wafer feed mechanism is oscillated and raised and lowered, and the wafer is moved between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer transfer table. It is characterized in that the wafer in the cleaning tank is delivered.

Another object of the present invention is that, in the cleaning tank, an adjacent wafer is erected and placed in a non-contact state, and (i) the wafer is held on a fixed wafer mounting table provided with a fixed arm means. (Ii) when the wafer is held by the movable wafer carriage constituting the movable arm device; (iii) delivery of the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table of the fixed arm device and the movable wafer carriage of the movable arm device when (re transferred) is performed; eliminating a situation in which the wafer adjacent to the contacts (accident), in the cleaning liquid on the wafer circumference to provide a c Fine cleaning apparatus and wafer cleaning method that does not cause evenly around uneven cleaning is there.

(About the wafer cleaning method):
Next, the wafer cleaning method will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
The method of cleaning the wafer is performed using the above-described wafer cleaning apparatus, and the wafer feed mechanism 40 performs the following operation steps (1) to (4) of rotating the wafer W in the circumferential direction by a small amount. While the wafer is transferred between the mounting tables 24, 25 and 26 and the movable wafer carriages 44 and 45, the wafer W is slightly rotated in the circumferential direction, and the small rotation is intermittently performed to carry out the cleaning tank 10 At this time, the wafer is rotated once and ultrasonic cleaning of the wafer is performed (see FIGS. 16, 17 and 18).
(1) Operation step from the position of P1 in FIG. 18 (first operation step):
When the movable arm means 41 is at the lower position P1 and the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, the movable arm means 41 is raised, and the fixed wafer mounting table 24, 25, 26 is moved. The movable wafer carriages 44 and 45 of the movable arm means receive the held wafers and lift the adjacent movable wafers 41 to the upper position P2 while lifting up the adjacent wafers while maintaining the non-contact state. To perform the first operation step.
(2) Operation step from the position of P2 in FIG. 18 (second operation step):
After the first operation step, while the movable arm means 41 is at the upper position P2 and the wafers are held upright and kept in a non-contact state, the swinging angle of the movable arm means 41 is the first angle. The movable arm means 41 is moved to the upper position P3 by swinging to a different second angle, and the wafer held by the arm is rotated in the circumferential direction to rotate the point Q of the wafer by 2θ (10 degrees) Perform the operation steps of
(3) Operation step from position P3 in FIG. 18 (third operation step):
After the second operation step, the movable arm means 41 holds the wafers upright and lowers the movable arm means from the upper position P3 while keeping the non-contact state, and the fixed wafer mounted on the fixed arm means 21 is mounted. The wafer is transferred to the table 24, 25 or 26. The third operation step is performed to move the movable arm means 41 to the lower position P4 while keeping the non-contact state by holding the wafer by the fixed wafer table. .
(4) Operation step from position P4 in FIG. 18 (fourth operation step):
After the third operation step, the swing angle of the movable arm means 41 is set to the second angle from the second angle while the fixed wafer mounting tables 24, 25 and 26 hold and hold each wafer upright. A fourth operation step is carried out to swing the movable arm means to the original state by swinging (minus 2θ swing) to an angle of 1.

Claims (13)

A cleaning tank containing a cleaning solution,
Fixed arm means disposed so as to be able to mount a wafer in the cleaning tank;
A wafer feed mechanism for holding the wafer, slightly rotating the wafer, and sequentially feeding the wafer in a rotational direction;
Driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism;
And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank and irradiating the generated ultrasonic wave to the wafer.
A wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning the wafer by transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism;
The fixed arm means is configured to include at least a pair of left and right fixed wafer mounting tables which are disposed facing the bottom of the cleaning tank and are formed in parallel spaced apart with a distance.
In the longitudinal direction of the top portion of each fixed wafer mounting table, a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer is provided in a row,
The wafer feeding mechanism includes movable arm means disposed in the cleaning tank,
The movable arm means is swingable in a pendulum shape and configured to be movable up and down, and is configured to include a pair of left and right movable wafer feeders formed to be separated at a lower portion with a distance,
In the longitudinal direction of the top of each movable wafer feeder, a row groove for locking a part of the wafer is provided in a row.
The movable arm means receives the wafer held by the fixed arm means when it is raised when the swing angle is a first angle, and lifts the wafer, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. The wafer held by the movable arm means is delivered to the fixed arm means when it descends when the angle is 2;
In the cleaning tank, the wafer is erected and the adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state to swing the wafer feed mechanism and to be movable up and down. The fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer support are A wafer cleaning apparatus characterized in that the wafer in the cleaning tank is transferred between the two. The wafer feeding mechanism performs the following operations (1) to (4) in the cleaning tank, and delivers the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage: The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the small rotation is performed in the circumferential direction and the small rotation is intermittently performed to rotate the wafer one turn in the cleaning tank to perform ultrasonic cleaning of the wafer. .
(1) First operation:
When the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, the movable arm means ascends, and the movable wafer carriage receives and abuts each of the wafers held upright by the fixed wafer mounting table. A first operation of lifting the wafers while keeping the wafers in a non-contact state.
(2) Second operation:
After the first operation, the movable wafer carriage swings the swinging angle of the movable arm means to the second angle while holding the wafers upright and maintaining the non-contact state, thereby circumferentially moving the wafers. The second action to rotate.
(3) Third operation:
After the second operation, a third operation of delivering the wafer to the fixed wafer mounting table by lowering the movable arm means while the movable wafer support holds the wafers upright and maintains a non-contact state. .
(4) Fourth operation:
After the third operation, while the wafer is held by the fixed wafer mounting table, the swinging angle of the movable arm means is swung from the second angle to the first angle so that the movable arm means is in its original shape The fourth operation to return to Each groove formed in the fixed wafer mounting table has an arc-shaped groove matching the arc of the wafer, and the groove is formed in a V-groove in a longitudinal sectional shape, and the V-groove is the wafer The fixed wafer mounting surface is formed with a two-step groove surface including an inclined locking guide surface for guiding the locking of the lock and a locking groove surface for wafer locking provided continuously to the lock guiding surface. It is possible to guide the locking of the wafer when transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the table and the movable wafer carriage, and to separate and stand the plurality of wafers vertically. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is formed. Each groove portion formed in the movable wafer feeder includes an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the arc of the wafer, and the groove is formed as a V-shaped groove in a longitudinal sectional shape, and the V-shaped groove is a portion of the wafer. The fixed wafer mounting table is formed with a two-step groove surface including an inclined locking guide surface for guiding locking and a locking groove surface for wafer locking provided continuously with the locking guide surface. When the wafer in the cleaning tank is transferred between the wafer transfer table and the movable wafer carriage, the locking of the wafer is guided, and a plurality of the wafers can be separated and erected for vertical placement. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the movable wafer support is formed outside the fixed wafer mounting table in parallel with the fixed wafer mounting table. The driving means includes a swing mechanism portion for swinging the movable arm means, and an elevation mechanism portion for lifting and lowering the movable arm means, and the swing mechanism portion and the elevation mechanism portion are disposed outside the cleaning tank. 6. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is provided. Furthermore, a circulating liquid supply means for supplying filtered circulating liquid to the washing tank as a washing liquid is provided, the circulating liquid supply means is connected to the lower part of the washing tank, and the circulating liquid is supplied into the washing tank. 7. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a liquid flow is generated in the cleaning tank. The movable arm means is pivotally supported by a pivot bearing that is the center of pivoting, and includes a vacuum unit for vacuuming the pivot bearing, and the pivot bearing is formed as a bearing to which chemical resistance is imparted. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: 7. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the elevating mechanism portion includes a bellows portion, and the bellows portion is formed by sealing upper and lower bearings and imparting acid resistance. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cleaning tank is made of transparent quartz or stainless steel. 11. The wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said fixed arm means comprises a fine adjustment mechanism capable of finely adjusting the position in the vertical and horizontal directions. A cleaning tank containing a cleaning solution,
Fixed arm means disposed so as to be able to mount a wafer in the cleaning tank;
A wafer feed mechanism for holding the wafer, slightly rotating the wafer, and sequentially feeding the wafer in a rotational direction;
Driving means for driving the wafer feeding mechanism;
And an ultrasonic wave generator for generating an ultrasonic wave for cleaning the wafer in the cleaning tank and irradiating the generated ultrasonic wave to the wafer.
Transferring the wafer in the cleaning tank between the fixed arm means and the wafer feeding mechanism to clean the wafer;
The fixed arm means is configured to include a pair of left and right fixed wafer mounting tables disposed facing the bottom of the cleaning tank and formed to be separated by a distance.
In each of the fixed wafer mounting bases, a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The wafer feeding mechanism includes movable arm means disposed in the cleaning tank,
The movable arm means swings in a pendulum shape and is configured to be vertically movable, and includes a pair of left and right movable wafer feeders formed in parallel at a lower portion with a distance therebetween,
The movable wafer feeder is carried out using a wafer cleaning apparatus in which a groove portion for locking a part of the wafer in a longitudinal direction is provided in a row.
The movable arm means receives the wafer held by the fixed arm means when it is raised when the swing angle is a first angle, and lifts the wafer, and the swing angle is different from the first angle. When it descends when the angle is two, the wafer held by the movable arm means is delivered to the one fixed arm means,
In the cleaning tank, the wafer is erected, the adjacent wafer is placed in a non-contact state, the wafer feed mechanism is oscillated and raised and lowered, and the wafer is moved between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer transfer table. A wafer cleaning method comprising delivering the wafer in a cleaning tank. The wafer feeding mechanism makes it possible to perform the following operation steps (1) to (4) in the cleaning tank, and delivers the wafer between the fixed wafer mounting table and the movable wafer carriage. The wafer is slightly rotated in the circumferential direction while the small rotation is intermittently performed so that the wafer is rotated once in the cleaning tank, and the wafer is ultrasonically cleaned at that time. The wafer cleaning method according to Item 12.
(1) The movable arm means is raised when the swing angle of the movable arm means is at the first angle, and the movable wafer feed stand is for holding each wafer held upright by the fixed wafer mounting table. A first operation step of receiving and lifting the adjacent wafers while keeping them in a non-contact state.
(2) After the first operation step, the movable wafer carriage swings the rocking angle of the movable arm means to the second angle while holding the wafers upright and maintaining the non-contact state. A second operation step of rotating the wafer in the circumferential direction;
(3) After the second operation step, the movable wafer carriage raises and holds the wafers and lowers the movable arm means while maintaining the non-contact state, and delivers the wafers to the fixed wafer mounting table Third operation step.
(4) After the third operation step, the movable arm means is swung from the second angle to the first angle while holding the wafer on the fixed wafer mounting table to move the movable A fourth operation step of returning the arm means to its original state.

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