JP2020043157A - Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce a time required for cleaning and processing a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit, a rotation drive unit that rotates a substrate held by the substrate holding unit, a brush unit that cleans a peripheral unit of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a moving unit that moves the relative position of the brush unit with respect to the substrate, and the brush unit performs cleaning by simultaneously contacting a plurality of contact units provided along the circumferential direction of the substrate at the same time with respect to the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor device manufacturing process and a flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing process, a cleaning process for removing particles, contamination, and the like attached to a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate as a substrate to be processed is performed. As such an apparatus, an apparatus for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate with a brush is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-016156 A

  However, there is a demand for shortening the time for the cleaning process using a brush.

  The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium that can reduce a cleaning processing time for a substrate.

  A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a substrate holding unit, a rotation driving unit that rotates a substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a brush that cleans a peripheral edge of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. And a moving unit that moves a relative position of the brush unit with respect to the substrate, wherein the brush unit includes a plurality of abutting portions provided along a circumferential direction of the substrate; A substrate processing apparatus for performing cleaning by simultaneously contacting the substrates.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing method, and the storage medium according to an exemplary embodiment, it is possible to reduce a cleaning processing time for a substrate.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a cleaning mechanism in the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the cleaning mechanism in the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a first modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a second modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a third modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a fourth modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a fifth modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment.

  Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments will be described.

  In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate holding unit; a rotation driving unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a brush unit that cleans a peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; A moving unit that moves a relative position of the brush unit. The brush portion simultaneously cleans the substrate by contacting the substrate at a plurality of contact portions provided along a circumferential direction of the substrate.

  In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, the cleaning is performed by simultaneously contacting the brush portion with the substrate in the plurality of contact portions provided along the circumferential direction of the substrate. Therefore, the cleaning of the substrate is performed simultaneously in the plurality of contact portions, so that the cleaning efficiency is increased as compared with the conventional substrate cleaning. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time required for the cleaning process for the substrate.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the moving unit may include a pressing adjustment unit that adjusts a pressing force of the brush unit against the substrate in each of the plurality of contact units.

  Since the moving unit has the pressing adjustment unit, the pressing force of the brush unit can be adjusted to a pressing force suitable for cleaning the substrate in each of the plurality of contact units. Therefore, the cleaning efficiency is further increased, and the cleaning processing time can be further reduced.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the moving unit further includes a pressure measuring unit that measures a pressing force of the brush unit on the substrate, and the pressing adjustment unit measures the pressing force by the pressure measuring unit. Based on the result, the pressing force of the brush unit may be adjusted.

  The moving part adjusts the pressing force at the contact part based on the measurement result of the pressing force at the pressure measuring part, so that the pressing force of the brush part can be adjusted more accurately, and the cleaning processing time can be reduced. Can be performed more effectively.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the moving unit may include a brush moving unit that integrally moves the brush unit with respect to the substrate.

  By having the brush moving unit that moves the brush unit integrally, the operating mechanism for moving the brush unit can be downsized.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the brush portion may have an arc-shaped inner surface corresponding to the substrate.

  By using the brush portion having an arc-shaped inner surface corresponding to the substrate, it is possible to realize a configuration in which a plurality of contact portions simultaneously contact the substrate and perform cleaning, with a simpler configuration.

  In one exemplary embodiment, the brush portion may be configured by at least three cylindrical brushes.

  When the brush portion is constituted by at least three cylindrical brushes, the effect of cleaning the wafer is enhanced and the effect of shortening the cleaning processing time is enhanced.

  In one exemplary embodiment, an aspect may be provided that includes a standby unit that waits for the brush unit outside the substrate.

  When the standby unit for holding the brush unit is provided outside the substrate, the brush unit reciprocates between the standby unit and the cleaning position of the substrate to clean the substrate. Is likely to be longer. Therefore, a plurality of abutting portions provided along the circumferential direction of the substrate have a configuration in which the cleaning is performed by simultaneously abutting the substrate, whereby the effect of reducing the cleaning processing time is enhanced.

  In one exemplary embodiment, a processing liquid supply nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a cup that receives the processing liquid supplied to the substrate, further comprising: The said brush part is being fixed to the inner surface of the said cup, The said moving part can make the aspect which moves the said brush part by raising / lowering the said cup.

  When the brush portion is fixed to the inner surface of the cup and the brush portion is moved by lifting and lowering the cup, it is not necessary to provide a moving portion for moving the brush portion separately from the driving portion for lifting and lowering the cup. Can be reduced in size.

  In one exemplary embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate processing method is a substrate processing method for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, wherein a plurality of abutting portions provided along a circumferential direction of the substrate by a brush unit are used to clean the substrate. At the same time for cleaning.

  In the above-described substrate processing method, the cleaning is performed by simultaneously contacting the brush portion with the substrate in the plurality of contact portions provided along the circumferential direction of the substrate. Therefore, the cleaning of the substrate is performed simultaneously in the plurality of contact portions, so that the cleaning efficiency is increased as compared with the conventional substrate cleaning. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time required for the cleaning process for the substrate.

  In one exemplary embodiment, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing the apparatus to execute the above-described substrate liquid processing method.

  In this case, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described substrate liquid processing method can be obtained. In the present specification, a computer-readable storage medium includes a non-transitory tangible medium (non-transitory computer recording medium) (for example, various types of main storage device or auxiliary storage device) and a propagation signal (transitory computer recording medium). ) (For example, data signals that can be provided via a network).

  Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[Configuration of substrate processing system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, in order to clarify the positional relationship, an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis that are orthogonal to each other are defined, and the positive direction of the Z axis is defined as a vertically upward direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a loading / unloading station 2 and a processing station 3. The loading / unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are provided adjacent to each other.

  The loading / unloading station 2 includes a carrier mounting section 11 and a transport section 12. A plurality of substrates, in this embodiment, a plurality of carriers C that accommodates a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, wafer W) in a horizontal state are mounted on the carrier mounting portion 11.

  The transport unit 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier mounting unit 11 and includes a substrate transport device 13 and a transfer unit 14 therein. The substrate transfer device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 13 is capable of moving in the horizontal and vertical directions and turning around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the transfer unit 14 using the wafer holding mechanism. Do.

  The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the transport unit 12. The processing station 3 includes a transport unit 15 and a plurality of processing units 16. The plurality of processing units 16 are provided side by side on the transport unit 15.

  The transfer unit 15 includes a substrate transfer device 17 inside. The substrate transfer device 17 includes a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 17 is capable of moving in the horizontal and vertical directions and turning around the vertical axis, and transfers the wafer W between the transfer unit 14 and the processing unit 16 using the wafer holding mechanism. I do.

  The processing unit 16 performs a predetermined substrate process on the wafer W transferred by the substrate transfer device 17 under the control of the control unit 18 of the control device 4 described below.

  Further, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 4. The control device 4 is, for example, a computer, and includes a control unit 18 and a storage unit 19. The storage unit 19 stores programs for controlling various types of processing executed in the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by reading and executing the program stored in the storage unit 19.

  The program may be recorded on a storage medium readable by a computer, and may be installed from the storage medium into the storage unit 19 of the control device 4. Examples of the storage medium that can be read by a computer include a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnet optical disk (MO), and a memory card.

  In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the loading / unloading station 2 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placing portion 11 and receives the taken out wafer W. Placed on the transfer unit 14. The wafer W placed on the delivery unit 14 is taken out of the delivery unit 14 by the substrate transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 and carried into the processing unit 16.

  The wafer W loaded into the processing unit 16 is processed by the processing unit 16, then unloaded from the processing unit 16 by the substrate transfer device 17, and placed on the delivery unit 14. Then, the processed wafer W placed on the transfer unit 14 is returned to the carrier C of the carrier placement unit 11 by the substrate transfer device 13.

[Configuration of substrate processing apparatus]
Subsequently, a configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 included in the substrate processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is included in a processing unit 16 of the substrate processing system 1.

  This substrate processing apparatus 10 has a chamber 21. In the chamber 21, there is provided a spin chuck 22 for holding a wafer W to be cleaned by suction in a horizontal state by vacuum suction. The spin chuck 22 is rotatable by a motor 23 provided below the chamber 21 via a shaft 22a. In the chamber 21, a cup 24 is provided so as to cover the wafer W held by the spin chuck 22. An exhaust / drain pipe 25 for exhaust and drain is provided at the bottom of the cup 24 so as to extend below the chamber 21. A loading / unloading port 26 for loading / unloading the wafer W is provided on a side wall of the chamber 21. Note that a fluid seal 27 is provided between the shaft 22 a and the bottom of the cup 24 and the bottom of the chamber 21.

  In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a cleaning liquid supply mechanism 30 that supplies a cleaning liquid, and a cleaning mechanism 40 that performs brush cleaning of a peripheral portion of the wafer W. The peripheral portion of the wafer W refers to a region including an end surface of the wafer W and an outer peripheral portion near the end surface of the front and back surfaces of the wafer W.

  The cleaning liquid supply mechanism 30 has a front cleaning liquid nozzle 31 a provided above the cup 24 and a rear cleaning liquid nozzle 31 b provided on the back surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 22. The front side cleaning liquid nozzle 31a and the back side cleaning liquid nozzle 31b are processing liquid supply nozzles for supplying a cleaning liquid as a processing liquid to the substrate. A front side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33a and a back side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33b are connected to the front side cleaning liquid nozzle 31a and the back side cleaning liquid nozzle 31b, respectively. The other ends of the front side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33a and the back side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33b are connected to a common cleaning liquid supply unit 32. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit 32 to the vicinity of the center of the front surface of the wafer W from the front cleaning liquid nozzle 31a via the front cleaning liquid supply pipe 33a, and the wafer is supplied from the back cleaning liquid nozzle 31b via the back cleaning liquid supply pipe 33b. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the back surface of W. The front side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33a and the back side cleaning liquid supply pipe 33b are provided with valves 34a and 34b, respectively. As the cleaning liquid, pure water, a chemical solution, or the like can be used.

  The cleaning mechanism 40 includes a brush 41, a support section 42, a rotating arm 43, a shaft section 44, and a rotating / elevating section 45. The brush 41 cleans the periphery of the wafer W. The support part 42 supports the brush 41. The turning arm 43 turns the brush 41. The shaft portion 44 has a built-in rotation shaft that is a rotation axis of the rotation arm 43. The turning / elevating unit 45 includes a turning mechanism for turning the turning shaft 43 by turning the turning shaft and an elevating mechanism for moving the turning arm 43 up and down. In the substrate processing apparatus 10, the brush 41 functions as a brush unit that performs a cleaning process on the wafer W.

  The support part 42 extends in the vertical direction, and the brush 41 is provided at the lower end thereof. The rotating arm 43 has a tubular shape extending horizontally, and a support portion 42 is rotatably provided at a tip portion thereof. The rotating arm 43 and the support part 42 function as a moving part that moves the relative position of the brush 41 functioning as a brush part.

  The rotation arm 43 extends in the horizontal direction, and a support portion 42 is rotatably provided at a tip portion thereof. Further, the rotation / elevation unit 45 has a rotation motor as a rotation mechanism and an elevation motor as an elevation mechanism. The rotation arm 43 is rotatable and vertically movable by driving the rotation motor and the lifting motor individually. By rotating the rotating arm 43 by the rotating mechanism and raising and lowering the rotating arm 43 by the elevating mechanism, the brush 41 is moved around the edge including the bevel B (see FIG. 3B) formed on the end surface of the wafer W. It is possible to press against the part with a desired pressing force.

  The brush 41 is made of a sponge-like resin or a material that can easily hold a liquid and can be deformed similarly to the sponge-like resin. Specifically, the brush 41 is made of a sponge-like resin as described above, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be suitably used. As another resin applicable to the brush 41, polyethylene (PE) can be cited.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, the brush 41 has an arc-shaped inner surface 41a corresponding to the wafer W sucked and held on the spin chuck 22. The inner surface 41a of the brush 41 functions as a contact portion that contacts the wafer W and cleans the wafer W. In the brush 41 shown in FIG. 3A, the outer surface facing the inner surface 41a is also arc-shaped, but the shape of the outer surface is not particularly limited.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when cleaning the wafer W, the inner surface 41 a of the brush 41 contacts the end surface of the wafer W. When the brush 41 is further moved to the wafer W side by the movement of the rotating arm 43, the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 is deformed, and the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 comes into contact with the peripheral portions of the front surface and the back surface of the wafer W. Will do. Thus, the end surface of the wafer W and the peripheral portion of the back surface of the wafer W can be cleaned using the brush 41. In a state where the cleaning liquid is supplied and the brush 41 swells, the brush 41 easily adheres to the wafer W, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

[Substrate processing method]
Next, a processing operation (substrate processing method) of performing the cleaning processing of the wafer W by the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described.

  First, the brush 41 waits outside the wafer W. More specifically, the brush 41 is made to stand by outside the cup 24. That is, the outside of the cup 24 is a standby portion for the wafer W. The standby unit may be provided with, for example, a container that receives droplets or the like that fall from the brush 41.

  With the brush 41 kept on standby outside the wafer W, the wafer W is loaded into the chamber 21 and the spin chuck 22 holds the wafer W. The motor 23 is driven to rotate the wafer W together with the spin chuck 22 at a predetermined number of revolutions, and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid nozzles 31 (the front-side cleaning liquid nozzle 31a and the rear-side cleaning liquid nozzle 31b).

  Next, the height of the rotating arm 43 is adjusted by the lifting / lowering mechanism of the rotating / elevating unit 45, and the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 is moved to the height of the wafer W. Further, the rotation arm 43 is rotated toward the wafer W on the spin chuck 22 by the rotation mechanism, and the inner surface 41 a of the brush 41 is brought into contact with the peripheral portion including the end surface of the wafer W. As a result, the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 cleans the peripheral edge of the wafer W. When the brush 41 is brought closer to the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the inner surface 41 a of the brush 41 contacts not only the end surface of the wafer W but also the peripheral portions of the front surface and the back surface. Therefore, the end surface of the rotating wafer W and the peripheral portions of the front surface and the back surface are cleaned by the brush 41. In a state in which the cleaning liquid is supplied, the brush 41 swells, and it is possible to effectively clean the end face, the back face, and the peripheral edge of the front face of the rotating wafer W.

  As described above, the inner surface 41 a of the brush 41 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 has an arc shape corresponding to the wafer W. Therefore, when cleaning the wafer W, a contact point (a portion functioning as a contact portion) between the inner surface 41a and the wafer W has a substantially band shape along the end surface of the wafer. In other words, the brush 41 simultaneously cleans the wafer W at a plurality of points (band-like areas) of the wafer W.

[Action / Effect]
The brush 41 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a plurality of regions (contact portions) that are simultaneously in contact with the wafer W and perform cleaning, along the circumferential direction on the end surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the cleaning time of the wafer W can be reduced.

  In the conventional substrate processing apparatus, the brush for cleaning the end surface of the wafer W is often cylindrical, and it is general that the end surface of the rotating wafer W comes into contact at one point along the circumferential direction. In the substrate processing apparatus, at least the wafer W rotates at the time of cleaning the wafer W. Therefore, even if the brush and the wafer W are in contact only in one contact portion to perform cleaning, the end surface of the wafer W is cleaned over the entire circumference. can do. However, when there is only one contact portion between the wafer W and the brush, the number of times that a specific area on the end face of the wafer W contacts the brush during one rotation of the wafer W is one. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, it is considered that there is a limit in shortening the time required for completing the cleaning.

  In some cases, the brush for cleaning the wafer W may be configured to move to a standby unit provided outside the wafer W and stand by when not in use. In such a case, the time required to move the brush between the cleaning position near the wafer W and the standby unit is included in the processing time up to the completion of cleaning, so that the processing time may be longer.

  On the other hand, in the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of points that are simultaneously brought into contact with the wafer W and cleaned are provided along the circumferential direction of the end surface of the wafer W. More specifically, in the case of the brush 41, the contact portion between the inner surface 41a and the wafer W is formed in a belt shape along the circumferential direction of the wafer W. This shape is a state in which a plurality of contact portions are provided substantially continuously along the circumferential direction of the wafer W. That is, at a plurality of contact portions provided along the circumferential direction of the wafer W, the end face of the wafer W including the bevel B and the brush 41 come into contact. With such a configuration, the number of times that the end face of the wafer W contacts the brush 41 during one rotation of the wafer W increases as compared with the case where the contact portion is at one place. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the brush 41 during one rotation of the wafer W is enhanced as compared with the conventional configuration, and the time required for completing the cleaning can be reduced. Further, since the standby unit is provided, the brush 41 moves as in the case of the conventional apparatus, but the time required for cleaning itself is shortened, so that the processing time is shortened as a whole.

  Note that the number of contact portions provided along the circumferential direction of the wafer W can be confirmed, for example, in a plan view. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the brush 41 having an arc-shaped inner surface corresponding to the wafer W has a region where the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 and the wafer W are continuously formed in a plan view. I have. In such a case, when a conventionally used cylindrical brush cleans the wafer W, when a region where the brush contacts the wafer W is viewed as one contact portion, it corresponds to a plurality of contact portions. The brush 41 and the wafer W are in contact in the region. As described above, in the present embodiment, when a conventionally used cylindrical brush abuts on the wafer W to perform cleaning, an area where the brush abuts on the wafer W is regarded as one abutting portion. In addition, when the wafer W and the brush are in contact with each other in a region corresponding to the plurality of contact portions, it is said that the plurality of contact portions are in contact at the same time.

  When a brush 41 having an arc-shaped inner surface 41a corresponding to the wafer W is used as in the cleaning mechanism 40, a configuration in which cleaning is performed by simultaneously abutting the substrate at a plurality of abutting portions by one brush, that is, , Can be realized by a simple configuration. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the cleaning is performed by simultaneously contacting the substrate at the plurality of contact portions without complicating the internal configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. The inner surface 41a of the brush 41 has a shape corresponding to the arc shape of the wafer W, but the length of the contact portion (length along the circumferential direction) of the inner surface 41a is equal to the length of the end surface of the wafer W. The length corresponds to a central angle of about 45 °. When the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 is formed in an arc shape corresponding to the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the length of the abutting portion on the inner surface 41a of the brush is equal to the central angle of 15 ° to 60 ° of the end surface of the wafer W. It can be of a corresponding length. When the length of the contact portion on the inner surface 41a is within the above range, the brush 41 can be suitably held when the wafer W is cleaned by the brush 41. Therefore, the cleaning effect of the brush 41 is enhanced, and the time required for completing the cleaning can be suitably reduced. However, the length of the contact portion on the inner surface 41a may be larger than the above range, or may be smaller than the above range.

  Further, when the brush 41 is flat along the vertical direction (Z direction / height direction: a direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the surface of the wafer W) like the brush 41, the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 and the wafer W Can be changed in the vertical direction. For example, in FIG. 3B, the end surface of the wafer W is in contact with the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 slightly above the central portion of the inner surface 41a, but the contact position is changed, and as shown in FIG. Can be changed to the lower side. The contact position can be changed by changing the height position of the rotating arm 43 by the rotating / elevating unit 45. As described above, when the shape is such that the vertical position can be changed, by performing cleaning with the brush 41 while changing the contact position with the end surface of the wafer W, the wear of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 is reduced to a specific position. Can be prevented from concentrating on Therefore, the wear or breakage of the brush 41 can be delayed, and the service period of the brush 41 can be extended.

  The shape of the brush 41 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. For example, a step may be provided on the lower side in the height direction of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41, and the inner surface below the step may be shaped to protrude more than the upper inner surface. This shape is similar to a brush 48 of a cleaning mechanism 40B according to a second modified example described later. In the case of such a shape, the brush 41 is brought into contact with the wafer W such that the back surface of the wafer W is placed on the step portion, so that the end surface of the wafer W and the peripheral portion of the back surface are simultaneously cleaned with the brush. can do. As described above, the shape of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 can be appropriately changed.

(Modification)
A modified example of the cleaning mechanism 40 in the substrate processing apparatus 10, particularly, a modified example of the brush unit and the moving unit will be described.

(First Modification)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning mechanism according to a first modification, and is a diagram illustrating a part of a cleaning mechanism 40A according to the first modification. The cleaning mechanism 40A has the same shape of the brush 41 as the cleaning mechanism 40, but a mechanism for supporting the brush 41 is different from the cleaning mechanism 40.

  Specifically, in the cleaning mechanism 40A, the brush 41 is supported by the support 46 on the outer surface 41b. The support member 46 includes three elongated pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c that support the outer surface 41b at different positions along the circumferential direction of the wafer W. The pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c are fixed to the outer surface 41b of the brush 41 at one end, respectively. The extending direction of the pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c corresponds to the radial direction of the wafer W when the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 contacts the wafer W. The other ends of the pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c are connected to the supporting portion 42, respectively. The pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c are respectively connected to pressing control portions 47a, 47b, 47c provided in the support portion 42, and each pressing portion 46a for the brush 41 is controlled by the pressing control portions 47a, 47b, 47c. , 46b, 46c are controlled. As a result, the pressing force of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 on the peripheral portion including the end surface of the wafer W is controlled to be uniform. In the cleaning mechanism 40A, the brush 41 functions as a brush unit, and the support member 46 functions as a part of the moving unit. The support member 46 also has a function as a brush moving unit that moves the three brushes 48 integrally. The pressing controllers 47a, 47b, and 47c function as pressing adjusting units that adjust the pressing force on the wafer W by the brush unit.

  In the substrate processing apparatus, since the wafer W rotates in one direction, the force received by the brush 41 from the wafer W may vary depending on the position of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 with respect to the rotation direction of the wafer W. Can be Therefore, when the number of the support portions 42 that support the brush 41 is one, as in the cleaning mechanism 40, the brushes 41 abut against the wafer W with the same force regardless of the position of the inner surface 41a. It may be difficult to arrange the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 so that it can be obtained. For example, a part of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 may be separated from the wafer W. In such a case, the number of abutting portions of the brush 41 with respect to the wafer W is reduced, and even if the brush 41 is increased in size to increase the number of abutting portions on the inner surface 41a of the brush 41, the cleaning process is not performed. It is conceivable that the shortening cannot be performed sufficiently.

  In contrast, in the cleaning mechanism 40A, the pressing force from the outer surface 41b of the brush 41 is moved to the position of the brush 41 by using the pressing portions 46a, 46b, 46c and the pressing control portions 47a, 47b, 47c of the support member 46. Vary accordingly. With such a configuration, the cleaning mechanism 40 </ b> A can evenly contact the inner surface 41 a of the brush 41 with the wafer W. That is, the pressing force can be finely controlled for each contact portion on the inner surface 41a of the brush 41. As a result, in the cleaning mechanism 40A, the contact portion of the brush 41 with the wafer W can be appropriately secured, and the effect of shortening the time required for the cleaning process can be enhanced.

  Note that the pressing control units 47a, 47b, 47c of the cleaning mechanism 40A may include a pressure sensor (pressure measuring unit) that measures a force received by the pressing units 46a, 46b, 46b from the brush 41 as a pressing force. . In this case, the control of the pressing by the pressing control units 47a, 47b, 47c may be performed based on the result measured by the pressure sensor. In the case of such a configuration, since the pressing is controlled based on the actually measured pressing force, the pressing force can be more accurately controlled.

  In the above description, a case has been described in which the control by the pressing control units 47a, 47b, and 47c is performed in order to bring the inner surface 41a of the brush 41 into uniform contact with the wafer W. However, for example, the pressing controllers 47a, 47b, and 47c may be configured to control the pressing forces on the wafer W differently depending on the position of the inner surface 41a of the brush 41. It is conceivable to improve the cleaning effect on the wafer W by making the pressing forces different from each other. Specifically, for example, while the pressing force against the brush 41 is increased in the pressing portion 46a, the pressing force against the brush 41 is reduced in the pressing portion 46c, so that the wafer W is cleaned using the brushes 41 having different pressing forces. It is good also as a structure which performs.

(Second Modification)
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning mechanism according to a second modification, and is a diagram illustrating a part of a cleaning mechanism 40B according to the second modification. The cleaning mechanism 40B differs from the cleaning mechanism 40 in the shape of the brush. Therefore, the configuration of the device for supporting the brushes is also changed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the brush 48 of the cleaning mechanism 40B has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided continuously below the cylindrical small diameter portion 48a and the small diameter portion 48a. And a cylindrical large diameter portion 48b. The side surface of the small-diameter portion 48a and the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 48b (the surface on the small-diameter portion 48a side) serve as contact portions that contact the wafer W. As shown in FIG. 6B, when cleaning the wafer W with the brush 48, the side surface of the small-diameter portion 48a abuts against the end surface of the wafer W, and the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 48b contacts the peripheral edge of the back surface of the wafer W. Abut against. In the cleaning mechanism 40B, the brush 48 functions as a brush unit.

  In the cleaning mechanism 40B, three brushes 48 are used. Each of the three brushes 48 is supported by the support part 42 and the rotating arm 43. The movement of the brush 48 by the support part 42 and the rotating arm 43 is the same as that of the cleaning mechanism 40. Therefore, the support part 42 and the rotating arm 43 function as a moving part. When the support portion 42 and the rotating arm 43 are provided for each of the three brushes 48, the three brushes 48 can be independently moved. With this configuration, the three brushes 48 can be individually moved to appropriate positions to clean the wafer W. As in the case of the cleaning mechanism 40, while the cleaning process is not performed by the brush 48, the support unit 42 and the rotating arm 43 are used to move to the standby unit provided outside the wafer W and wait. It may be.

  The brush 48 may be rotatably supported by the support 42. In this case, the brush 48 is brought into contact with the wafer W while rotating the brush 48 in a predetermined direction by driving a motor (not shown). In this case, the cleaning effect of the brush 48 is enhanced.

  In the above-described cleaning mechanism 40 </ b> B, the wafer W can be cleaned using the three brushes 48. Assuming that one brush 48 has one contact portion with the wafer W, when three brushes 48 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the wafer W as in the cleaning mechanism 40B, the circumferential direction of the wafer W Along with the three contact portions. As described above, the cleaning mechanism 40B may be configured by combining a plurality of brushes 48. Even with such a configuration, the cleaning effect can be enhanced because the wafer W can be cleaned at the three contact portions simultaneously by the three brushes 48.

  When a plurality of substantially cylindrical brushes 48 are used as in the case of the cleaning mechanism 40B, the number of abutting portions can be changed by changing the number of brushes 48. When the number of brushes is three or more, the effect of cleaning the wafer W is enhanced and the effect of shortening the cleaning processing time is enhanced.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning mechanism according to a third modification, and is a diagram illustrating a part of a cleaning mechanism 40C according to the third modification. The cleaning mechanism 40C has the same shape of the brush 48 as the cleaning mechanism 40B, but differs in the mechanism for supporting the brush 48 from the cleaning mechanism 40B.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the cleaning mechanism 40C uses a support 51 that integrally supports three brushes 48 (including 481 and 482). In the cleaning mechanism 40B, each of the three brushes 48 is configured to be independently moved by using the support portion 42 and the rotating arm 43. However, in the cleaning mechanism 40C, these are integrally formed by the support portion 51. Holding. However, the brushes 481 and 482 provided at both ends of the three brushes 48 have a configuration movable with respect to the support portion 51 so that the pressing force can be adjusted. In the cleaning mechanism 40C, the brush 48 functions as a brush unit. In addition, the support part 51 functions as a part of a moving part that moves the brush part. The support part 51 has a function as a brush moving part that moves the three brushes 48 integrally. As in the case of the cleaning mechanism 40, the configuration may be such that, while cleaning is not performed by the brush, the support unit 51 is used to move the wafer W to a standby unit provided outside and wait.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the cleaning mechanism 40C, a support portion 51 having an arc-shaped frame corresponding to the shape of the wafer W is used. One of the three brushes 48 is attached to the center of the support portion 51. In addition, the support part 51 may be provided above the brush 48 or may be provided below.

  At both ends of the arc-shaped frame of the support portion 51, frames 51a and 51b extending in a direction corresponding to the radial direction of the wafer W when the brush 48 is brought into contact with the wafer W are provided. Brushes 481 and 482 arranged at both ends of the three brushes 48 are mounted on frames 51a and 51b, respectively, and are movable along the frames 51a and 51b. The support portion 51 is attached to a rotating arm (not shown). The brush 48 (481, 482) can be configured to be rotatable similarly to the cleaning mechanism 40B.

  When cleaning the wafer W using the above-described cleaning mechanism 40C, first, the center brush of the brushes 48 is brought into contact with the end face of the wafer W. At this time, an arc-shaped frame supporting the central brush 48 is arranged so as to face the end face of the wafer W, as shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the brushes 481 and 482 are moved along the frames 51a and 51b, and the brushes 481 and 482 are brought into contact with the ends of the wafer W. In this state, the wafer W is cleaned by the brushes 481 and 482.

  Also in the above-described cleaning mechanism 40C, the wafer W can be cleaned using the three brushes 48 similarly to the cleaning mechanism 40B. When the three brushes 48 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the wafer W as in the case of the cleaning mechanism 40C, three contact portions are provided along the circumferential direction of the wafer W. As described above, in the cleaning mechanism 40C, the three brushes 48 can simultaneously clean the wafer W in the three contact portions, so that the cleaning effect is enhanced.

  The cleaning mechanism 40C has three brushes 48 supported by one support part 51, but the brushes 481 and 482 are movable along the frames 51a and 51b, so that the pressing force against the wafer W is increased. It is possible to adjust. As a result, it is possible to adjust the pressing force according to each of the three contact portions while reducing the number of drive mechanisms and the like. When the brush is attached to each rotating arm for each brush 48 like the cleaning mechanism 40B, it is possible to adjust the pressing force individually for the three contact portions. However, a large number of drive units and the like for individually moving each brush 48 are required, and the size of the cleaning mechanism may be increased. On the other hand, the cleaning mechanism 40C uses one supporting portion 51 fixed to the rotating arm instead of providing a plurality of rotating arms. Further, the distance between the brushes 481 and 482 at both ends and the wafer W can be adjusted using the frames 51a and 51b while attaching the three brushes 48 to one support portion 51 (that is, the pressing force is adjusted). Possible). For this reason, it is possible to individually adjust each of the three brushes while preventing an increase in the size of the cleaning mechanism.

(Fourth modification)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning mechanism according to a fourth modification, and is a diagram illustrating a part of a cleaning mechanism 40D according to the fourth modification. The cleaning mechanism 40D differs from the cleaning mechanism 40C in the shape of the frame connecting the brushes 48.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the cleaning mechanism 40D, three brushes 48 (including 481 and 482) are connected by frames 52a and 52b serving as support portions. Specifically, the center brush 48 and one end brush 481 are connected by a frame 52a, and the center brush 48 and the other end brush 482 are connected by a frame 52b. As a result, the three brushes 48 are integrated. The rotating arm 43 can be connected above or below the central brush 48 via a support or the like. The frames 52a and 52b connecting the brushes 48 are rotatable around the central brush 48 in the horizontal direction (that is, the extending direction of the wafer W). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8A, the three brushes 48 can be arranged in a straight line, for example, or can be arranged in a V-shape. The driving unit for rotating the frames 52a and 52b may be attached to the frames 52a and 52b, or may be attached to the rotating arm 43, for example. In the cleaning mechanism 40D, the brush 48 functions as a brush unit. Further, the rotating arm 43 and the frames 52a and 52b function as a part of the moving unit. The rotating arm 43 also has a function as a brush moving unit that integrally moves the brush unit.

  When cleaning the wafer W using the cleaning mechanism 40 </ b> D, first, the center brush of the brushes 48 is brought into contact with the end surface of the wafer W. Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the brushes 481 and 482 are brought into contact with the ends of the wafer W by rotating the frames 52a and 52b. In this state, the wafer W is cleaned by the brushes 481 and 482.

  Also in the above-described cleaning mechanism 40D, the wafer W can be cleaned using the three brushes 48 similarly to the cleaning mechanisms 40B and 40C. In the cleaning mechanism 40D, the three brushes 48 can simultaneously clean the wafer W in the three contact portions, so that the cleaning effect is enhanced.

  Further, the cleaning mechanism 40D is in a state where three brushes 48 are rotatably connected by frames 52a and 52b. Since the frames 52a and 52b are rotatable, the brushes 481 and 482 at both ends can adjust the pressing force on the wafer W. As a result, it is possible to adjust the pressing force according to each of the three contact portions while reducing the number of drive mechanisms and the like. This is the same as the cleaning mechanism 40C.

  In the cleaning mechanism 40D, a frame (support) extending in the radial direction of the wafer W when the brush unit is moved to a position where the wafer W is cleaned is not provided. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brush portion from being enlarged at the cleaning position of the wafer W.

(Fifth Modification)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning mechanism according to a fifth modification, and is a diagram illustrating a part of a cleaning mechanism 40E according to the fifth modification. In the cleaning mechanisms 40 and 40A to 40D, the case where the cleaning mechanism is separate from the cup 24 has been described, but the cleaning mechanism 40E is integrated with the cup 24.

  As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the cleaning mechanism 40E is fixed to the inner surface of the cup 24. The brush 53 is provided in a band shape on the inner surface of the cup 24 along the horizontal direction (the extending direction of the wafer W on the spin chuck 22), that is, at the same height position. Note that the belt-shaped brushes 53 do not need to be continuously provided. For example, the brushes 53 may be arranged in a broken line by arranging a plurality of brushes 53 with a predetermined gap. In the cleaning mechanism 40E, the brush 53 functions as a brush unit. The brush 53 has an inner surface having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the wafer W. This is the same as the brush 41 of the cleaning mechanism 40.

  The drive unit 54 for changing the height position is provided in the cup 24. The cup 24 is attached to a column 54 a extending from the driving unit 54. The height position of the cup 24 with respect to the column 54a is changed by the driving of the driving unit 54. Thereby, the height position of the cup 24 is changed. Further, by changing the height position of the cup 24, the height position of the brush 53 attached to the cup 24 also changes, and the relative position between the brush 53 and the wafer W on the spin chuck 22 also changes. The drive unit 54 has a function as a moving unit that moves the brush unit. If there is an elevating device conventionally attached to the cup 24, this can be applied as the drive unit 54.

  In the cleaning mechanism 40E, by changing the height position of the brush 53 while rotating the wafer W, the peripheral edge of the end face and the rear face of the wafer W is changed to the brush 53 as shown in FIG. Contact the inside. Thus, the cleaning of the wafer W by the brush 53 is performed.

  In the above-described cleaning mechanism 40E, when the brush 53 has a band shape, the contact portion between the inner surface of the brush 53 and the wafer W is formed in a band shape along the circumferential direction of the wafer W. This shape is a state in which a plurality of contact portions are provided substantially continuously along the circumferential direction of the wafer W, similarly to the cleaning mechanism 40. Therefore, the cleaning effect of the brush 53 during one rotation of the wafer W is enhanced as compared with the conventional configuration, and the time required for completing the cleaning can be reduced.

  Further, in the case of the cleaning mechanism 40E, when the brush 53 is not used, the cup 24 is moved up and down to separate the brush 53 from the wafer W, and waits. Therefore, compared to a case where the brush 53 is moved to the standby unit and waits as in other cleaning mechanisms, the brush movement time can be reduced. Therefore, the time required for a series of operations until the completion of cleaning can be reduced. In addition, although the lifting and lowering of the cup 24 is performed by the driving unit 54, a rotating arm and a rotating / elevating unit for the brush 53 are not required, so that the driving mechanism can be downsized and the cost can be reduced. .

  When the brush 53 is flat along the vertical direction (Z direction / height direction: a direction orthogonal to the extending surface of the surface of the wafer W), the contact position between the inner surface of the brush 53 and the wafer W is set. Can be changed vertically. As described above, when the inner surface of the brush 53 has a shape in which the vertical position can be changed, the cleaning with the brush 53 is performed while changing the contact position with the end surface of the wafer W, so that the inner surface of the brush 53 is worn. Can be prevented from concentrating on a specific position. Therefore, wear or breakage of the brush 53 can be delayed, and the service period of the brush 53 can be extended. However, the brush 53 does not have to have a flat inner surface, and for example, may have a configuration having a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion like the brush 48.

[Others]
Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made without being limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Also, other embodiments can be formed by combining elements in different embodiments.

  For example, in the first modification, the pressing control units 47a, 47b, and 47c of the cleaning mechanism 40A may have pressure sensors that measure the forces received by the pressing units 46a, 46b, and 46b from the brush 41. Explain. This configuration may be applied to a cleaning mechanism other than the cleaning mechanism 40A.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the shape of the brush, the form of the cleaning unit, and the number of the cleaning units are arbitrary, and can be appropriately set according to the cleaning function to be obtained.

  Further, in the above embodiment, only the cleaning mechanism for cleaning the peripheral portion of the wafer has been described, but a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the front surface or the back surface of the wafer may be separately provided.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the semiconductor wafer is applied as the substrate to be processed is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other substrates such as a flat panel display device substrate typified by a liquid crystal display glass substrate may be used. It is also applicable to substrates.

  From the above description, it is understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of explanation, and that various changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Will. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the appended claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate processing system, 10 ... Substrate processing apparatus, 21 ... Chamber, 22 ... Spin chuck, 23 ... Motor, 24 ... Cup, 30 ... Cleaning liquid supply mechanism, 40, 40A-40E ... Cleaning mechanism, 31a ... Surface side cleaning liquid nozzle , 31b: back side cleaning liquid nozzle, 41, 48, 53 ... brush, 42, 51 ... support part, 43 ... rotating arm, 44 ... shaft part, 45 ... rotating / elevating part, 46a, 46b, 46c ... pressing part , 47a, 47b, 47c... Press control unit, 54.

Claims (10)

A substrate holding unit,
A rotation drive unit that rotates the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
A brush unit for cleaning a peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
A moving unit that moves a relative position of the brush unit with respect to the substrate,
Has,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the brush unit simultaneously contacts the substrate at a plurality of contact units provided along a circumferential direction of the substrate to perform cleaning.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit includes a pressing adjustment unit that adjusts a pressing force of the brush unit on the substrate in each of the plurality of contact units. The moving unit further includes a pressure measuring unit that measures a pressing force of the brush unit on the substrate,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressing adjustment unit adjusts the pressing force of the brush unit based on a measurement result of the pressing force by the pressure measuring unit.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit includes a brush moving unit configured to move the brush unit integrally with the substrate.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush unit has an arc-shaped inner surface corresponding to the substrate.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush unit includes at least three cylindrical brushes.   The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a standby unit that waits for the brush unit outside the substrate. A processing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit,
A cup for receiving the processing liquid supplied to the substrate,
Further having
The brush portion is fixed to an inner surface of the cup,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit moves the brush unit by moving the cup up and down. A substrate processing method for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate held by a substrate holding unit,
A substrate processing method, wherein cleaning is performed by simultaneously contacting the substrate with a plurality of contact portions provided along a circumferential direction of the substrate by a brush portion.   A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate liquid processing method according to claim 9.

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