JP2021106209A - Cleaning device and polishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device capable of moving a cleaning member from a retracted position to a cleaning position, in which the footprint of a cleaning tank can be reduced.SOLUTION: A cleaning device 16 includes: a cleaning tank 41 defining a cleaning space where a wafer W is cleaned; a wafer rotation mechanism 42 arranged inside the cleaning tank 41 to hold and rotate the wafer; a cleaning member 43 rotatable around a central axis line that extends in a longitudinal direction, the cleaning member 43 contacting and cleaning the surface of the wafer; and a swing mechanism 44 swinging the cleaning member 43 around a swing axis line that is located inside the cleaning tank 41 and moving the cleaning member from a retracted position outside the wafer W to a cleaning position directly above the wafer W. The length of the cleaning member 43 is longer than the radius of the wafer W, and a distance from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis line is smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. The cleaning member 43 passes directly above the center of the wafer W when the swing mechanism 44 swings the cleaning member 43 around the swing axis line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a polishing device.

In the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, various treatments such as film formation, etching, and polishing are performed on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. Before and after these various treatments, it is necessary to keep the surface of the substrate for cleaning, so that the substrate is cleaned. For the cleaning process of a substrate, a cleaning machine is widely used in which the peripheral portion of the substrate is held by a plurality of rollers and the rollers are rotationally driven to rotate the substrate, and a cleaning member is pressed against the rotating substrate to clean the substrate. There is.

Patent Document 1 discloses a roll cleaning machine using a roll-shaped sponge as a cleaning member. The cleaning machine of Patent Document 1 moves (parallel) a cleaning member made of a roll-shaped sponge along a guide rail extending in the X-axis direction from a cleaning position for cleaning the wafer to a shelter position on the outside of the wafer. It has a drive mechanism to make it.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-238713

In the washing machine of Patent Document 1, a drive mechanism for moving the washing member from the washing position to the retreat position is provided inside the washing tank. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the footprint of the washing tank.

In order to make the cleaning tank sufficiently narrow compared to the size of the wafer, the drive mechanism is arranged outside the cleaning tank, and a large opening for running the drive mechanism from the cleaning position to the shelter position is provided on the side wall of the cleaning tank. It is conceivable that the opening is opened and closed by a shutter.

However, in such a configuration, if the chemical solution is supplied while the shutter is open, there is a risk that the chemical solution during wafer cleaning or scrubbing is scattered outside the tank. Therefore, when the shutter is opened, the liquid supply system is used. It is necessary to put it in a stopped state, and a time loss (OHT) occurs. Further, since there is a certain gap between the side wall of the cleaning tank and the shutter not only when the shutter is opened but also when the shutter is closed, the chemical atmosphere leaks to the outside of the cleaning tank from this gap. There is a risk.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points. An object of the present invention is a cleaning device and a polishing device capable of moving a cleaning member from a retracted position to a cleaning position, in which a cleaning device capable of reducing the footprint of the cleaning tank without forming a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank. , To provide a polishing device.

The cleaning device according to the first aspect of the present invention is
A cleaning tank that defines a cleaning space for cleaning wafers,
A wafer rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the washing tank and holds and rotates the wafer,
A cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the wafer to clean the wafer, and is a cleaning member that can rotate around the central axis extending in the lateral direction.
An oscillating mechanism that oscillates the cleaning member around an oscillating axis located inside the cleaning tank to move the cleaning member from a shelter position on the outside of the wafer to a cleaning position directly above the wafer.
With
The length of the cleaning member is longer than the radius of the wafer.
The distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is smaller than the diameter of the wafer.
When the swing mechanism swings the cleaning member around the swing axis, the cleaning member passes directly above the center of the wafer.

According to such an aspect, even if the cleaning member is a long member longer than the radius of the wafer, the distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is defined to be smaller than the diameter of the wafer. Since the cleaning member is moved from the repellent position to the cleaning position by swinging around the swing axis, the cleaning member is moved from the cleaning position to the cleaning position as compared with the case where the cleaning member is linearly moved (running) from the retreat position to the cleaning position. The space required to move to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be reduced. Further, since the swing axis is located inside the cleaning tank, it is not necessary to form a traveling opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank. Therefore, in a cleaning device in which the cleaning member can be moved from the retracted position to the cleaning position, the footprint of the cleaning tank can be reduced without forming a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank. Further, since it is not necessary to form a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank, it is possible to improve the leakage of the chemical atmosphere to the outside of the cleaning tank.

The cleaning device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the cleaning device according to the first aspect.
The rocking axis is located away from the extension of the central axis of the cleaning member.

According to such an embodiment, since the swing axis is not on the extension of the central axis of the cleaning member, the distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis can be reduced to less than half the length of the cleaning member. This is possible, the space required to move the cleaning member from the cleaning position to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank can be made smaller.

The cleaning device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the cleaning device according to the first or second aspect.
The swing angle when the swing mechanism moves the cleaning member from the retracted position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °.

According to such an aspect, the cleaning member is moved from the cleaning position to the shelter position as compared with the case where the shaking angle when the rocking mechanism moves the cleaning member from the retreat position to the cleaning position is 90 ° or more. The space required for cleaning (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank can be made smaller.

The cleaning device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the cleaning device according to any one of the first to third aspects.
An elevating mechanism that elevates and elevates the cleaning member,
A load control mechanism that controls the load applied by the cleaning member to the surface of the wafer,
Further prepare.

The cleaning device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the cleaning device according to the fourth aspect.
The elevating mechanism
A pillar portion extending in the vertical direction provided so as to penetrate the wall surface of the washing tank, and
An arm extending laterally from the pillar and
A driving means provided at the end of the pillar portion protruding to the outside of the cleaning tank, and
Have,
The swing mechanism is provided at the tip of the arm.
The elevating mechanism integrally elevates and elevates the cleaning member and the swing mechanism.

The cleaning device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is the cleaning device according to the fifth aspect.
The arm extends laterally so as to straddle the upper or lower part of the retreat position.

According to such an aspect, when the cleaning member is located in the shelter position, the cleaning member is housed in the space below or above the arm, so that the internal space of the cleaning tank can be used efficiently. It is possible to make the footprint of the washing tank smaller.

The polishing apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is
A polishing unit that polishes wafers and
A cleaning unit that cleans the wafer after polishing, and
With
The cleaning unit is
A cleaning tank that defines a cleaning space for cleaning wafers,
A wafer rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the washing tank and holds and rotates the wafer,
A cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the wafer to clean the wafer, and is a cleaning member that can rotate around the central axis extending in the lateral direction.
An oscillating mechanism that oscillates the cleaning member around an oscillating axis located inside the cleaning tank to move the cleaning member from a shelter position on the outside of the wafer to a cleaning position directly above the wafer.
With
The length of the cleaning member is longer than the radius of the wafer.
The distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is smaller than the diameter of the wafer.
When the swing mechanism swings the cleaning member around the swing axis, the cleaning member passes directly above the center of the wafer.

According to such an aspect, even if the cleaning member is a long member longer than the radius of the wafer, the distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is defined to be smaller than the diameter of the wafer. Since the cleaning member is moved from the repellent position to the cleaning position by swinging around the swing axis, the cleaning member is moved from the cleaning position to the cleaning position as compared with the case where the cleaning member is linearly moved (running) from the retreat position to the cleaning position. The space required to move to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be reduced. Further, since the swing axis is located inside the cleaning tank, it is not necessary to form a traveling opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank. Therefore, in a polishing device equipped with a cleaning module capable of moving the cleaning member from the retracted position to the cleaning position, it is possible to reduce the footprint of the cleaning tank without forming a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank. Become. Further, since it is not necessary to form a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank, it is possible to improve the leakage of the chemical atmosphere to the outside of the cleaning tank.

The polishing apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is the polishing apparatus according to the seventh aspect.
The rocking axis is located away from the extension of the central axis of the cleaning member.

According to such an embodiment, since the swing axis is not on the extension of the central axis of the cleaning member, the distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis can be reduced to less than half the length of the cleaning member. This is possible, the space required to move the cleaning member from the cleaning position to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank can be made smaller.

The polishing apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the polishing apparatus according to the seventh or eighth aspect.
The swing angle when the swing mechanism moves the cleaning member from the retracted position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °.

According to such an aspect, the cleaning member is moved from the cleaning position to the shelter position as compared with the case where the rocking angle when the rocking mechanism moves the cleaning member from the retreat position to the cleaning position is 90 ° or more. The space required for cleaning (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank can be made smaller.

The polishing apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the present invention is the polishing apparatus according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects.
An elevating mechanism that elevates and elevates the cleaning member,
A load control mechanism that controls the load applied by the cleaning member to the surface of the wafer,
Further prepare.

The polishing apparatus according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is the polishing apparatus according to the tenth aspect.
The elevating mechanism
A pillar portion extending in the vertical direction provided so as to penetrate the wall surface of the washing tank, and
An arm extending laterally from the pillar and
A drive means provided at the end of the pillar portion protruding to the outside of the housing, and
Have,
The swing mechanism is provided at the tip of the arm.
The elevating mechanism integrally elevates and elevates the cleaning member and the swing mechanism.

The polishing apparatus according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention is the polishing apparatus according to the eleventh aspect.
The arm extends laterally so as to straddle the upper or lower part of the retreat position.

According to such an aspect, when the cleaning member is located in the shelter position, the cleaning member is housed in the space below or above the arm, so that the internal space of the cleaning tank can be used efficiently. It is possible to make the footprint of the washing tank smaller.

According to the present invention, in a cleaning device and a polishing device capable of moving a cleaning member from a retracted position to a cleaning position, the footprint of the cleaning tank can be reduced without forming a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the polishing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cleaning tank of the cleaning device according to the embodiment through the cleaning tank, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning member is located at a shelter position. FIG. 3 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from above. FIG. 4 is an internal perspective view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the back side. FIG. 5 is an internal perspective view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the left side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank of the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the cleaning member is located at the cleaning position. FIG. 7 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 6 when viewed from above. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank of the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment, and is a space required for moving the cleaning member from the cleaning position to the shelter position (space through which the cleaning member passes). It is a figure for demonstrating. FIG. 9 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 8 when viewed from above. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank of the cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the second cleaning means is located at the cleaning position. FIG. 11 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 10 when viewed from above.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals are used for parts that can be configured in the same manner, and duplicate description is omitted.

<Board processing equipment>
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus (also referred to as a polishing apparatus) 1 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substantially rectangular housing 10 and a load port 12 on which a substrate cassette (not shown) for stocking a plurality of wafers W (see FIG. 2 and the like) is placed. ,have. The load port 12 is arranged adjacent to the housing 10. The load port 12 can be equipped with an open cassette, a SMIF (Standard Manufacturing Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Enhanced Pod). The SMIF pod and FOUP are airtight containers that can maintain an environment independent of the external space by accommodating a substrate cassette inside and covering it with a partition wall. Examples of the wafer W include semiconductor wafers.

Inside the housing 10, a plurality of polishing units 14a to 14d (four in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1), a first cleaning unit 16a and a second cleaning unit 16b for cleaning the polished wafer W, and after cleaning A drying unit 20 for drying the wafer W is housed. The polishing units 14a to 14d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10, and the cleaning units 16a and 16b and the drying unit 20 are also arranged along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10.

The first transfer robot 22 is arranged in the area surrounded by the load port 12, the polishing unit 14a located on the load port 12 side, and the drying unit 20. Further, a transport unit 24 is arranged in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 between the region where the polishing units 14a to 14d are arranged and the region where the cleaning units 16a and 16b and the drying unit 20 are arranged. There is. The first transfer robot 22 receives the wafer W before polishing from the load port 12 and delivers it to the transfer unit 24, or receives the dried wafer W taken out from the drying unit 20 from the transfer unit 24.

Between the first cleaning unit 16a and the second cleaning unit 16b, a second transfer robot 26 that transfers the wafer W between the first cleaning unit 16a and the second cleaning unit 16b is arranged. Further, between the second cleaning unit 16b and the drying unit 20, a third transfer robot 28 that transfers the wafer W between the second cleaning unit 16b and the drying unit 20 is arranged.

Further, the substrate processing device 1 is provided with a control device 30 for controlling the movements of the devices 14a to 14d, 16a, 16b, 22, 24, 26, and 28. As the control device 30, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) is used. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control device 30 is arranged inside the housing 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the control device 30 may be arranged outside the housing 10.

As the first cleaning unit 16a and / or the second cleaning unit 16b, in the presence of the cleaning liquid, a roll cleaning member extending in the horizontally direction is brought into contact with the surface of the wafer W, and the surface of the wafer W is rotated while the roll cleaning member is rotated. A roll cleaning device for scrubbing (cleaning device 16 according to one embodiment described later) may be used, or a columnar pencil cleaning member extending in the vertical direction is brought into contact with the surface of the wafer W in the presence of a cleaning liquid. , A pencil cleaning device (not shown) that scrubs the surface of the wafer W by moving the pencil cleaning member in one direction parallel to the surface of the wafer W while rotating may be used, or the presence of a cleaning liquid. Below, a buff cleaning and polishing member having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction is brought into contact with the surface of the wafer W, and the buff cleaning and polishing member is rotated and moved in one direction parallel to the surface of the wafer W to move the wafer W. A buff cleaning and polishing device (not shown) that scrubs and polishes the surface of the wafer W may be used, or a two-fluid jet cleaning device (not shown) that cleans the surface of the wafer W with a two-fluid jet may be used. Further, as the first cleaning unit 16a and / or the second cleaning unit 16b, any two or more of the roll cleaning device, the pencil cleaning device, the buff cleaning and polishing device, and the two-fluid jet cleaning device are used in combination. May be good.

The cleaning solution includes a rinse solution such as pure water (DIW) and a chemical solution such as hydrogen peroxide (SC1), hydrogen peroxide (SC2), hydrogen peroxide (SPM), sulfuric acid, and hydrofluoric acid. Is done. Unless otherwise specified in the present embodiment, the cleaning solution means either a rinsing solution or a chemical solution.

The drying unit 20 ejects isopropyl alcohol (IPA) steam from an injection nozzle that moves in one direction parallel to the surface of the wafer W toward the rotating wafer W to dry the wafer W, and further causes the wafer W to have a high speed. A spin drying device may be used in which the wafer W is dried by centrifugal force by rotating the wafer W.

<Washing device>
Next, the cleaning device 16 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank 41 of the cleaning device 16, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning member 43 is located at a retreat position. FIG. 3 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from above. FIG. 4 is an internal perspective view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the back side. FIG. 5 is an internal perspective view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the left side.

The cleaning device 16 according to the present embodiment can be used as the first cleaning unit 16a and / or the second cleaning unit 16b in the substrate processing device 1 described above.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the cleaning apparatus 16 has a cleaning tank 41 that defines a cleaning space for cleaning the wafer W, and a wafer rotation that is arranged inside the cleaning tank 41 to hold and rotate the wafer W. The cleaning member 43, which is a cleaning member 43 that contacts and cleans the surface of the wafer W and is rotatable around the central axis extending in the lateral direction, and the cleaning member 43 are located inside the cleaning tank 41. A swing mechanism 44 that swings around the swing axis to move from a retreat position on the outside of the wafer W to a cleaning position directly above the wafer W, an elevating mechanism 45 that raises and lowers the cleaning member 43, and a cleaning liquid on the wafer W. It has liquid supply nozzles 46a and 46b to be supplied.

Of these, the cleaning tank 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the illustrated example, wafer loading ports 41a and 41b for loading and unloading the wafer W inside the cleaning tank 41 are formed on the left and right side wall surfaces of the cleaning tank 41, respectively, and the wafer loading ports 41a and 41b are formed. Can be opened and closed by the shutters 50a and 50b, respectively.

Inside the cleaning tank 41, a cleaning means 51 extending in the left-right direction is arranged adjacent to the side wall surface on the inner side of the cleaning tank 41. The cleaning means 51 has a cleaning surface on which the cleaning member 43 is pressed. The cleaning surface is formed in a flat shape by, for example, quartz. The material and shape of the cleaning surface may be appropriately changed depending on the material and shape of the cleaning member 43 and the like. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may be used as the material for the cleaning surface.

A chemical solution pipe, a pure water pipe, etc. (not shown) are arranged on the cleaning surface. The chemical solution ejected from the chemical solution pipe may be the same as the chemical solution supplied to the wafer W from the liquid supply nozzles 46a and 46b. With the cleaning member 43 arranged in the retreat position, the cleaning member 43 is pressed against the cleaning means 51 while rotating (rotating), and the chemical solution is sprayed toward the cleaning member 43 to adhere to the cleaning member 43. Dirt is removed. In this way, after the cleaning member 43 is rotated (rotated) by a predetermined amount while being pressed against the cleaning means 51, the cleaning member 43 is raised and separated from the cleaning means 51, and then pure water is applied to the cleaning means 51 and By spraying toward the cleaning member 43, the cleaning means 51 and the cleaning member 43 are cleaned.

In the present embodiment, the wafer rotation mechanism 42 has a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) rollers 42a to 42d that hold the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W. The wafers W held by the plurality of rollers 42a to 42d are formed by rotating (rotating) the plurality of rollers 42a to 42 in the same direction by the rotational driving force received from a rotational driving unit (for example, a motor) (not shown). Due to the frictional force acting between the rollers 42a to 42d and the peripheral edge of the wafer W, the rollers 42a to 42d are rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction.

As the cleaning member 43, a columnar roll sponge extending in the lateral direction can be used. As the material of the roll sponge, a porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge, urethane foam sponge, or the like can be used. The axial length of the cleaning member 43 is longer than the radius of the wafer W. The axial length of the cleaning member 43 may be longer than the diameter of the wafer W. With the cleaning member 43 arranged at the cleaning position directly above the wafer W, the chemical liquid and / or pure water is ejected from the liquid supply nozzles 46a and 46b toward the surface of the wafer W to be rotated, and the circumference of the cleaning member 43 The surface of the wafer W is cleaned by rotating (rotating) the cleaning member 43 with the surface in contact with the surface of the wafer W.

In the illustrated example, the holder 431 extending parallel to the axial direction of the cleaning member 43 is arranged above the cleaning member 43. The holder 431 holds both ends of the cleaning member 43 so as to be rotatable (rotating) around its central axis. Inside the holder 431, a motor (not shown) for rotating (rotating) the cleaning member 43 around its central axis is provided. Further, a load cell (not shown) for measuring the load applied by the cleaning member 43 to the surface of the wafer W may be provided inside the holder 431. A load control mechanism (not shown) is connected to the load cell. The load control mechanism controls the operation of the elevating mechanism 45 based on the measurement result of the load cell to control the load applied by the cleaning member 43 to the surface of the wafer W. The load control mechanism may be provided in the control device 30 (see FIG. 1).

In the present embodiment, the elevating mechanism 45 has a vertically extending pillar portion 45a provided so as to penetrate the wall surface of the cleaning tank 41 and an arm portion 45b extending laterally from one end of the pillar portion 45a for cleaning. It has a driving means 45c provided at the other end of the pillar portion 45a protruding to the outside of the tank 41. The drive means 45c is, for example, a motor.

In the illustrated example, a recess is formed in the upper portion of the left end portion of the side wall surface on the back side (upper side of the paper surface in FIG. 3) of the cleaning tank 41, and the pillar portion 45a is the recess. It is located in. The arm portion 45b is provided so as to extend from the upper end portion of the pillar portion 45a to the front side (lower side of the paper surface in FIG. 3) so as to straddle the upper part of the retreat position. As a result, when the cleaning member 43 is arranged in the shelter position, the cleaning member 43 is housed in the space below the arm portion 45b, so that the internal space of the cleaning tank 41 can be efficiently used for cleaning. The footprint of the tank 41 can be made smaller.

In the present embodiment, the swing mechanism 44 is provided at the tip of the arm 45b, and the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 is positioned at the tip of the arm 45b inside the cleaning tank 41. Has been done. The swing mechanism 44 is, for example, a motor. The end of the holder 431 that holds the cleaning member 43 is held at the tip of the arm 45b via the swing mechanism 44.

The pillar portion 45a of the elevating mechanism 45 is linearly moved in the vertical direction integrally with the arm portion 45b by the linear driving force received from the driving means 45c. As a result, the swing mechanism 44, the holder 431, and the cleaning member 43 provided at the tip of the arm portion 45b are also linearly moved in the vertical direction together with the pillar portion 45a and the arm portion 45b. With reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, the elevating mechanism 45 is operated with the cleaning member 43 arranged in the retreat position, so that the cleaning member 43 comes into contact with the cleaning means 51 at a height position and the cleaning means 51. It is moved up and down to and from a height position separated from.

Further, in a state where the cleaning member 43 is arranged at a height position away from the cleaning means 51, the holder 431 and the cleaning member 43 are positioned at the tip of the arm portion 45b by the rotational driving force received from the swing mechanism 44. It is oscillated (turned) around the oscillating axis A. As a result, the cleaning member 43 is moved from the shelter position on the outside of the wafer W (see FIGS. 2 to 5) to the cleaning position directly above the wafer W (see FIGS. 6 and 7). When the swing mechanism 44 swings the cleaning member 43 around the swing axis A, the cleaning member 43 may be configured to pass directly above the center of the wafer W.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the cleaning device 16 through the cleaning tank 41, showing a state in which the cleaning member 43 is located at the cleaning position. FIG. 7 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 6 when viewed from above.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the elevating mechanism 45 is operated with the cleaning member 43 arranged at the cleaning position, so that the cleaning member 43 comes into contact with the surface of the wafer W at a height position and the wafer W. It is moved up and down to and from a height position away from the surface of the. Then, with the peripheral surface of the cleaning member 43 in contact with the surface of the wafer W, the chemical solution and / or pure water is ejected from the liquid supply nozzles 46a and 46b toward the surface of the wafer W to be rotated and cleaned. The surface of the wafer W is cleaned by rotating (rotating) the member 43.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank 41 of the cleaning device 16, and describes the space (space through which the cleaning member passes) required to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position. It is a figure for. FIG. 9 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 8 when viewed from above. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the arcuate curve with the symbols C1 and C2 passes through the space required for moving the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position (that is, the cleaning member 43 (holder 431) passes through. The outline of the space) is shown.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the distance L (also referred to as the turning radius) from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 is smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, even if the cleaning member 43 is a long roll sponge longer than the radius of the wafer W, the distance L from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis A is the wafer W. The cleaning member 43 is swung around the swing axis A to move the cleaning member 43 from the retreat position to the cleaning position, thereby moving the cleaning member 43 straight from the retreat position to the cleaning position. Compared with the case of moving (running), the space required for moving the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the retreat position can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 is located at a position away from the extension line of the central axis of the cleaning member 43 (that is, the swing axis A is , Not on the extension of the central axis of the cleaning member 43). If the swing axis A is on an extension of the central axis of the cleaning member 43, the distance L from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis A should be reduced to half or less of the axial length of the cleaning member 43. It is impossible to shrink (the end of the cleaning member 43 hits the swing axis A). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the swing axis A is not on the extension line of the central axis of the cleaning member 43, the distance L from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis A is set to the axis of the cleaning member 43. It is also possible to shrink it to less than half the length in the direction, which makes it possible to further reduce the space required to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes). ing.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the swing angle θ when the swing mechanism 44 moves the cleaning member 43 from the retreat position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °. As a result, the space required to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position is compared with the case where the swing angle θ when moving the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the cleaning position is 90 ° or more. (Space through which cleaning members pass) can be further reduced.

In the present embodiment, the cleaning device 16 uses a cleaning tank for a back surface cleaning member 47 that contacts and cleans the back surface of the wafer W, a second cleaning means 48 that cleans the surface of the wafer W, and a second cleaning means 48. Further, a second swing mechanism 49 that swings around the second swing axis located inside the 41 and moves from the second retaining position outside the wafer W to the second cleaning position directly above the wafer W. Have.

As the back surface cleaning member 47, a columnar roll sponge extending in the lateral direction can be used. As the material of the roll sponge, a porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge, urethane foam sponge, or the like can be used. The back surface cleaning member 47 is arranged directly below the wafer W. The axial length of the back surface cleaning member 47 is longer than the radius of the wafer W. The axial length of the back surface cleaning member 47 may be longer than the diameter of the wafer W. With the peripheral surface of the back surface cleaning member 47 in contact with the back surface of the wafer W, the chemical solution and / or pure water is ejected from a nozzle (not shown) toward the back surface of the wafer W to be rotated, and the back surface cleaning member 47 Is rotated (rotated) to clean the back surface of the wafer W.

In the illustrated example, the holder 471 extending parallel to the axial direction of the back surface cleaning member 47 is arranged below the back surface cleaning member 47. The holder 471 holds both ends of the back surface cleaning member 47 so as to be rotatable (rotating) around its central axis. Inside the holder 471, a motor (not shown) for rotating (rotating) the back surface cleaning member 47 around its central axis is provided. Further, a load cell (not shown) for measuring the load applied by the back surface cleaning member 47 to the front surface of the wafer W may be provided inside the holder 471. The load cell is connected to the load control mechanism (not shown) described above. The load control mechanism controls the operation of the means (not shown) for raising and lowering the back surface cleaning member 47 and the holder 471 based on the measurement result of the load cell, so that the load applied by the back surface cleaning member 47 to the back surface of the wafer W. To control.

As the second cleaning means 48, for example, in the presence of a cleaning liquid, a cylindrical pencil cleaning member extending in the vertical direction is brought into contact with the surface of the wafer W, and the pencil cleaning member is rotated while being parallel to the surface of the wafer W. A pencil cleaning means for scrubbing the surface of the wafer W by being moved (oscillated) in a direction may be used, or buff cleaning and polishing having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction in the presence of a cleaning liquid. A buff that scrubs and polishes the surface of the wafer W by bringing the member into contact with the surface of the wafer W and moving (swinging) the member in one direction parallel to the surface of the wafer W while rotating the buff cleaning and polishing member. A cleaning and polishing means may be used, a two-fluid jet cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the wafer W with a two-fluid jet may be used, or a megasonic (high-frequency ultrasonic) jet may be used to clean the surface of the wafer W. Megasonic jet cleaning means may be used.

The second swing mechanism 49 includes a pillar portion extending in the vertical direction provided so as to penetrate the wall surface (floor surface in the illustrated example) of the cleaning tank 41, and an arm portion extending in the horizontal direction from one end of the pillar portion. And a driving means (not shown) provided at the other end of the pillar portion protruding to the outside of the cleaning tank 41. The driving means is, for example, a motor.

The pillar portion of the second swing mechanism 49 is arranged on the opposite side of the swing mechanism 44 when viewed from the center of the wafer W, and is the swing axis of the second swing mechanism 49 (second swing axis). Is positioned on the side opposite to the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 when viewed from the center of the wafer W. The second cleaning means 48 is supported by the tip of the arm of the second swing mechanism 49, and swings (turns) around the second swing axis by the rotational driving force received from the second swing mechanism 49. Will be done.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing through the cleaning tank 41 of the cleaning device 16 and shows a state in which the second cleaning means 48 is located at the cleaning position. FIG. 11 is an internal plan view of the cleaning device 16 shown in FIG. 10 when viewed from above.

Next, the operation of the cleaning device 16 having such a configuration will be described.

First, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, the shutter 50a is opened in a state where the cleaning member 43 is arranged at a retreat position outside the wafer W, and the wafer W to be cleaned (for example, the wafer W after polishing treatment). ) Is carried into the inside of the cleaning tank 41 through the wafer carry-in outlet 41a. The wafer W is held by the wafer rotation mechanism 42 and rotated.

Next, with the cleaning member 43 separated from the cleaning means 51, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the swing mechanism 44 swings (turns) the cleaning member 43 around the swing axis A. , Move from the retreat position to the cleaning position directly above the wafer W. When the swing mechanism 44 swings the cleaning member 43 around the swing axis A, the cleaning member 43 passes directly above the center of the wafer W.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, with the cleaning member 43 arranged at the cleaning position, the elevating mechanism 45 moves the cleaning member 43 downward, and the peripheral surface of the cleaning member 43 is the surface of the wafer W. To contact. Further, a means (not shown) for raising and lowering the back surface cleaning member 47 moves the back surface cleaning member 47 upward and brings the peripheral surface of the back surface cleaning member 47 into contact with the back surface of the wafer W.

Then, with the peripheral surface of the cleaning member 43 in contact with the surface of the wafer W, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid supply nozzles 46a and 46b toward the surface of the wafer W, and the cleaning member 43 is rotated (rotated). As a result, the surface of the wafer W is cleaned. Similarly, with the peripheral surface of the back surface cleaning member 47 in contact with the back surface of the wafer W, the cleaning liquid is ejected from a nozzle (not shown) toward the back surface of the wafer W, and the back surface cleaning member 47 rotates (rotates). By doing so, the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned.

After the cleaning of the surface of the wafer W by the cleaning member 43 is completed, the elevating mechanism 45 moves the cleaning member 43 upward and separates the peripheral surface of the cleaning member 43 from the surface of the wafer W. Then, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rocking mechanism 44 swings (turns) the cleaning member 43 around the rocking axis A to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the retreat position outside the wafer W.

After that, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the second rocking mechanism 49 swings (swirls) the second cleaning means 48 around the second swing axis, and the second retreat position on the outside of the wafer W. To the second cleaning position directly above the wafer W, the surface of the wafer W is cleaned by the second cleaning means 48.

After the cleaning of the surface of the wafer W by the second cleaning means 48 is completed, the second rocking mechanism 49 swings (turns) the second cleaning means 48 around the swing axis A from the second cleaning position. It is moved to the second shelter position on the outside of the wafer W. Then, the shutter 50b is opened, and the wafer W after the cleaning process is carried out of the cleaning tank 41 through the wafer loading / unloading port 41b.

According to the present embodiment as described above, even if the cleaning member 43 is a long member longer than the radius of the wafer W, the distance L from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the rocking axis A of the rocking mechanism 44 Is specified to be smaller than the diameter of the wafer W, and the cleaning member 43 is moved from the retreat position to the cleaning position by swinging the cleaning member 43 around the swing axis A, so that the cleaning member 43 is moved from the retreat position to the cleaning position. The space required to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the retreat position (that is, the space through which the cleaning member 43 passes) can be reduced as compared with the case of linearly moving (running) to. Further, since the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 is located inside the cleaning tank 41, it is not necessary to form a traveling opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank 41. Therefore, in the cleaning device 16 in which the cleaning member 43 can be moved from the retracted position to the cleaning position, the footprint of the cleaning tank 41 can be reduced without forming a running opening on the side wall of the cleaning tank 41. .. Further, according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to form an opening for traveling on the side wall of the cleaning tank 41, it is possible to improve the leakage of the chemical atmosphere to the outside of the cleaning tank 41.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the swing axis A of the swing mechanism 44 is located at a position away from the extension line of the central axis of the cleaning member 43, and is not on the extension line of the center axis of the cleaning member 43. It is also possible to reduce the distance L from the center of the cleaning member 43 to the swing axis A to less than half the length of the cleaning member 43, and the space required to move the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position. (Space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank 41 can be made smaller.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the swing angle θ when the swing mechanism 44 moves the cleaning member 43 from the retreat position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °, so that the swing angle is 90 ° or more. Compared with the case, the space required for moving the cleaning member 43 from the cleaning position to the shelter position (the space through which the cleaning member passes) can be further reduced, and the footprint of the cleaning tank 41 can be made smaller.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the arm portion 45b of the elevating mechanism 45 extends laterally so as to straddle the upper part of the retreat position, and when the cleaning member 43 is located at the retreat position, the arm portion 45b is below the arm portion 45b. Since the cleaning member 43 is housed in the space of, the internal space of the cleaning tank 41 can be efficiently used, and the footprint of the cleaning tank 41 can be made smaller.

Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above by way of examples, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and the invention may be modified or modified according to an object within the scope described in the claims. Is possible. In addition, each embodiment and modification can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents do not contradict each other.

1 Substrate processing equipment (polishing equipment)
10 Housing 12 Load ports 14a to 14d Polishing unit 16 Cleaning device 16a First cleaning unit (cleaning device)
16b 2nd cleaning unit (cleaning device)
20 Drying unit 22 1st transfer robot 24 Transfer unit 26 2nd transfer robot 28 3rd transfer robot 30 Polishing control device 41 Cleaning tank 41a, 41b Wafer loading / unloading port 42 Wafer rotation mechanism 42a to 42d Roller 43 Cleaning member 431 Holder 44 Swing Mechanism 45 Elevating mechanism 45a Pillar 45b Arm 45c Drive means 46a, 46b Liquid supply nozzle 47 Back surface cleaning member 471 Holder 48 Second cleaning means 49 Second swing mechanism 50a, 50b Shutter 51 Cleaning means

Claims (12)

A cleaning tank that defines a cleaning space for cleaning wafers,
A wafer rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the washing tank and holds and rotates the wafer,
A cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the wafer to clean the wafer, and is a cleaning member that can rotate around the central axis extending in the lateral direction.
An oscillating mechanism that oscillates the cleaning member around an oscillating axis located inside the cleaning tank to move the cleaning member from a shelter position on the outside of the wafer to a cleaning position directly above the wafer.
With
The length of the cleaning member is longer than the radius of the wafer.
The distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is smaller than the diameter of the wafer.
A cleaning device characterized in that when the rocking mechanism swings the cleaning member around the swing axis, the cleaning member passes directly above the center of the wafer. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the rocking axis is located at a position away from an extension of the central axis of the cleaning member. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rocking angle when the rocking mechanism moves the cleaning member from the retracting position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °. An elevating mechanism that elevates and elevates the cleaning member,
A load control mechanism that controls the load applied by the cleaning member to the surface of the wafer,
The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising. The elevating mechanism
A pillar portion extending in the vertical direction provided so as to penetrate the wall surface of the washing tank, and
An arm extending laterally from the pillar and
A driving means provided at the end of the pillar portion protruding to the outside of the cleaning tank, and
Have,
The swing mechanism is provided at the tip of the arm.
The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the elevating mechanism integrally raises and lowers the cleaning member and the swing mechanism. The cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein the arm portion extends laterally so as to straddle the upper or lower part of the retreat position. A polishing unit that polishes wafers and
A cleaning unit that cleans the wafer after polishing, and
With
The cleaning unit is
A cleaning tank that defines a cleaning space for cleaning wafers,
A wafer rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the washing tank and holds and rotates the wafer,
A cleaning member that comes into contact with the surface of the wafer to clean the wafer, and is a cleaning member that can rotate around the central axis extending in the lateral direction.
An oscillating mechanism that oscillates the cleaning member around an oscillating axis located inside the cleaning tank to move the cleaning member from a shelter position on the outside of the wafer to a cleaning position directly above the wafer.
With
The length of the cleaning member is longer than the radius of the wafer.
The distance from the center of the cleaning member to the swing axis is smaller than the diameter of the wafer.
A polishing apparatus characterized in that when the rocking mechanism swings the cleaning member around the swing axis, the cleaning member passes directly above the center of the wafer. The polishing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rocking axis is located at a position away from an extension of the central axis of the cleaning member. The polishing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the swing angle when the swing mechanism moves the cleaning member from the relief position to the cleaning position is smaller than 90 °. An elevating mechanism that elevates and elevates the cleaning member,
A load control mechanism that controls the load applied by the cleaning member to the surface of the wafer,
The polishing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising. The elevating mechanism
A pillar portion extending in the vertical direction provided so as to penetrate the wall surface of the washing tank, and
An arm extending laterally from the pillar and
A drive means provided at the end of the pillar portion protruding to the outside of the housing, and
Have,
The swing mechanism is provided at the tip of the arm.
The polishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the elevating mechanism raises and lowers the cleaning member and the swing mechanism integrally. The polishing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arm portion extends laterally so as to straddle the upper or lower side of the retreat position.

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