JP2022104543A - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device capable of efficiently processing a substrate transported by a transport device.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device which discharges high pressure processing fluid to a substrate transported by a transport device, with a surface to be processed upward, from a nozzle 10a arranged above the transport device in a processing chamber 100 and processes the surface of the substrate W, has: a partition plate 12 which is arranged on a downstream side in a transportation direction Dt of the substrate W of the nozzle 10a and disturbs flow to the downstream side of an air flow generated so that it is drawn into the flow of the high pressure processing fluid discharged to the surface of the substrate W from the nozzle 10a. The partition plate 12 is arranged so that a gap Gb is formed between an upper end edge of the partition plate 12 and a ceiling part 103 of the processing chamber 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device that processes a substrate conveyed by a transfer device such as a transfer roller or a transfer belt.

For example, in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device, a substrate cleaning device (board processing device) is known in which a treatment liquid (for example, pure water) is supplied from a nozzle head to the surface of the substrate to treat the surface of the substrate. .. In this substrate cleaning device, the nozzle head is arranged so as to face the surface of the substrate transported by the transport device with the surface to be treated facing upward. A high-pressure cleaning liquid (high-pressure processing fluid) is discharged from the nozzle head, and the surface of the substrate to be conveyed is cleaned by the high-pressure cleaning liquid.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-15462

By the way, when the pressure of the processing fluid discharged from the nozzle head is increased, a phenomenon occurs in which the front end portion and the rear end portion of the substrate are lifted from the transport surface. In particular, a thin (for example, about 0.5 mm thick) substrate (glass substrate, liquid crystal substrate, etc.) has a large amount of floating, and the substrate may collide with the nozzle head or the carry-out port of the processing chamber, or may be fluttered during transportation. There is a risk that the board to be processed will be damaged due to scratches. Further, since the distance between the nozzle and the substrate of the nozzle head changes due to the floating of the substrate, the treatment liquid cannot be uniformly supplied to the substrate, and the treatment may be insufficient. Therefore, it was not possible to sufficiently increase the pressure of the processing liquid.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus capable of efficiently processing a conveyed substrate.

One aspect of the substrate processing device according to the present invention is to discharge a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto a substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus for processing the surface of the substrate, which is arranged on the downstream side of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate, and is discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate in the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid. The partition plate has a partition plate that obstructs the flow of the drawn air flow to the downstream side, and the partition plate has a gap formed between the upper end edge of the partition plate and the ceiling portion of the processing chamber. It becomes a composition arranged in.

Further, one aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is to feed a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transport device onto a substrate transported by the transport device with the surface to be treated facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing device that discharges and processes the surface of the substrate, in which a predetermined range including a region facing the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate is partitioned below the transport device and is within the predetermined range from above. It is configured to have a fluid enclosing member that prevents the airflow generated so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid from the inflowing nozzle toward the upward direction of the transport device.

Further, one aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is to feed a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device to a substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing device that discharges and processes the surface of the substrate, and partitions a predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate including a space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate, and discharges the gas from the nozzle. It is configured to have a gas drawing inhibitory member that hinders the drawing of gas into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a principle (No. 1) in which a substrate conveyed by a transfer device is lifted from a transfer surface. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a principle (No. 2) in which a substrate conveyed by a transfer device is lifted from a transfer surface. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the partition plate in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the partition plate in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the partition plate in FIG. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the structure of the gas entrainment inhibitory member in FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a first modification of the gas drawing-inhibiting member. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a second modification of the gas drawing-inhibiting member. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a third modification of the gas drawing-inhibiting member. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Before explaining the embodiment of the present invention, for example, when a high-pressure processing fluid is sprayed onto a substrate from a spray nozzle of a nozzle head, the cause of the substrate being lifted from the transport surface will be considered.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the processing chamber 100 of the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate W is provided by the transport device 20 having a plurality of rollers 21 for supporting the substrate W (glass substrate, liquid crystal substrate, etc.) from below. It is transported in a horizontal state from the carry-in inlet 101 toward the carry-out port 102. The nozzle head 10 is arranged so as to face the surface of the substrate W thus conveyed facing upward.

In such a substrate processing apparatus, first, the first cause will be described with reference to FIG. From the nozzle head 10, a high-pressure cleaning liquid (processing fluid) is discharged toward the surface of the substrate W as indicated by a thick black arrow. When the cleaning liquid is discharged, an air flow is generated around the discharged cleaning liquid as indicated by a thick white arrow so as to be drawn into the flow of the cleaning liquid. This air flow is blocked by the substrate W and flows at an extremely high speed along the surface of the substrate W. Due to this high-speed air flow, the upper portion near the surface of the substrate W becomes a negative pressure state according to Bernoulli's theorem. As a result, an upward force F acts on the substrate W, and the tip portion that has passed directly below the nozzle head 10 of the substrate W to be conveyed by this upward force F (see the broken line elliptical portion in FIG. 1). ) Can come up.

Next, the second cause will be described with reference to FIG. When the rear end of the substrate W passes directly under the nozzle head 10, the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle head 10 is conveyed at high speed through the gap between the adjacent rollers 21 as indicated by the thick black arrow. It flows below the transport surface formed by the device 20. In this case as well, as described above, the flow of the cleaning liquid draws in the gas (air) around it, and an air flow is generated around the discharged cleaning liquid (thick white arrow). After the airflow reaches the vicinity of the bottom in the processing chamber 100, it rebounds and winds up, and an upward airflow is generated. The upward airflow may lift the rear end portion of the substrate W that has passed directly below the nozzle head 10.

An embodiment of the present invention capable of efficiently processing a substrate by preventing or suppressing the floating of the substrate W in consideration of the cause of the floating of the substrate W described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is characterized by having a configuration (partition plate 12 described later) for preventing or suppressing the floating of the substrate W which may occur due to the cause described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a processing chamber 100. The processing chamber 100 has a side wall on which the carry-in inlet 101 is formed and a side wall on which the carry-out port 102 is formed in the direction Dt in which the substrate W is conveyed, and the ceiling portion 103 and the bottom portion 104 are formed in the vertical direction. It is a closed space with. In the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 extending from the carry-in inlet 101 to the carry-out port 102 is provided. The transport device 20 has an axis (not shown) extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction Dt of the substrate W and parallel to the horizontal plane (direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 3: hereinafter referred to as “direction orthogonal to the transport direction”). , With a plurality of rollers 21 mounted on this shaft. A plurality of sets of the shaft (not shown) and a plurality of rollers 21 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction Dt. The upper surface of each roller 21 forms the transport surface of the substrate. The substrate W to be processed (for example, a rectangular shape having a thickness of 0.5 mm and a side of 3 m) loaded from the carry-in inlet 101 is conveyed toward the carry-out port 102 while being supported by each roller 21 of the transfer device 20.

The processing chamber 100 includes a cleaning processing unit 110 that performs high-pressure cleaning of the substrate W with a cleaning liquid (an example of a processing fluid), and a rinsing unit 120 that rinses the substrate W with a rinsing liquid (pure water). There is. In the processing chamber 100, the cleaning processing unit 110 is located upstream of the rinsing processing unit 120 in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W.

In the cleaning processing unit 110, a plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction are arranged so as to face the surface facing upward of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20. These plurality of nozzle heads 10 are fixed to the channel material 11 extending in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction in the processing chamber 100 at predetermined intervals. Each nozzle head 10 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) through a pipe. By supplying a high-pressure cleaning fluid from the supply source, a high-pressure cleaning fluid (for example, set in the range of 7 MPa to 15 MPa) downward (vertically in FIG. 3) from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10. (High-pressure processing fluid) is discharged (see the thick black arrow in FIG. 3). Further, the plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction are adjusted and arranged so as to face one shaft constituting the transport device 20 and the rollers 21 supported by the shafts. Will be done.

Further, a partition plate 12 is provided in the cleaning processing unit 110, and the partition plate 12 allows the space A on the upstream side and the space B on the downstream side of the partition plate 12 in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W. It is formed. The partition plate 12 is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction at a predetermined position on the downstream side of the nozzle head 10 in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W, and faces at least all the nozzle heads 10 in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. (The length of all nozzle heads is 10 minutes or longer). A predetermined gap Ga is formed between the lower end edge of the partition plate 12 and the substrate W conveyed by the transfer device 20, and a predetermined gap Ga is formed between the upper edge of the partition plate 12 and the ceiling portion 103 of the processing chamber 100. Gb is formed. The gap Ga is formed to be slightly larger than the film thickness formed on the surface of the substrate W by the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, and the gap Ga between the tip of the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 and the surface of the substrate W (for example, 40). It is formed smaller than (~ 60 mm) (gap Ga is, for example, 10 mm or more). The gap Gb is formed smaller than the gap Ga (for example, 5 to 10 mm). An adjusting device for the gap Ga and Gb may be provided. For example, the partition plate 12 may be supported by a bracket so that it can be slid up and down. Alternatively, the partition plate 12 is divided into two members at the central portion in the height direction, and each member is supported by a bracket so that the members can be slid up and down so that the gap Ga and Gb can be adjusted individually. You may.

It will be considered that the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured in this way prevents or suppresses the floating of the substrate W.

The optimum placement position of the partition plate 12, and the gaps Ga and Gb are determined by factors such as the gap between the tip of the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate W, the discharge pressure of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, and the discharge speed. It can be obtained by experiment etc. in consideration of the above. If the nozzle head 10 is brought as close as possible to the surface of the substrate W, the amount of gas that comes into contact with the discharged cleaning liquid is reduced, and the amount of surrounding gas that is involved is reduced, so that it is considered that the substrate W does not float. However, if the nozzle head 10 is brought too close to the substrate W, there is a risk that the pattern or the like on the substrate will be damaged by the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. On the other hand, if the nozzle head 10 is too far from the substrate W, the cleaning liquid having a required pressure cannot be supplied to the substrate W, and efficient cleaning processing becomes difficult.

As described above, the gap Ga is slightly larger than the film thickness of the cleaning liquid film formed on the surface of the substrate W so that the flow of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a is not blocked by the partition plate 12. Is preferable. In the present embodiment, the gap is set to block (prevent), for example, about 75% of the thickness of the airflow layer that is drawn in by the discharge of the cleaning liquid and becomes an airflow. If the gap Ga is made wider than this, there is no difference from the conventional one (that is, the substrate W shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is lifted).

Regarding the gap Gb, FIG. 4 is a schematic view when the gap Gb is not provided, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram when the gap Gb is too wide, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram when the gap Gb is a preferable size. In FIG. 4, although the passage of the airflow is restricted by the presence of the gap Ga, it becomes a vortex in the space B, and this flow causes the substrate W to float. Also in FIG. 5, the airflow that has passed through the gap Ga becomes a vortex in the space B, passes through the gap Gb in the middle of the flow, and changes to a large vortex that surrounds the partition plate 12, and this flow causes the substrate W to float. Become. On the other hand, also in FIG. 6, the passage of the airflow is restricted by the presence of the partition plate 12 (due to the small gap Ga). Further, the airflow passing through the gap Ga becomes a vortex above the substrate W in the space B. However, since the size of the gap Gb is appropriately formed, the airflow rising on the surface of the partition plate 12 on the side facing the nozzle 10a generates a strong suction force in the gap Gb. Due to this suction force, a part of the gas that is the source of forming a vortex in the space B can be moved from the space B to the space A through the gap Gb. Therefore, in FIG. 6, even if a vortex is generated above the substrate W, it can be suppressed to the extent that the floating of the substrate W is not affected, and thereby the airflow that causes the floating of the substrate W can be suppressed. It is thought that it can be done.

The partition plate 12 is provided on the downstream side of the nozzle head 10 and on the upstream side of the position where the substrate W can be lifted in the transport direction Dt. The position where the substrate W can be lifted can be determined in advance by an experiment or the like. For example, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the position where the substrate W can be lifted is determined.

Further, the gaps Ga and Gb may be provided by forming one or a plurality of elongated holes in the partition plate 12. For example, the end portion of the partition plate 12 on the ceiling 103 side may be provided in contact with the ceiling 103, and a long hole as a gap Gb may be provided in a predetermined portion of the partition plate 12 on the ceiling 103 side. The position and number of the elongated holes and the size of the elongated holes are set so as to have the same effect as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 as described above.

Returning to FIG. 3, the rinsing unit 120 is provided with a plurality of upper treatment liquid pipes 14 on the upper side and a plurality of lower treatment liquid pipes 15 on the lower side with the transport device 20 interposed therebetween. Each of the plurality of upper treatment liquid pipes 14 and each of the plurality of lower treatment liquid pipes 15 extend in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The plurality of upper treatment liquid tubes 14 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W, and each of the plurality of lower treatment liquid tubes 15 is arranged so as to face any of the plurality of upper treatment liquid tubes 14. Has been done. A plurality of nozzles 14a that open downward are formed in each upper treatment liquid pipe 14 at predetermined intervals, and a plurality of nozzles 15a that open upward in each lower treatment liquid pipe 15 have a predetermined interval. It is formed. Each of the upper treatment liquid pipe 14 and the lower treatment liquid pipe 15 is connected to the rinse liquid supply source (not shown) through a pipe. The rinse liquid from the supply source is supplied to the upper treatment liquid pipe 14, the rinse liquid is discharged downward from each nozzle 14a of the upper treatment liquid pipe 14, and the rinse liquid from the supply source is discharged to the lower treatment liquid pipe 15. The rinse liquid is discharged upward from each nozzle 15a of the lower treatment liquid pipe 15. Both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate W conveyed by the transfer device 20 are treated by the rinse liquid discharged from each nozzle 14a of the upper treatment liquid pipe 14 and the rinse liquid discharged from each nozzle 15a of the lower treatment liquid pipe 15. Rinse).

In the substrate processing device 1 having the structure as described above, the substrate W carried in from the carry-in inlet 101 and conveyed by the transfer device 20 enters the cleaning processing unit 110. In the cleaning processing unit 110, a high-pressure cleaning liquid (processing fluid) discharged from the nozzle 10a is supplied to the surface of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20, and foreign matter on the surface of the substrate W is removed (cleaned). Then, the substrate W, which has been processed by the cleaning processing unit 110 and is conveyed by the transfer device 20, enters the next rinsing unit 120. In the rinsing unit 120, the substrate W conveyed by the transfer device 20 has both front and back surfaces thereof due to the rinsing liquid discharged from the nozzles 14a and 15a of the upper treatment liquid pipe 14 and the lower treatment liquid pipe 15, respectively. It is processed, carried out from the carry-out port 102, and moved to the next processing step (for example, a drying step).

In the treatment in the cleaning processing unit 110 described above, the surrounding gas is drawn in by the high-pressure cleaning liquid (see the thick black arrow in FIG. 3) discharged from the nozzle 10a, and the airflow generated so as to be drawn is generated in the substrate W. It flows at high speed along the surface (see the thick white arrow in Fig. 3). However, a part of the airflow flowing on the surface of the substrate W to the downstream side in the transport direction Dt hits the partition plate 12, and the airflow allowed by the gap Ga existing between the lower end of the partition plate 12 and the substrate W (for example,). , About 25% of the thickness of the airflow layer) will flow further downstream. That is, a part of the gas drawn by the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle head 10 is prevented from flowing further downstream due to the presence of the partition plate 12. As a result, the airflow along the surface of the substrate W is reduced on the downstream side of the arrangement position of the partition plate 12 in the transport direction of the substrate. Moreover, as described with reference to FIG. 6, in the space B, although a vortex flows above the substrate W, the presence of an appropriate gap Gb can suppress the floating of the substrate W to the extent that it is not affected. .. As a result, the negative pressure generated in the upper portion near the surface of the substrate W can be reduced (the negative pressure can be brought closer to zero as compared with the case where the partition plate 12 is not provided). As a result, the upward force acting on the substrate W (F shown in FIG. 1) becomes small, and the portion (tip portion) that has passed directly under the nozzle head 10 of the substrate W to be conveyed is prevented from rising or lifted. It can be suppressed.

According to the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the substrate can be efficiently processed. This prevents the substrate W from colliding with the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 or the side wall around the carry-out port 102, or by suppressing the fluttering of the substrate W, thereby preventing the substrate from being damaged. Because it can be done. Alternatively, by preventing or suppressing the floating of the substrate, the substrate can be conveyed in a state closer to flat, so that the cleaning treatment can be performed while uniformly supplying the processing fluid to the substrate W, and the treatment of the surface of the substrate is substantially uniform. Because it can be done.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG. 7. This substrate processing apparatus is characterized by having a configuration (fluid enclosing member 13 described later) that prevents the substrate W from floating, which may occur due to the cause described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 7, the substrate processing apparatus 1a has a processing chamber 100 as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3) described above, and the cleaning processing unit 110 and the rinsing processing unit 120 are contained in the processing chamber 100. It is equipped with. In the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 extending from the carry-in inlet 101 to the carry-out port 102 is provided. Similar to the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), the rinsing unit 120 has a plurality of upper treatment liquid tubes 14 having a plurality of nozzles 14a formed on the upper side of the transport device 20 on the lower side. Is provided with a plurality of lower treatment liquid tubes 15 each having a plurality of nozzles 15a formed therein. The rinse liquid is discharged downward from each nozzle 14a of the upper treatment liquid pipe 14, and the rinse liquid is discharged upward from each nozzle 15a of the lower treatment liquid pipe 14.

Further, in the cleaning processing unit 110, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), a plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11 at predetermined intervals are transferred to the substrate W by the transfer device 20. It is arranged so as to face the surface facing upward. Then, the high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged downward from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10.

Further, in the cleaning processing unit 110, instead of the partition plate 12 described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), the fluid enclosing member 13 faces a plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11. As such, it is provided below the transport device 20. The fluid enclosing member 13 has two return plates 13a and 13b that partition a predetermined range in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W below the rollers 21 facing the plurality of nozzle heads 10. A return portion 13c that bends inward and protrudes is formed at the upper end portion of one return plate 13a, and a return portion 13d that bends inward and protrudes is also formed at the upper end portion of the other return plate 13b. A horizontal plate portion 13e is formed between the lower end portion of one of the two return plates 13a and 13b located on the upstream side in the transport direction Dt and the return portion 13c. A horizontal plate portion 13f is also formed at the lower end portion of the other partition plate 13b. The horizontal plate portion 13e is provided on the return plate 13a so as to extend (for example, extend in the horizontal direction) from the return plate 13a toward the carry-in inlet 101 side which is the upstream side in the transport direction Dt. The horizontal plate portion 13f is provided on the return plate 13b so as to extend from the return plate 13b toward the downstream side in the transport direction Dt (for example, extend in the horizontal direction). The horizontal plate portion 13e is provided at a position higher than the horizontal plate portion 13f (a position close to the transport device 20) and at a position where the end portion does not interfere with the lower treatment liquid pipe 15. The gap between the tops of the return portions 13c and 13d and the lower surface of the substrate W to be conveyed is about 5 mm to 10 mm. Further, the roller 21 facing the nozzle head 10 is positioned between the two return portions 13c and 13d of the fluid enclosing member 13. The return plates 13a and 13b face each other in parallel and face at least all the nozzle heads 10 (so as to have a length of 10 minutes or more for all the nozzle heads) in the transport direction. Each lower portion extends in a direction orthogonal to the bottom portion 104 and has a shape substantially parallel to the bottom portion 104 so as to form a space in the vicinity of the bottom portion 104 of the processing chamber 100. Like the return plates 13a and 13b, the horizontal plate portions 13e and 13f face the at least all nozzle heads 10 (so as to have a length of 10 minutes for all nozzle heads or longer) and a transport direction. It is formed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to.

In the cleaning processing unit 110 (board processing device) described above, when the rear end of the substrate W passes directly under the nozzle head 10, the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 is between the rollers 21 of the transport device 20. It flows into the fluid enclosing member 13 at high speed through the gap between the two. Then, an air flow flowing into the fluid enclosing member 13 is generated so as to be drawn into the cleaning liquid flowing into the fluid enclosing member 13 at high speed. Most of the generated airflow diffuses so as to spread to the bottom of the processing chamber 100. Further, the airflow flowing so as to be bounced off from the bottom portion 104 is turned downward by the horizontal plate portions 13e and 13f of the return plates 13a and 13b, and the return portions 13c and 13d, and is directed downward from the bottom portion 104 toward the upper side of the transport device 20. Rolling up is prevented (see the thick white arrow in Figure 7). By providing the fluid enclosing member 13 in this way, the airflow generated by the high-pressure cleaning liquid being discharged from the nozzle 10a is prevented from being wound up in the processing chamber 100 (cleaning processing unit 110), so that the nozzle head is prevented. It is possible to prevent or suppress the rear end portion of the substrate W that has passed the position directly below 10 from rising (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal plate portion 13e is provided so that one end is in contact with the return plate 13a and the other end is in contact with the side wall on which the carry-in inlet 101 is formed. One end of the horizontal plate portion 13f is provided on the return plate 13b, and the other end is provided so as to form an opening of the fluid enclosing member 13 on the rinse portion 120 side. The fluid enclosing member 13 prevents the airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 from colliding with the bottom of the processing chamber 100 and rebounding toward the transport device 20 side. The airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a goes toward the bottom of the processing chamber 100 along the return plates 13a and 13b. The airflow that bounces off at the bottom of the processing chamber 100 goes to the horizontal plate portion 13e and a part to the horizontal plate portion 13f. The airflow that collides with the horizontal plate portion 13e does not go upward (on the transport mechanism 20 side) of the processing chamber 100, but stays in the fluid enclosing member 13. Although the airflow that collides with the horizontal plate portion 13f partially flows to the rinse portion 120 side, the horizontal plate portion 13f prevents a strong airflow from flowing to the rinse portion 120 side.

Here, as described above, the horizontal plate portion 13e is provided at a position higher than the horizontal plate portion 13f. This is because the airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a collides with the bottom of the processing chamber 100 and is retained in the fluid enclosing member 13 by the horizontal plate portions 13e and 13f and the return portions 13c and 13d. .. Then, the air pressure in the fluid enclosing member 13 gradually increases, and the amount of airflow flowing into the rinse portion 120 from the end portion of the horizontal plate portion 13f on the rinse portion 120 side increases. As a result, the substrate W transported by the transport device 20 may flutter. By providing the horizontal plate portion 13e at a high position, it is possible to prevent the air pressure in the fluid enclosing member 13 from becoming extremely high.

According to the invention according to the second embodiment described above, the substrate W to be cleaned by the high-pressure cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a prevents or suppresses the floating of the rear end portion thereof, and the transport device 20 is in a stable posture. Transported by. Therefore, as in the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the substrate W can be prevented from colliding with the nozzle 10a, the side wall around the carry-out port 102, and the like, and the fluttering of the substrate W can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the substrate from being damaged. Further, since the substrate W can be conveyed in a state closer to flat by preventing or suppressing the floating of the substrate W, the cleaning process can be performed while uniformly supplying the processing fluid to the substrate W. For these reasons, the substrate W can be efficiently processed.

Next, the substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. This substrate processing device is for preventing air from being drawn into the flow of the cleaning liquid discharged at high speed from the nozzle 10a instead of the partition plate 12 (see FIG. 3) and the fluid enclosing member 13 (see FIG. 7) described above. It is characterized by having a configuration (a gas drawing-inhibiting member 16 described later).

The substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a processing chamber 100 as in each of the above-described embodiments (see FIGS. 3 and 7), and the cleaning processing unit 110 and the cleaning processing unit 110 are contained in the processing chamber 100. It is provided with a rinsing processing unit 120. In the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 extending from the carry-in inlet 101 to the carry-out port 102 is provided. The cleaning processing unit 110 is provided with a plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11, and the rinsing processing unit 120 is formed with a plurality of nozzles 14a on the upper side of the transport device 20. A plurality of upper treatment liquid pipes 14 are provided, and a plurality of lower treatment liquid pipes 15 each having a plurality of nozzles 15a formed are provided on the lower side of the transport device 20.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cleaning processing unit 110 in the substrate processing apparatus having the above-described configuration is provided with the gas drawing-inhibiting member 16. In FIG. 8, for the sake of simplification of the drawing, the description of the channel material 11, the upper treatment liquid pipe 14, and the lower treatment liquid pipe 15 is omitted. The gas drawing-inhibiting member 16 includes two plate-shaped cover plates 16a and 16b extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction (direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 9), respectively. These two cover plates 16a and 16b have a length facing at least all the nozzle heads 10, and the channel material 11 is attached to the channel material 11 to which a plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction are fixed. It is fixed so as to be sandwiched in a direction parallel to the transport direction Dt. These two cover plates 16a and 16b partition a predetermined range in the transport direction Dt including the space between the tip of each nozzle head 10 and the surface of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the lower ends of the two cover plates 16a and 16b are provided so as to extend below the nozzle 10a (discharge port) of the nozzle head 10. In the present embodiment, the gap between the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate is set to, for example, 40 mm to 60 mm, while the gap between the lower ends of the cover plates 16a and 16b and the surface of the substrate W is set to about 25 mm to 35 mm.

In such a cleaning processing unit 110 (board processing apparatus), when the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a is discharged, the surrounding gas (see the broken line arrow in FIG. 9) is drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid. Is hindered. That is, the drawing of the gas around the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, which causes the air flow, is prevented or reduced. As a result, it is possible to block the airflow generated so as to be drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid, and it is possible to suppress the generation of the airflow.

Therefore, in the process of transporting the substrate W by the transport device 20, the tip portion of the substrate W that has passed directly under the nozzle head 10 is lifted (see FIG. 1), and the substrate that has passed directly under the nozzle head 10 is lifted. It is possible to suppress each of the floating of the rear end portion of W (see FIG. 2). As a result, the substrate can be efficiently processed in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention described above.

It is desirable that the gas draw-in inhibiting member 16 described above is provided so that the distance between the cover plates 16a and 16b and the nozzle head 10 is as small as possible. The wider the space between the nozzle head 10 and the cover plates 16a and 16b, the easier it is for the gas existing in this space to be drawn in by the force of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10, and the more likely it is that an air flow is generated. Become. Further, if the space between the nozzle head 10 and the cover plates 16a and 16b is wide, new gas easily enters through the gap between the covers 16a and 16b and the surface of the substrate W, and this gas is drawn into the momentum of discharging the cleaning liquid. Will be. Therefore, it is desirable that the positions where the cover plates 16a and 16b are provided are about the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. As an example in which a new gas flows into the space between the cover plates 16a and 16b and the nozzle head 10 and the gas generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a is prevented from being drawn in, each of FIGS. 10 to 12 shows. It can also be configured as shown.

The gas drawing-inhibiting member 16 (first modification) shown in FIG. 10 is inside a predetermined range (space) partitioned by the two cover plates 16a and 16b from the lower ends of the two partition plates 16a and 16b, respectively. It is provided with two facing plate portions 16c and 16d that project to each other and face each other at predetermined intervals. The two facing plate portions 16c and 16d are provided over the entire length of each of the cover plates 16a and 16b in the longitudinal direction. The distance between the two facing plate portions 16c and 16d is set to about the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. According to such a gas drawing-inhibiting member 16, the supply of the compression processing fluid discharged from the nozzle 10a can be further reduced without disturbing the supply of the surrounding gas. Therefore, the floating of the substrate W can be further suppressed.

The gas drawing-inhibiting member 16 (second modification) shown in FIG. 11 is provided on the inner surfaces of the two cover plates 16a and 16b, and is inclined so as to gradually project in the discharge direction of the high-pressure cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a. The inclined portions 16e and 16f (inclined members) are provided. The two inclined portions 16e and 16f are provided over the entire length of each of the cover plates 16a and 16b in the longitudinal direction. The gap at the lower ends of the inclined portions 16e and 16f is set to about the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. Even in such a gas drawing-inhibiting member 16, the same effect as that of the facing plate portions 16c and 16d shown in FIG. 10 can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 12, the two cover plates 16a and 16b constituting the gas suction inhibitory member 16 are arranged inside the channel material 11 and the gap between the two cover plates 16a and 16b is discharged from the nozzle 10a at a high pressure. It can be set to about the discharge width of the cleaning liquid (third modification). According to such a gas drawing-inhibiting member 16, the same effect can be obtained without providing the facing plate portions 16c and 16d shown in FIG. 10 and the inclined portions 16e and 16f shown in FIG.

According to the invention according to the third embodiment described above, when the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a is discharged, the surrounding gas is prevented or reduced from being drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid. As a result, the floating of the substrate can be prevented or suppressed, and the substrate can be efficiently processed.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the partition plate 12 (first embodiment: see FIG. 3), the fluid enclosing member 13 (second embodiment: see FIG. 4), and the gas entrainment inhibitor 16 (third embodiment). : See FIGS. 8 to 12) were individually provided in the cleaning processing unit 110. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any two or three of the partition plate 12, the fluid enclosing member 13, and the gas entrapment inhibiting member 16 may be combined and applied to the cleaning processing unit 110 (board processing apparatus). can. By combining them, it is possible to more reliably prevent the substrate W to be conveyed from floating.

FIG. 13 shows the first embodiment described with reference to the fluid enclosing member 13 of the second embodiment (see FIG. 7) and the gas enclosing member 16 of the third embodiment (see FIG. 9). This is an example of a combination of. Since each function is as described in each embodiment, it is omitted.
In the present embodiment, the discharge pressure from the nozzle is 7 MPa to 15 MPa, the gap Ga is 10 mm or more, the gap Gb is 5 mm to 10 mm, the gap Gc between the tip of the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate W is 40 mm to 60 mm, and the cover plate 16a. The gap Gd between the lower end of 16b and the surface of the substrate W was set to 25 mm to 35 mm. That is, when the adjustment was made so that Gc>Gd>Ga> Gb, the floating of the substrate W to be conveyed could be reliably prevented or suppressed.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the cleaning fluid is used as the processing fluid, but the processing fluid is not limited to any liquid, gas, gas and liquid required for processing the substrate W. It may be any of the mixtures.

The above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus is a substrate cleaning apparatus (cleaning processing unit 110) that cleans the surface of the substrate W, but is particularly limited as long as it processes the substrate with a high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle head. Not done.

Further, in the embodiment, the transport device is composed of rollers, but belt transport may also be used. In particular, in order to carry out the second embodiment by belt transport, a gas permeable belt may be used, or both ends of the substrate in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction may be supported by separate transport belts for transport. It may be configured in. Further, although the substrate is transported in a horizontal state, it may be transported with an inclination (for example, about 10 degrees) with respect to the horizontal direction.

Further, in each embodiment, a plurality of nozzle heads 10 are arranged in a single row, but a plurality of nozzle heads 10 may be provided in a row in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

For example, in FIG. 3, the airflow toward the upstream side of the transport direction Dt of the substrate W, which is drawn into the flow of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, escapes from the carry-in inlet 101 to the outside of the processing chamber 100, so that the substrate W is transported. Has little effect. Therefore, if there is no discharge port such as a carry-in port, the partition plate 12 may be arranged on the upstream side of the nozzle 10a. Further, an exhaust device may be provided in the processing chamber 100.

Although some embodiments of the present invention and modified examples of each part have been described above, the embodiments and modified examples of each part are presented as examples, and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited. .. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims.

1, 1a Substrate processing equipment 10 Nozzle head 11 Channel material 12 Partition plate 13 Fluid enclosing member 14 Upper processing liquid pipe 15 Lower processing liquid pipe 16 Gas draw-in inhibitory member 20 Transfer device 21 Roller 100 Processing room 101 Carry-in port 102 Carry-out port 103 Ceiling 104 Bottom

One aspect of the substrate processing device according to the present invention is to discharge a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto a substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus for processing the surface of the substrate, which is arranged on the downstream side of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate, and is discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate in the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid. The partition plate has a partition plate that obstructs the flow of the drawn air flow to the downstream side, and the partition plate has a gap formed between the upper end edge of the partition plate and the ceiling portion of the processing chamber. It becomes a composition arranged in.

Claims (13)

A substrate processing device that processes the surface of the substrate by discharging a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto the substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. There,
The flow of the airflow generated so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid, which is arranged on the downstream side of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate and is discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate, to the downstream side. It has a partition plate that prevents it,
The partition plate is a substrate processing apparatus arranged so as to form a gap between the upper end edge of the partition plate and the ceiling portion of the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate is arranged so that the distance between the lower end edge of the partition plate and the surface of the substrate is smaller than the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate. .. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap between the upper end edge of the partition plate and the ceiling portion of the processing chamber is smaller than the gap between the lower end edge of the partition plate and the surface of the substrate. A substrate processing device that processes the surface of the substrate by discharging a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto the substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. There,
It is generated so as to partition a predetermined range including a region facing the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate below the transport device and to be drawn into the flow of high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle flowing into the predetermined range from above. A substrate processing device having a fluid enclosing member that prevents the airflow from being rolled up toward the upper side of the transport device. The fluid enclosure member is
A pair of return plates that partition the predetermined range in the transport direction,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a return portion formed at the upper end portion of each of the pair of return plates and projecting inward. The fluid enclosure member further comprises
Of the pair of return plates, a horizontal plate portion extending upstream from the return plate on the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate, and a horizontal plate portion.
It has a horizontal plate portion extending downstream from the return plate on the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate among the pair of return plates.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal plate portion extending to the upstream side is provided at a position higher than the horizontal plate portion extending to the downstream side. A substrate processing device that processes the surface of the substrate by discharging a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto the substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. There,
A gas entrainment inhibitor that partitions a predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate including the space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate and prevents gas from being drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle. Substrate processing equipment to have. The gas attraction inhibitory member is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising two cover plates for partitioning the predetermined range. The gas attraction inhibitory member is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising two facing plate portions that project inward from each of the lower end portions of the two cover plates and face each other at a predetermined interval. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an inclined member provided on the inner surface of each of the two cover plates and inclined so as to gradually project toward the discharge direction of the high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle. The airflow generated so as to partition a predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate below the transport device facing the nozzle and to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle that flows into the predetermined range from above. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a fluid enclosing member that prevents the transport device from rolling up upward. It has a gas entrainment inhibitor that partitions a predetermined range of the space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate and prevents gas from being drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle. , The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 11. A substrate processing device that processes the surface of the substrate by discharging a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device onto the substrate conveyed by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. There,
The flow of the airflow generated so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid, which is arranged on the downstream side of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate and is discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate, to the downstream side. The partition plate that hinders and
The airflow generated so as to partition a predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate below the transport device facing the nozzle and to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle that flows into the predetermined range from above. A fluid enclosing member that prevents the transport device from rolling up upward,
Two cover plates that partition a predetermined range of the space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate and prevent gas from being drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle. Have,
The gap Ga between the lower end edge of the partition plate and the surface of the substrate, the gap Gb between the upper end edge of the partition plate and the ceiling portion of the processing chamber, the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate. The relationship between the gap Gc between and the gap Gd between each cover plate and the surface of the substrate is
Gc>Gd>Ga> Gb
Is a board processing device.

Images