JP4047406B2 - Cleaning processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the cleaning equipment for cleaning using the cleaning brush to be cleaned such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal glass substrate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus, or the like, there is a lithography process for forming a circuit pattern on a semiconductor wafer or glass substrate as an object to be cleaned. In this lithography process, as is well known, a resist is applied to the semiconductor wafer, light is irradiated through a mask having a circuit pattern formed on the resist, and then the portion of the resist that is not irradiated with light (or light is irradiated). The circuit pattern is formed by repeating a series of steps of removing the irradiated portion) and treating the removed portion with development, peeling, etching, or the like several tens of times.
[0003]
In each of the series of steps, if the semiconductor wafer is contaminated, the circuit pattern cannot be accurately formed, causing defective products. Therefore, when the circuit pattern is formed in each step, the semiconductor wafer is cleaned in a clean state in which fine particles such as resist and dust do not remain.
[0004]
As an apparatus for cleaning the object to be cleaned, a batch type in which a plurality of semiconductor wafers are immersed in a cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid and cleaning, and a single object to be cleaned are rotated, and the object to be cleaned is rotated. There is a single-wafer type in which a cleaning liquid is sprayed to perform cleaning, and a single-wafer type having a high cleaning effect tends to be used with an increase in the size of an object to be cleaned.
[0005]
In the single wafer cleaning processing apparatus, there is a spin cleaning method in which an object to be cleaned is rotated while being rotated. In this spin cleaning method, in order to further improve the cleaning effect, the surface of the object to be rotated is driven on the upper surface. A cleaning brush is brought into contact, and cleaning is performed by supplying a cleaning liquid to the contact portion.
[0006]
By bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the object to be cleaned, foreign matters such as fine particles and metal ions attached to the object to be cleaned can be efficiently cleaned and removed. However, the foreign matter removed from the object to be cleaned is transferred to the cleaning brush, and the transfer amount is cumulatively increased. Therefore, the foreign matter transferred to the cleaning brush at the time of cleaning the object to be cleaned is the object to be cleaned. In other words, the cleanliness of the object to be cleaned is lowered.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Thus, in order to improve the cleaning effect of the object to be cleaned, when the cleaning brush is brought into contact with the object to be cleaned, the foreign matter transferred to the cleaning brush increases, so that the object is cleaned. There was a reverse transition to.
[0008]
An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning processing device that prevents foreign matters removed from an object to be cleaned by the cleaning brush from being transferred back to the object to be cleaned when the object to be cleaned is cleaned with a cleaning brush. Is to provide a place.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a cleaning processing apparatus that supplies cleaning liquid to an object to be cleaned that is held in a predetermined state, and that is cleaned by contacting a rotationally driven cleaning brush.
Holding means for holding the object to be cleaned in a predetermined state;
Driving means for bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the object to be cleaned when the object to be cleaned held by the holding means is cleaned while rotating and moving the cleaning brush up and down;
A cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning the cleaning brush that has cleaned the object to be cleaned is supplied;
The cleaning brush has a surface to be contacted, and the cleaning brush is cleaned by bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the surface provided in the cleaning tank with the surface orthogonal to the axial direction of the cleaning brush. comprising a contact member,
A surface of the contact member that contacts the cleaning brush is provided with a plurality of ridges or a plurality of protrusions .
[0014]
According to this invention, the cleaning brush which cleaned the to-be-cleaned object can be cleaned. Therefore, since the object to be cleaned can be cleaned with a clean cleaning brush, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from being reversely transferred from the cleaning brush to the object to be cleaned.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows a spin processing apparatus A as a holding means of the cleaning processing apparatus of the present invention. The spin processing apparatus A includes a spin cup 1. The spin cup 1 includes a bottomed lower cup 1a having an open upper surface, and an upper cup 1b that is slidable with respect to the lower cup 1a and whose upper end of the peripheral wall is inclined radially inward. The upper cup 1b can be lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown) as shown by a chain line in the figure.
[0020]
At the bottom of the lower cup 1a, one end of a plurality of discharge pipes 2 is connected to the periphery, and an insertion hole 4 surrounded by a flange 3 is formed in the center. A support shaft 5 is inserted into the insertion hole 4. The upper portion of the support shaft 5 protrudes into the spin cup 1, and the lower end portion is fixed to a base plate 6 disposed below the spin cup 1. The exhaust pipe 2 is connected to a suction pump via a steam / water separator (not shown). When cleaning liquid, mist, and gas are sucked into the exhaust pipe 2, moisture and gas are separated by the steam separator, and the moisture is discharged to a waste liquid tank (not shown).
[0021]
A rotary chuck 11 is rotatably provided on the support shaft 5. The rotary chuck 11 has a disk-like base 12 having a through hole 12a formed at the center. A cylindrical support 13 is suspended from the lower surface of the base 12, that is, at a position corresponding to the through hole 12a. The support portion 13 is externally fitted to the support shaft 5, and an upper portion and a lower portion are rotatably supported on the support shaft 5 by bearings 14, respectively.
[0022]
A driven pulley 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the support portion 13. A motor 16 is provided on the base plate 6, and a driving pulley 17 is fitted on a rotating shaft 16 a of the motor 16. A belt 18 is stretched between the driving pulley 17 and the driven pulley 15. Therefore, when the motor 16 is operated, the rotary chuck 11 is driven to rotate integrally with the support portion 13.
[0023]
Four support columns 19 are erected on the upper surface of the base 12 at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. A support pin 21 a and an engagement pin 21 b that is outward from the support pin 21 a and taller than the support pin 21 a are projected from the upper end of each column 19.
[0024]
At the upper end of the support column 19, for example, a semiconductor wafer 22 is held as a processing object so that the lower surface of the peripheral portion is supported by the support pins 21 a and the outer peripheral surface is engaged with the engagement pins 21 b. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer 22 is rotationally driven integrally with the rotary chuck 11.
[0025]
The support shaft 5 is provided with a conical head portion 5a having a larger diameter than the support shaft 5 at the upper end. The support shaft 5 has a gas supply path 30 for an inert gas such as N ₂ whose tip is opened on the top surface of the head 5a, and the tip is also opened on the top surface of the head 5a through a nozzle hole 32a. The cleaning liquid supply path 30a is formed along the axial direction. The gas supply path 30 communicates with a gas supply source (not shown), and the cleaning liquid supply path communicates with a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown).
[0026]
The inert gas supplied to the gas supply path 30 and the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning liquid supply path 30 a are each sprayed toward the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer 22.
[0027]
A cleaning tool 31 is disposed on the upper surface side of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 in order to clean the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22. The cleaning tool 31 includes a cleaning brush 31a, a chuck 31b, a rotating motor 31c, and a rotating shaft 31d of the motor. The cleaning brush 31 a is driven to rotate along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer 22 by a revolving mechanism 32.
[0028]
That is, the turning mechanism 32 has a hollow cylindrical horizontal arm 33. A rotating motor 31c of the cleaning tool 31 is built in the front end portion of the horizontal arm 33 with its rotating shaft 31d vertical. The rotating shaft 31d protrudes from the lower surface of the horizontal arm 33, and the cleaning brush 31a is detachably attached thereto via a chuck 31b.
[0029]
The horizontal arm 33 is inserted with a first supply pipe 35 connected to a supply source of a cleaning liquid (not shown). The leading end of the first supply pipe 35 is led downward from the leading end of the horizontal arm 33, and the leading end opening is directed to the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning brush 31a. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the first supply pipe 35 from the outside in the radial direction of the cleaning brush 31a.
[0030]
The base end portion of the horizontal arm 33 is connected to the upper end of a swivel shaft 36 whose axis is vertical. A lower end portion of the pivot shaft 36 protrudes downward from a through hole 6a formed in the base plate 6.
[0031]
The lower end portion of the pivot shaft 36 is rotatably supported by a support body 37 provided so as to be movable up and down. The support body 37 has a hollow box shape, and an insertion hole 38 for inserting the turning shaft 36 is formed in the upper wall thereof, and the inside of the turning shaft 36 inserted from the insertion hole 38 is formed inside. A bearing 39 is provided to rotatably support the lower end portion. The lower end of the pivot shaft 36 protrudes from the bearing 39, and a driven pulley 40 is fitted there.
[0032]
A pair of guides 41 are provided on one side surface of the support body 37 at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction. The guides 41 are slidably engaged with the rails 43. The rail 43 is provided along the vertical direction on one side surface of the mounting plate 42 that is suspended from the lower surface of the base plate 6.
[0033]
The mounting plate 42 is provided with a vertical drive cylinder 44 as a vertical drive source. The rod 44a of the vertical drive cylinder 44 is connected to the support 37 through a bracket 45 at the lower end surface. Accordingly, when the vertical drive cylinder 44 is operated, the horizontal arm 33 is driven up and down within a predetermined range via the support 37.
[0034]
That is, when the horizontal arm 33 is lowered, the cleaning brush 31a comes into contact with the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 with a predetermined pressure, and when it is raised, the cleaning brush 31a is positioned above the upper cup 1b and cleaned. It is possible to turn to the device B.
[0035]
On the other side of the support 37, there is provided a swing drive unit 46 that constitutes a drive means with the vertical drive cylinder 44. The swing drive unit 46 has a storage box 47 attached to the other side of the support 37. A motor 48 is provided on the lower surface of the storage box 47. A rotating shaft 48a of the motor 48 projects into the storage box 47 and is connected to a speed reducing portion 49 provided therein. A drive pulley 52 is fitted to the output shaft 51 of the speed reducing portion 49.
[0036]
The internal space between the support 37 and the storage box 47 is communicated with the opening 53. A timing belt 50 stretched between the driving pulley 52 and the driven pulley 40 is inserted into the opening 53.
[0037]
Therefore, when the motor 48 is operated and the output shaft 51 of the speed reducing portion 49 is driven in the forward and reverse directions, the rotation is transmitted to the turning shaft 36 via the timing belt 53. A cleaning brush 31 a provided at the tip of the horizontal arm 33 together with 36 swings the surface of the semiconductor wafer 22.
[0038]
The turning angle of the turning shaft 36 is set by a control device 54 that controls the operation of the entire device.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the vicinity of the spin processing apparatus A, the cleaning brush 31a is cleaned in the swivel movement region of the cleaning brush 31a that swirls on the horizontal plane by the swinging motion of the horizontal arm 33. A cleaning device B is provided.
[0039]
As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device B includes a bottomed cylindrical cleaning tank 61 having an open top surface. An opening 62 is formed at the bottom of the cleaning tank 61, and the opening 62 is liquid-tightly closed by a diaphragm 63. An ultrasonic vibrator 64 is bonded and fixed to the lower surface of the diaphragm 63. The ultrasonic vibrator 64 is connected to the ultrasonic oscillator 65. Accordingly, by operating the ultrasonic oscillator 65, the ultrasonic vibrator 64 is ultrasonically vibrated.
[0040]
A bracket 66 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate portion in the height direction inside the cleaning tank 61. The bracket 66 supports a porous member 67 as a contact member such as a metal mesh, punching metal or a synthetic resin plate having a large number of through holes 67a.
[0041]
Further, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank 61 through the second supply pipe 68. This cleaning liquid overflows from the upper surface opening of the cleaning tank 61. The overflowed cleaning liquid is received by the drain pan 69 and discharged through the drain pipe 70 connected to the drain pan 69.
[0042]
The porous member 67 is cleaned by contacting the porous member 67 while rotating the cleaning brush 31a as shown by a chain line in the figure or by swinging the rotating brush in a state where the rotation is stopped. At that time, since the ultrasonic vibration propagating the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 61 passes through the through hole 67a of the porous member 67 and acts on the cleaning brush 31a, the cleaning brush 31a is efficiently ultrasonically cleaned. Can be done.
[0043]
Next, a process when the semiconductor wafer 22 is cleaned by the cleaning processing apparatus having the above configuration will be described. When the semiconductor wafer 22 is supplied to and held on the rotary chuck 11 of the spin processing apparatus A, the motor 48 of the swing drive unit 46 is operated so that the horizontal arm 33 is pivoted and positioned above the spin processing apparatus A. The
[0044]
Next, the cleaning brush 31a provided at the tip of the horizontal arm 33 is rotated and the vertical drive cylinder 44 is operated while spraying cleaning liquid from the supply pipe 35 to lower the horizontal arm 33 by a predetermined distance.
[0045]
As a result, the cleaning brush 31a comes into contact with the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 at a predetermined pressure, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed to the contact portion. In this state, the horizontal arm 33 reciprocates or swings along the radial direction of the semiconductor wafer 22, and the rotary chuck 1 is rotated at a low speed, so that the entire upper surface of the semiconductor wafer 22 is brush cleaned. Will be.
[0046]
At this time, if the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning liquid supply path 30 a formed on the support shaft 5 toward the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer 22, the lower surface can be cleaned at the same time.
When the cleaning of the semiconductor wafer 22 is completed, the horizontal arm 33 is raised and swivels above the cleaning device B. Next, the horizontal arm 33 is lowered, and the cleaning brush 31a provided at the tip of the horizontal arm 33 contacts the porous member 67 supported in the cleaning tank 61 while rotating or swinging while the rotation is stopped. Let
[0047]
Accordingly, since the cleaning brush 31a is rubbed against the porous member 67, the adhered foreign matter is efficiently removed. At the same time, by operating the ultrasonic oscillator 65, the ultrasonic vibrator 64 is ultrasonically vibrated and imparts ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 61. Since this ultrasonic vibration acts on the cleaning brush 31a through the through hole 67a of the porous member 67, the cleaning effect of the cleaning brush 31a is also enhanced by this.
[0048]
When the cleaning brush 31a is cleaned, the cleaning brush 31a can be cleaned more efficiently if the horizontal arm 33 is reciprocated within the range of the inner diameter of the cleaning tank 61.
[0049]
While the cleaning brush 31a is being cleaned by the cleaning apparatus B, in the spin processing apparatus A, the upper cup 1a of the spin cup 1 is driven downward, and the semiconductor wafer 22 held by the rotary chuck 11 is exposed to the outside. Next, for example, a semiconductor wafer 22 that is cleaned by a robot (not shown) is discharged from the rotary chuck 11, and after the uncleaned semiconductor wafer 22 is supplied thereto, the upper cup 1a is driven upward.
[0050]
That is, the cleaning of the cleaning brush 31a is completed while the cleaned semiconductor wafer 22 is unloaded from the spin processing apparatus A and the uncleaned semiconductor wafer 22 is supplied. Accordingly, when the uncleaned semiconductor wafer 22 has been supplied to the rotary chuck 11, the horizontal arm 33 is raised and turned to position the cleaning brush 31a above the rotary chuck 11 of the spin processing apparatus A. After that, the semiconductor wafer 22 held on the rotary chuck 11 can be cleaned with the clean cleaning brush 31a by being lowered, so that the foreign material from the brush 31 to the semiconductor wafer 22 can be cleaned with the cleaning brush 31a. Can be prevented from transferring.
[0051]
In addition, since the cleaning brush 31a is cleaned while the semiconductor wafer 22 is attached to and detached from the rotary chuck 11, the tact time required for cleaning the semiconductor wafer 22 does not increase. That is, even if the cleaning brush 31a is cleaned, the processing efficiency is not reduced.
[0052]
4A to 4C show modifications of the contact member held in the cleaning tank 61. FIG. FIG. 4A is a resin flat plate 71 having a flat surface that contacts the cleaning brush 31a, and FIG. 4B illustrates a plurality of protrusions 72a at predetermined intervals on the surface that contacts the cleaning brush 31a. It is a convex strip 72 formed along a predetermined direction. FIG. 5C shows a protruding plate 73 in which a resin molded product or the like having a plurality of protruding portions 73a protruding from a plate surface in contact with the cleaning brush 31a is attached.
[0053]
In the contact member shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, if a through hole is formed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, ultrasonic vibration from the lower surface side of each contact plate is transmitted to the upper surface side. It can be made to act on the cleaning brush 31a.
[0055]
The cleaning brush according to the present invention is not limited to those made of brush hair, and may have any structure that can remove foreign matters by swinging over the object to be cleaned. For example, a sponge brush or other material is used. May have been.
[0056]
Furthermore, a screw shaft may be used instead of the cylinder as the driving means for driving the horizontal arm up and down, and if the screw shaft is used, the positioning of the horizontal arm in the height direction can be set with high accuracy. Can do.
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
According to this invention , the cleaning brush which cleaned the to- be- cleaned object can be cleaned. Therefore, since the object to be cleaned can be cleaned with a clean cleaning brush, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from being reversely transferred from the cleaning brush to the object to be cleaned.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic cross section of the spin processing apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning device.
FIGS. 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of contact members, respectively.
[Explanation of symbols]
A ... Spin processing device (holding means)
B ... Cleaning device (cleaning means)
31a ... Cleaning brush 44 ... Vertical drive cylinder (drive means)
46: Rotation drive unit (drive means)
61 ... Cleaning tank 64 ... Ultrasonic vibrator 67 ... Porous member (contact member)
67a ... Through hole

Claims (4)

In a cleaning processing apparatus for supplying cleaning liquid to an object to be cleaned held in a predetermined state and cleaning by contacting a rotationally driven cleaning brush,
Holding means for holding the object to be cleaned in a predetermined state;
Driving means for bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the object to be cleaned when the object to be cleaned held by the holding means is cleaned while rotating and moving the cleaning brush up and down;
A cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning the cleaning brush that has cleaned the object to be cleaned is supplied;
The cleaning brush has a surface to be contacted, and the cleaning brush is cleaned by bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the surface provided in the cleaning tank with the surface orthogonal to the axial direction of the cleaning brush. comprising a contact member,
A cleaning treatment apparatus, wherein a surface of the contact member that contacts the cleaning brush is provided with a plurality of protrusions or a plurality of protrusions . In a cleaning processing apparatus for supplying cleaning liquid to an object to be cleaned held in a predetermined state and cleaning by contacting a rotationally driven cleaning brush,
Holding means for holding the object to be cleaned in a predetermined state;
Driving means for bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the object to be cleaned when the object to be cleaned held by the holding means is cleaned while rotating and moving the cleaning brush up and down;
A cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning the cleaning brush that has cleaned the object to be cleaned is supplied;
The cleaning brush has a surface to be contacted, and the cleaning brush is cleaned by bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the surface provided in the cleaning tank with the surface orthogonal to the axial direction of the cleaning brush. A contact member
The cleaning processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member comprises a porous member having a large number of through holes . In a cleaning processing apparatus for supplying cleaning liquid to an object to be cleaned held in a predetermined state and cleaning by contacting a rotationally driven cleaning brush,
Holding means for holding the object to be cleaned in a predetermined state;
Driving means for bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the object to be cleaned when the object to be cleaned held by the holding means is cleaned while rotating and moving the cleaning brush up and down;
A cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning the cleaning brush that has cleaned the object to be cleaned is supplied;
The cleaning brush has a surface to be contacted, and the cleaning brush is cleaned by bringing the cleaning brush into contact with the surface provided in the cleaning tank with the surface orthogonal to the axial direction of the cleaning brush. A contact member
A cleaning apparatus comprising an ultrasonic vibrator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank . The washing tank, in the vicinity of the holding means, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that provided on the pivoting movement in the region of the washing brush is pivoted by the drive means Cleaning processing equipment.

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