JP7152918B2 - Brush cleaning device, substrate processing device and brush cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a brush cleaning apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a brush cleaning method.

In the manufacturing process of semiconductors, liquid crystal panels, etc., a substrate processing apparatus treats the surface of a substrate (for example, a wafer or liquid crystal substrate) with a chemical solution, rinses the substrate with a rinsing solution after chemical treatment, and dries the substrate after rinsing. It is a device that In terms of uniformity and reproducibility, this substrate processing apparatus uses a single-wafer method in which substrates are processed one by one in a dedicated processing chamber.

2. Description of the Related Art In a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus, a substrate is placed on a rotating table, a processing liquid such as a chemical solution is supplied to the substrate on the rotating rotating table, and the substrate is processed with the processing liquid. After the substrate processing step using this processing liquid, substrate cleaning is performed in order to maintain high cleanliness of the substrate. Further, when performing a plurality of substrate processing steps using several kinds of processing liquids, substrate cleaning may be performed for each step in order to maintain a high degree of cleanliness of the substrate.

As a substrate cleaning method, scrub cleaning with a brush is used. In this scrub cleaning, the substrate is rotated, the brush is stopped or rotated, and the brush is moved horizontally while being in contact with the upper surface of the substrate to remove impurities (metals, organic substances, particles, etc.) on the substrate. At this time, the brush is contaminated with impurities, but is cleaned before the next substrate cleaning starts. As a brush cleaning method, a method is known in which a brush is moved to a cleaning position in a cup, ultrapure water (DIW) is poured over the brush in the cup, and the brush is received and collected by the cup.

However, in recent years, due to the quality requirements associated with the miniaturization of device design rules, there is a demand for higher detergency for scrub cleaning with brushes, and by extension for brush cleaning for cleaning the brushes. Current brush cleaning methods are difficult to sufficiently clean the brush. On the other hand, in order to improve the detergency, for example, it is possible to wash the brush by rubbing it with a member, but in this case the brush is worn. Cleaning the substrate by bringing the worn brush into contact with the substrate W causes damage to the substrate by the brush and contamination of the substrate by the brush (impurities of the brush material adhering to the brush due to abrasion adhere to the substrate). . In other words, the wear of the brushes causes damage to the substrate by the brushes and contamination of the substrate by the brushes, which adversely affects the substrates, resulting in deterioration of the substrate quality (product quality).

JP-A-11-111661

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a brush cleaning apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a brush cleaning method capable of improving substrate quality.

A brush cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
A cleaning member has a cleaning member for holding a liquid film of a cleaning liquid for cleaning a brush for cleaning a substrate on an outer surface thereof, and only the rotating brush is brought into contact with the liquid film of the cleaning liquid held on the outer surface of the cleaning member. wash the brush
a charging unit that charges the outer surface of the cleaning member with a positive charge or a negative charge;
The charging section discharges electricity to the outer surface of the cleaning member while the liquid film of the cleaning liquid is held on the outer surface of the cleaning member.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
a brush for cleaning the substrate;
a brush cleaning device according to the above-described embodiment;
Prepare.

A brush cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:
forming a liquid film of the cleaning liquid on the outer surface of the cleaning member;
cleaning the brush by bringing only the liquid film of the cleaning liquid formed on the outer surface of the cleaning member into contact with the rotating brush for cleaning the substrate ;
a step of charging the outer surface of the cleaning member to a positive charge or a negative charge by a charging unit before the step of cleaning the brush;
In the electrifying step, the outer surface of the cleaning member is discharged while the liquid film of the cleaning liquid is held on the outer surface of the cleaning member.

According to embodiments of the present invention, substrate quality can be improved.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the movement of the brush in FIG. 2, and an ion generator. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning member according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a first diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a second diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a third diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a fourth diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a first diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a second diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 9 is a third diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a fourth diagram for explaining the flow of brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of the cleaning member according to the first embodiment;

<One form of implementation>
An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

(basic configuration)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment includes a processing chamber 20, a cup 30, a rotating table 40, a rotating mechanism 50, a substrate cleaning section 70, and a brush cleaning section. (Brush cleaning device) 80 , charging unit 90 , charge amount measuring unit 100 , and control unit 110 .

The processing chamber 20 is a processing box for processing a substrate W having a surface Wa to be processed. The processing chamber 20 is formed in a box shape, for example, and includes a cup 30, a rotating table 40, a part of the rotating mechanism 50, a substrate cleaning section 70, a part of the brush cleaning section 80, a charging section 90, and a charge amount measuring section. Accommodates 100 and so on. As the substrate W, for example, a wafer or a liquid crystal substrate is used.

An inlet/outlet 20a (see FIG. 2) is formed in one of the plurality of sidewalls of the processing chamber 20. As shown in FIG. The inlet/outlet 20a is for allowing the substrate W to be carried in and out of the processing chamber 20, and is closed by an openable and closable shutter (not shown). A discharge pipe (not shown) is connected to the floor (bottom) of the processing chamber 20 . This discharge pipe is for discharging the processing liquid discharged from the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed to the outside of the processing chamber 20 .

A clean unit 21 (see FIG. 1) is provided on the upper surface of the processing chamber 20 . The clean unit 21 purifies the downflow that blows down from the ceiling of the clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 10 is installed and introduces it into the processing chamber 20, and has, for example, a HEPA filter or an ULPA filter.

The cup 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIG. 2, is arranged substantially in the center of the processing chamber 20 which is rectangular in plan view, and surrounds the substrate W held by the rotary table 40 (substrate W It is provided so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the The upper portion of the peripheral wall of the cup 30 is slanted inward and is open so that the surface Wa of the substrate W on the turntable 40 to be processed is exposed. The inner peripheral surface of the cup 30 receives the processing liquid scattered from the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the turntable 40 due to the rotation of the turntable 40 . The scattered processing liquid collides with the inner peripheral surface of the cup 30 and flows down the cup 30 along the inner peripheral surface of the cup 30 .

The aforementioned cup 30 is formed so as to be vertically movable by a pair of elevating mechanisms 31 (see FIG. 2). These elevating mechanisms 31 are provided at opposing positions with the rotary table 40 interposed therebetween, and support and move the cup 30 in the vertical direction. For example, a cylinder is used as the lifting mechanism 31 . The elevating mechanism 31 is electrically connected to the control section 110 and its drive is controlled by the control section 110 .

For example, the cup 30 is vertically moved by a pair of elevating mechanisms 31 as the substrate W is loaded or unloaded. When the substrate W is to be loaded or unloaded, the cup 30 is lowered and moved to a standby position where the substrate loading and unloading operations of the robot hand (not shown) are not hindered. Further, when the robot hand places the substrate W on the turntable 40 and retreats from above the turntable 40, the cup 30 rises to remove the processing liquid scattering from the processing surface Wa of the substrate W on the turntable 40. Move to the processing position where it is received by the inner peripheral surface. Note that the cup 30 shown in FIG. 1 is in the processing position.

The rotary table 40 is positioned substantially in the center of the cup 30 and provided on the rotary mechanism 50 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal plane. This rotary table 40 is called, for example, a spin table. The rotary table 40 has a plurality of holding members 41 which hold the substrate W horizontally. At this time, the center of the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed is positioned on the rotation axis of the turntable 40 .

The rotating mechanism 50 is provided to support the rotating table 40 and is configured to rotate the rotating table 40 in a horizontal plane. For example, the rotating mechanism 50 has a rotating shaft connected to the center of the rotating table 40 and a motor (both not shown) for rotating the rotating shaft. Rotate 40. The rotation mechanism 50 is electrically connected to the controller 110 and its drive is controlled by the controller 110 .

The substrate cleaning section 70 has a nozzle 71 , a brush 72 and a brush moving mechanism 73 . The substrate cleaning unit 70 supplies a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate from the nozzle 71 to the surface Wa of the substrate W on the turntable 40 , and rotates the rotating brush 72 to clean the surface Wa of the substrate W on the turntable 40 . , and is swung by the brush moving mechanism 73 along the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the rotating rotary table 40 to clean the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

The nozzle 71 is provided around the cup 30 so as to be able to supply the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate to the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the turntable 40 . The nozzle 71 discharges a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate toward the vicinity of the center of the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the rotating turntable 40, and supplies it onto the surface Wa to be processed of the rotating substrate W. FIG. A cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate is supplied to the nozzle 71 from a tank outside the substrate processing apparatus 10 through a pipe (none of which is shown). As a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate, for example, ultrapure water (DIW), ozone water ₍ O3 water), ammonia hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution (SC-1), and ammonia water are used.

The brush 72 is swingable above the turntable 40 along the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the turntable 40 by a brush moving mechanism 73 . The brush 72 is formed in the shape of a disk, and is attached to the brush moving mechanism 73 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis passing through the center of the disk. The brush 72 rotates in contact with the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the turntable 40 and is horizontally swung by the brush moving mechanism 73 to move the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the rotating table 40 . Wa is rubbed and washed (scrub washing). At this time, the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate is supplied from the nozzle 71 to the processing surface Wa of the substrate W on the rotating turntable 40 . The brush 72 has a cleaning material such as a resin brush or a bristle brush and a holder for holding the cleaning material. As the resin brush, for example, a fiber brush in which resin material fibers (for example, PTFE) of several tens of μm are bundled is used.

The brush moving mechanism 73 has a brush arm 73a, a brush rotating mechanism 73b, and a brush swing/lifting mechanism 73c. The brush arm 73a incorporates a brush rotation mechanism 73b at one end, and the other end is held by a brush swinging/lifting mechanism 73c to be horizontally supported. The brush rotation mechanism 73b supports the rotating shaft of the brush 72 and rotates the supported rotating shaft. The brush rotating mechanism 73b has, for example, a motor. The brush swinging/lifting mechanism 73c holds one end of the brush arm 73a opposite to the brush rotating mechanism 73b, and moves the brush arm 73a horizontally and vertically. The brush rotating mechanism 73b and the brush swinging/lifting mechanism 73c are electrically connected to the controller 110, and their driving is controlled by the controller 110. FIG.

For example, the brush 72 is positioned at a standby position (brush cleaning position) that is retracted from above the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the rotary table 40 to allow loading and unloading of the substrate W (see FIG. 2). The brush 72 is rotated from the standby position by the brush moving mechanism 73 to face the surface Wa of the substrate W on the rotary table 40 to be processed. After coming into contact with the surface Wa to be processed, the brush 72 swings in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 3), and when the cleaning of the substrate W is completed, it returns to the standby position. The brush 72 is moved upward by the brush moving mechanism 73 before or during turning to avoid the cup 30 at the processing position. The brush 72 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is at the standby position, and the brush 72 shown in FIG. 3 is at the processing position (substrate cleaning position in the swing path during substrate cleaning).

The brush cleaning section 80 includes a cleaning member 81 and a supply section 82 (see FIG. 1). The brush cleaning section 80 supplies the cleaning liquid in the supply section 82 from the supply section 82 to the upper surface (an example of the outer surface) of the cleaning member 81 to form a liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid on the upper surface thereof. By bringing only the rotating brush 72 into contact with the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid formed in , the brush 72 is cleaned without contacting the rotating brush 72 with the cleaning member 81, that is, without contact. The liquid film thickness of the liquid film A1 is approximately several millimeters.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning member 81 holds a cleaning liquid film A1 on its upper surface, and cleans the brush 72 with the held cleaning liquid film A1. The brush 72 is always rotated by the brush rotation mechanism 73b, including during substrate cleaning and brush cleaning. The distance between the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 and the lower surface of the brush 72 is set in advance. A vertically extending through hole 81 a is formed in the center of the cleaning member 81 . The through hole 81a functions as a channel through which cleaning liquid for cleaning the brush flows. The cleaning member 81 discharges the cleaning liquid from the upper end opening of the through hole 81a so that the cleaning liquid flows from the center side of the upper surface facing the brush 72 to the outer edge side. As the cleaning member 81, for example, an insulating resin member (eg, polyvinyl chloride) is used.

Here, the cleaning liquid supplied to the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 flows down from the outer circumference of the cleaning member 81 and is drained from a drainage pipe (not shown) provided in the processing chamber 20 . Further, the processing liquid supplied to the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is constantly flowing during substrate processing. When the processing liquid is constantly flowing, the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is kept clean (no particles attached).

Returning to FIG. 1, the supply section 82 has a tank 82a, a supply pipe 82b, and a pump 82c. The tank 82a stores cleaning liquid for cleaning the brush. One end of the supply pipe 82b is connected to the tank 82a, and the other end is connected to the lower end of the through hole 81a of the cleaning member 81. As shown in FIG. An on-off valve 82b1 is provided in the middle of the path of the supply pipe 82b. Also, the pump 82c is provided in the middle of the route of the supply pipe 82b. Each on-off valve 82b1 and pump 82c are electrically connected to the controller 110, and their driving is controlled by the controller 110. FIG.

Here, as a cleaning liquid for brush cleaning, for example, ultrapure water (DIW), ozone water ₍ O3 water), ammonia hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution (SC-1), and ammonia water are used. The cleaning liquid for cleaning the brush may be the same as or different from the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate.

The charging section 90 includes an ion generator 91 and a moving mechanism 92, as shown in FIGS. In this charging section 90, the moving mechanism 92 causes the ion generator 91 to face the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 (see FIG. 3). charged to

The ion generator 91 generates positive or negative ions and is movably supported by a moving mechanism 92 . This ion generator 91 is formed to be able to switch between positive and negative ions and emit them. Note that the ion generator 91 is, for example, an ionizer. The ion generator 91 has a discharge needle 91a, as shown in FIG. 5, and generates ions by discharging with the discharge needle 91a (charging operation). The ion generator 91 is electrically connected to the controller 110 and its driving is controlled by the controller 110 .

Returning to FIG. 2, the moving mechanism 92 has an arm 92a and a drive source 92b. The arm 92a supports the ion generator 91 and is extendable. An ion generator 91 is provided at one end of the arm 92a, and a drive source 92b is provided at the other end. For example, a motor or an air cylinder can be used as the drive source 92b. The driving source 92b is electrically connected to the control section 110, and its driving is controlled by the control section 110. FIG.

This moving mechanism 92 extends and retracts an arm 92a by driving a drive source 92b, thereby moving between a charging position (see FIG. 3) where the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is charged by ions generated by the ion generator 91 and a position other than the charging position. , and the ion generator 91 is moved to the standby position (see FIG. 2) around the cup 30 . At the charging position, the ion generator 91 is positioned directly above the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . It should be noted that the ion generator 91 exists at the charging position during the substrate cleaning operation in which the brush 72 cleans the substrate W, and performs the aforementioned charging operation.

The charge amount measuring unit 100 is provided at a position where it can face the revolving brush 72, and measures the charge amount of the brush 72 after cleaning the substrate while facing the stopped brush 72. to measure. For example, a surface potential meter is used as the charge amount measuring unit 100 . The charge amount measurement unit 100 is electrically connected to the control unit 110 and transmits the measured charge amount to the control unit 110 .

Returning to FIG. 1, the control section 110 includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each section, and a storage section (none of which is shown) that stores substrate processing information and various programs related to substrate processing. Based on substrate processing information and various programs, the control unit 110 performs the lifting operation of the cup 30 by the pair of lifting mechanisms 31, the rotation operation of the rotary table 40 by the rotation mechanism 50, the cleaning operation of the substrate W by the substrate cleaning unit 70, The cleaning operation of the brush 72 by the brush cleaning unit 80, the charging operation of the cleaning member 81 by the charging unit 90, the charge amount measuring operation of the cleaning member 81 by the charge amount measuring unit 100, and the like are controlled.

Also, the control unit 110 controls the charging unit 90 according to the charge amount received from the charge amount measurement unit 100 . For example, the charging unit 90 is set so as to increase the amount of charge charged on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 by the charging unit 90 (the ion emission amount of the ion generator 91) with respect to the amount of charge charged on the brush 72. Control.

(Brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of cleaning members)
Next, brush cleaning by electrostatic repulsion of the cleaning member 81 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ion generator 91 faces the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 on which the liquid film A1 of the treatment liquid is formed, and generates negative ions (negative ions) by electrical discharge from its discharge needles 91a. . The generated negative ions rain down on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is negatively charged through the liquid film A of the processing liquid. Negative impurities (impurities having a negative charge: organic particles, for example) adhere to the surface of the brush 72 after substrate processing. Examples of impurities include organic substances and particles.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating brush 72 to which negative impurities are adhered contacts the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 and is cleaned. At this time, the lower surface of the brush 72 and the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 are not in contact. Negative impurities adhering to the lower surface of the brush 72 repel the negative charges charged on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 through the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid, so electrostatic repulsion occurs. Negative impurities are thereby removed from the lower surface of the brush 72 , and the removed impurities flow down from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 due to the flow of the processing liquid on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . After this cleaning, the brush 72 is separated from the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81, as shown in FIG.

In this way, the negative impurities adhering to the brush 72 repel the negative ions existing on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . This repulsive force (electrostatic repulsion due to Coulomb force) makes it easier to remove impurities adhering to the brush 72 from the brush 72 , so that the impurities can be removed from the brush 72 . Further, the impurities removed from the lower surface of the brush 72 are discharged from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 by the processing liquid on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 , so that the impurities do not remain on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . As a result, the brush 72 can be cleaned without the removed impurities adhering to the brush 72 again.

(Brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of cleaning member)
Next, brush cleaning by electrostatic adhesion of the cleaning member 81 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the ion generator 91 faces the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 on which the liquid film A1 of the treatment liquid is formed, and generates positive ions (positive ions) by electrical discharge from its discharge needles 91a. . The generated positive ions rain down on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is positively charged. Negative impurities adhere to the surface of the brush 72 after substrate cleaning.

As shown in FIG. 11, the rotating brush 72 to which negative impurities are adhered contacts the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 and is cleaned. At this time, the lower surface of the brush 72 and the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 are not in contact. Negative impurities adhering to the lower surface of the brush 72 attract positive ions present on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 through the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid, and electrostatic adhesion occurs. Negative impurities are thereby removed from the lower surface of the brush 72 , and the removed impurities flow down from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 due to the flow of the processing liquid on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . After this cleaning, the brush 72 is separated from the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81, as shown in FIG.

In this way, the negative impurities adhering to the brush 72 and the positive ions existing on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 attract each other. This attractive force (electrostatic adhesion due to Coulomb force) makes it easier to remove impurities adhering to the brush 72 from the brush 72 , so that the impurities can be removed from the brush 72 . Further, the impurities removed from the lower surface of the brush 72 are discharged from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 by the processing liquid on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 , so that the impurities do not remain on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . As a result, the brush 72 can be cleaned without the removed impurities adhering to the brush 72 again.

(a series of substrate processing steps)
Next, a flow of a series of substrate processing steps (substrate loading step, substrate cleaning step, brush cleaning step, substrate drying step, and substrate unloading step) performed by the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described. When the brush 72 is at the standby position, the brush 72 is rotated by the brush moving mechanism 73 and is constantly cleaned by the brush cleaning section 80 .

In the substrate loading process, when the substrate W is loaded, the shutter (not shown) that closes the inlet/outlet 20a of the processing chamber 20 is opened while the cup 30 and the brush 72 are in the standby position. An unprocessed substrate W is carried into the processing chamber 20 by a transfer device (not shown) having a robot hand or the like, placed on each holding member 41 of the rotary table 40 and held by these holding members 41 . The robot hand retreats from the processing chamber 20, and the entrance/exit 20a of the processing chamber 20 is closed by the shutter.

In the substrate processing process, after the substrate W is loaded, the cup 30 is moved from the standby position to the processing position by the pair of elevating mechanisms 31 . In a state in which the substrate W is held by each holding member 41 of the turntable 40, the turntable 40 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed (eg, 500 rpm) by the rotation mechanism 50, and the substrate W on the turntable 40 is rotated ( slow rotation).

Next, with the cup 30 at the processing position, the brush 72 is raised while rotating by the brush moving mechanism 73 and swivels while avoiding the cup 30 . When the rotating brush 72 faces the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the rotating turntable 40, it descends and contacts the surface Wa to be processed. The rotating brush 72 in contact horizontally swings along the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed on the rotating turntable 40 .

While the brush 72 is swinging, the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate is supplied from the nozzle 71 to the processing surface Wa of the substrate W on the rotary table 40 . The cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate discharged from the nozzle 71 is supplied to the vicinity of the center of the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W on the rotating turntable 40, and the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W moves the surface Wa to be processed. spread throughout. The brush 72 and the substrate W are rotating, and the brush 72 is swung by the brush moving mechanism 73 while contacting the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed. The scrub will be washed.

After a predetermined period of time has passed since the discharge of the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate was started, that is, after the cleaning processing of the substrate W is completed, the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate is stopped, and the brush 72 is lifted by the brush moving mechanism 73 to move to the cup 30 . , and when it faces the cleaning member 81, it descends and returns to the standby position (brush cleaning position) where it contacts the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81.

On the way back to the standby position, the brush 72 immediately after processing the substrate stops at a measurement position facing the charge amount measuring section 100 (a position directly above the charge amount measuring section 100). In this state, the charge amount of the brush 72 is measured by the charge amount measuring section 100 . Also, the ion generator 91 of the charging section 90 is moved from the waiting position to the charging position by the moving mechanism 92, and charges the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 with positive or negative charge. At this time, the ion generator 91 is controlled by the control section 110 according to the charge amount received from the charge amount measurement section 100 . The upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is covered with the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid. After charging is completed, the ion generator 91 is returned from the charging position to the standby position by the moving mechanism 92, and the brush 72 is moved from the measurement position to the standby position by the brush moving mechanism 73. FIG.

In the brush cleaning process, when the brush 72 returns to the standby position, it is cleaned by the brush cleaning section 80 . The brush 72 is rotating at the standby position, and the rotating brush 72 is in contact with the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . As a result, the cleaning liquid for brush cleaning is supplied to the brush 72 from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . The rotating brush 72 is cleaned by the cleaning liquid to remove impurities from the brush 72 . In addition to this non-contact cleaning, contaminants are removed from the brush 72 by electrostatic repulsion (see FIGS. 5-8) or electroadhesion (see FIGS. 9-12). This brush cleaning process continues until the next substrate cleaning process is started.

In the substrate drying step, after the above-described substrate cleaning process is completed, when the discharge of the cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate is stopped, the rotation speed of the substrate W is increased to a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 1200 rpm) by the control unit 110 ( high-speed rotation), the shaking off of the liquid is continued for a predetermined time, and the rotation of the substrate W is stopped after a predetermined time has passed since the start of shaking off the liquid. The substrate W is dried by this shaking off, and the cup 30 is moved from the processing position to the standby position by the pair of elevating mechanisms 31 .

In the substrate unloading step, when the dried substrate W is unloaded, the shutter that closes the inlet/outlet 20a of the processing chamber 20 is opened while the cup 30 and the brush 72 are in the standby position. The processed substrate W in a dry state is carried out of the processing chamber 20 from above each holding member 41 of the turntable 40 by the above-described transport device (not shown). Next, an unprocessed substrate W is carried into the processing chamber 20 as described above, and the series of substrate processing steps described above are repeated.

In the brush cleaning step of such a series of substrate processing steps, the cleaning liquid in the supply section 82 is supplied from the supply section 82 to the upper surface of the cleaning member 81, and a liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid is formed on the upper surface. The rotating brush 72 is cleaned by coming into contact with the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid formed on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . At this time, the rotating brush 72 is not in contact with the upper surface of the cleaning member 81, and the rotating brush 72 is in contact only with the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81. be. In the brush cleaning process, the processing liquid continues to be supplied to the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 from the through holes 81a, and the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid continues to be formed on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81. FIG. Thus, the brush 72 is cleaned without contact with the cleaning member 81 .

Here, cleaning the substrate W by bringing the worn brush 72 into contact with the substrate W may cause damage to the substrate W by the brush 72 or contamination of the substrate W by the brush 72 . When the brush 72 is worn, the bottom surface of the brush 72 becomes uneven. If the lower surface of the brush 72 is brought into contact with the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed in a roughened state, the surface Wa to be processed of the substrate W will be scratched and the substrate W will be damaged as a result. In addition, due to abrasion, fragments (dust) of the cleaning material of the brush 72 fall onto the surface Wa of the substrate W to be processed, contaminating the substrate W. As shown in FIG. In other words, the wear of the brushes 72 leads to damage to the substrate W by the brushes 72 and contamination of the substrate W by the brushes 72, resulting in deterioration of substrate quality (product quality).

However, as described above, since the cleaning member 81 cleans the brushes 72 with the cleaning liquid without contacting the brushes 72, the wear of the brushes 72 may damage the substrate W by the brushes 72 or cause contamination of the substrate W by the brushes 72. can be suppressed. Furthermore, the rotation (centrifugal force) of the brush 72 increases the momentum of the cleaning liquid on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 , and this flow can remove impurities adhering to the brush 72 . Further, the rotation of the brush 72 causes the cleaning liquid to spread and flow on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 . By diffusing the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid can spread evenly over the lower surface of the brush 72 . Therefore, impurities attached to the lower surface of the brush 72 can be removed without remaining on the brush 72 and the cleaning member 81 . Therefore, while cleaning the brushes 72, it is possible to prevent the substrate W from being damaged by the brushes 72 and the substrate W from being contaminated by the brushes 72 due to abrasion of the brushes 72, thereby improving the substrate quality. can.

In the brush cleaning process, the cleaning liquid for cleaning the brush is discharged from the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 so as to flow from the center side to the outer edge side. As a result, a liquid flow is formed on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 to flow from the center side to the outer edge side. can be discharged without fail. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the impurities removed from the brush 72 and remaining on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 from adhering to the brush 72 again, so that contamination of the brush 72 can be reliably suppressed.

Also, the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is charged with a negative charge or a positive charge by the charging section 90 . As a result, a phenomenon of electrostatic repulsion or electrostatic adhesion occurs with respect to the negative impurities adhering to the brush 72, and the negative impurities adhering to the brush 72 can be easily removed from the brush 72, so that the impurities can be reliably removed from the brush 72. can be removed. The criteria for whether the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 is negatively charged or positively charged may be determined in advance by experiments or the like, and may be changed according to the types and sizes of particles, for example.

As described above, according to one embodiment, the cleaning member 81 that holds the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid on the upper surface (an example of the outer surface) is used, and the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid held on the upper surface of the cleaning member 81 and the liquid film A1 of the cleaning liquid are used. By cleaning the brush 72 by contacting only the rotating brush 72, the brush 72 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid while contacting only the liquid film A1 of the processing liquid while rotating. At this time, the processing liquid is supplied to the brush 72 , and the brush 72 is washed by the flow of the cleaning liquid caused by the rotation of the brush 72 . The brush 72 can be washed without being damaged by the supply of the cleaning liquid to the brush 72 and the flow of the cleaning liquid caused by the rotation of the brush 72 . Furthermore, since the brushes 72 are cleaned without contacting the cleaning member 81, abrasion of the brushes 72 can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to clean the brushes 72 without damaging them, and furthermore, it is possible to suppress the abrasion of the brushes 72 from causing damage to the substrate W caused by the brushes 72 and contamination of the substrate W caused by the brushes 72. Therefore, the substrate quality can be improved.

<Other embodiments>
In the above description, one through-hole 81a is formed in the surface of the cleaning member 81 as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of through holes 81 a may be formed in the surface of the cleaning member 81 , or the through holes 81 a may be branched to form a plurality of holes in the surface of the cleaning member 81 .

In the above description, the ion generator 91 is moved by expanding and contracting the arm 92a that supports the ion generator 91. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The ion generator 91 may be moved by turning or lifting and lowering.

In the above description, the brush movement mechanism 73 moves the brush 72 upward to avoid the cup 30 at the processing position in the brush rotation during substrate cleaning, but the present invention is limited to this. Instead, for example, the cup 30 may be moved downward by a pair of elevating mechanisms 31 to avoid the rotating brush 72, or the movement of the brush 72 and the movement of the cup 30 may be combined. Also good.

In the above description, the charge amount measured by the charge amount measurement unit 100 is transmitted to the control unit 110. However, the charge amount measured by the charge amount measurement unit 100 is not limited to this. may be displayed on the display unit.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 substrate processing apparatus 72 brush 80 brush cleaning unit (brush cleaning apparatus)
81 Cleaning member 90 Charging unit 91 Ion generator 92 Moving mechanism 100 Charge amount measuring unit 110 Control unit W Substrate A1 Liquid film

Claims (9)

A cleaning member has a cleaning member for holding a liquid film of a cleaning liquid for cleaning a brush for cleaning a substrate on an outer surface thereof, and only the rotating brush is brought into contact with the liquid film of the cleaning liquid held on the outer surface of the cleaning member. wash the brush
a charging unit that charges the outer surface of the cleaning member with a positive charge or a negative charge;
The brush cleaning device , wherein the charging unit discharges electric discharge to the outer surface of the cleaning member while the liquid film of the cleaning liquid is held on the outer surface of the cleaning member . 2. The brush cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member discharges the cleaning liquid from the outer surface so that the cleaning liquid flows from the center side to the outer edge side of the outer surface. The charging unit is
an ion generator that generates positive or negative ions;
a moving mechanism for moving the ion generator between a charging position where the outer surface of the cleaning member is charged by ions generated by the ion generator and a standby position other than the charging position;
The brush cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2 , comprising: a charge amount measuring unit that measures the charge amount of the brush;
a control unit that controls the charging unit according to the charge amount measured by the charge amount measurement unit;
The brush cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , comprising: a brush for cleaning the substrate;
a brush cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: forming a liquid film of the cleaning liquid on the outer surface of the cleaning member;
a step of cleaning the brush by bringing only the liquid film of the cleaning liquid formed on the outer surface of the cleaning member into contact with the rotating brush for cleaning the substrate;
a step of charging the outer surface of the cleaning member to a positive charge or a negative charge by a charging unit before the step of cleaning the brush;
The brush cleaning method , wherein in the electrifying step, electric discharge is applied to the outer surface of the cleaning member while the liquid film of the cleaning liquid is held on the outer surface of the cleaning member . 7. The brush cleaning method according to claim 6 , wherein in the step of forming the liquid film, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the outer surface of the cleaning member so that the cleaning liquid flows from the center side to the outer edge side of the outer surface of the cleaning member. In the charging step, an ion generator that generates positive or negative ions is moved between a charging position where the outer surface of the cleaning member is charged by the ions generated by the ion generator and a standby position other than the charging position. 8. The brush cleaning method according to claim 6 or 7 . In the charging step, the charge amount of the brush is measured by a charge amount measuring device, and the charging section that charges the outer surface of the cleaning member to a positive charge or a negative charge is controlled according to the measured charge amount. The brush cleaning method according to any one of claims 6 to 8 .

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