JPH0334750Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a mask cleaning apparatus for cleaning a mask for photoetching an integrated circuit.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, photoetching masks (hereinafter referred to as masks) have been cleaned using mask cleaning apparatuses as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This mask cleaning device has a mask holder 3 in which a plate-shaped arm 30 protrudes from a boss portion 31 in a cross shape.
2, and a support shaft 33 that vacuum suctions the boss portion 31 of the mask holder 32 and rotates the entire mask holder 32. A rinse pipe 34 is provided above the mask holder 32 to inject a cleaning liquid for cleaning the upper surface of the mask 10. Further, below the mask holder 32, there is a back-cleaning pipe 35 for injecting a cleaning liquid to prevent foreign matter from getting around from the upper surface to the lower surface of the mask 10, and a drying gas for drying the cleaning liquid adhering to the mask 10. A blow pipe 36 for injection is provided. Note that pure water or the like is used as the cleaning liquid in such a mask cleaning device.

The mask 10 is cleaned by this mask cleaning device as follows.

Mask 10 set on mask holder 32
is rotated together with the mask holder 32 by the support shaft 33. Then, cleaning liquid is injected from the rinse pipe 34 to remove foreign matter adhering to the upper surface of the mask 10. Also, back clean pipe 35
A cleaning liquid is also injected from the mask 10 to prevent foreign matter from coming around from the upper surface to the lower surface. After cleaning, drying gas is injected from the blow pipe 36 to dry the cleaning liquid adhering to the mask 10.
Then, by inverting both sides of the mask 10 and cleaning them in the same manner, both sides of the mask 10 are cleaned and dried.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> By the way, in such a mask cleaning device, the mask holder 32 holding the mask 10 is rotated at high speed. Therefore, the mask holder 32
The arm 30 is required to have the strength to withstand centrifugal force due to high-speed rotation, and the arm 30 must have a large cross-sectional area. When air resistance to rotation is taken into account, the width W of the arm inevitably increases.

However, the mask holder 32 with such a structure
A back-cleaning pipe 3 is fixedly provided below the mask 10 set on the upper surface.
When the cleaning liquid is injected from No. 5, there are the following problems. That is, the cleaning liquid is applied to the mask holder 32.
Because it is obstructed by the arm 30, it does not directly touch the part of the lower surface of the mask 10 that faces the arm 30. Further, since the cleaning liquid is splashed by the rotation of the arm 30, the cleaning liquid does not come into contact with the portion of the lower surface of the mask 10 located behind the arm 30. Therefore, the cleaning liquid does not reach the entire lower surface of the mask 10. Therefore, there was a problem in that it was not possible to sufficiently prevent foreign matter from coming around from the upper surface to the lower surface of the mask 10, and therefore the mask 10 could not be sufficiently cleaned.

The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and allows for sufficient cleaning of the mask. The purpose is to provide a mask cleaning device.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention has a support shaft that rotates around a vertical axis and has a cleaning liquid supply channel formed inside, and a support shaft that holds a mask to be cleaned. and a mask holder that rotates together with the support shaft. A cleaning liquid flow hole communicating with the cleaning liquid supply path is formed inside a boss portion of the mask holder that is connected to the support shaft and serves as a rotation center, and a cleaning liquid flow hole that extends radially from the boss portion and A cleaning liquid passage leading to the cleaning liquid flow hole is formed inside the arm facing the mask, and a large number of cleaning liquid injection holes opening toward the mask are formed on the surface of this arm.

<Function> According to the above configuration, the cleaning liquid supply path of the support shaft and the cleaning liquid passage formed inside the arm of the mask holder are communicated and connected via the cleaning liquid circulation hole formed inside the boss part. Therefore, the cleaning liquid flowing through these flow channels is injected toward the lower surface of the mask from a large number of cleaning liquid injection holes opened on the surface of the arm. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is applied to the portion of the lower surface of the mask that faces the arm and the portion located behind it, and the cleaning liquid is spread over the entire area of the lower surface of the mask.

<Example> Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The mask cleaning device includes a mask holder 11 that holds a mask 10, a support shaft 12 that rotates the mask holder 11, a blow pipe 13 that injects dry gas, and a rinse pipe 14 that injects cleaning liquid. The mask holder 11 includes a boss portion 15 that is connected to a support shaft 12 and serves as a rotation center, and a boss portion 15 that is connected to a support shaft 12 and serves as a rotation center.
5 and several arms 16 extending radially, for example, in a cross shape, and a cleaning liquid passage 17 is formed inside each arm 16. The boss portion 15 is provided with a cleaning liquid passage hole 18 that opens on the lower surface side, and a cleaning liquid passage 17 formed in each arm 16 is connected to the cleaning liquid passage hole 18 . In addition, although the number of arms 16 is four in the drawing, it may be any number that can hold the mask 10. A large number of cleaning liquid injection holes 19 are provided on the diagonally upward side and top surface of each arm 16 and are open toward the mask and eject cleaning liquid, and each cleaning liquid injection hole 19 communicates with the cleaning liquid passage 17. There is.

Further, a holder 20 for holding the mask 10 is provided at the tip of each arm 16, and the holders 20 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are ring-shaped reinforcing members 21.
are connected. In addition, in this way, the reinforcing member 2
1 increases the strength of each arm 16, so the cross-sectional area of the arm 16, especially its width, can be reduced.

The support shaft 12 supports the mask holder 11 at its upper end.
The boss portion 15 of is fixed by vacuum suction and rotated around the vertical axis. A boss portion 15 is provided at the axial center of the support shaft 12.
A cleaning liquid supply path 22 communicating with the cleaning liquid distribution hole 18 of
is provided. Note that a vacuum exhaust passage 23 is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the cleaning liquid supply passage 22 . The cleaning liquid that has flowed into the cleaning liquid supply path 22 flows into each arm 16 through the cleaning liquid distribution hole 18 .

Further, a ring-shaped blow pipe 13 provided with a gas injection hole 24 is fixedly provided below the mask holder 11. Note that this blow pipe 13 may be supported by the mask holder 11 or the support shaft 12, and in that case, the drying gas is supplied through an internal passage provided in the support shaft 12.

The mask 10 is cleaned by this mask cleaning device as follows.

The mask 10 is attached to the holder 20 of the mask holder 11.
and set it. By rotating the support shaft 12 in the direction of arrow A, the mask 10 is rotated together with the mask holder 11. A high-pressure cleaning liquid is injected from the rinse pipe 14 to remove foreign matter adhering to the upper surface of the mask 10. Also, the low pressure cleaning liquid that has been flowing through the cleaning liquid supply path 22 of the support shaft 12, the cleaning liquid distribution hole 18 of the mask holder 11, and the arm 16 is transferred to the cleaning liquid injection hole 19 of the mask holder 11.
eject from. This prevents foreign matter from coming around from the top surface of the mask 10 to the bottom surface. After cleaning, the gas injection hole 2 of the blow pipe 13
A drying gas is injected from 4 to dry the cleaning liquid adhering to the mask 10. Then, both sides of the mask 10 are turned over and washed and dried in the same manner as described above.

Note that the cleaning liquid injection hole 19 of the mask holder 11
If high-pressure cleaning liquid is injected from the rinse pipe 14, both sides of the mask 10 can be cleaned without inverting the mask 10.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, the cleaning liquid is injected onto the lower surface of the mask from the multiple cleaning liquid injection holes provided in the arm of the mask holder. Therefore, the cleaning liquid is applied to the portion of the lower surface of the mask that faces the arm and the portion located behind it, and the cleaning liquid is spread over the entire area of the lower surface of the mask. Therefore, there is an effect that the mask can be sufficiently washed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 relate to a mask cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a partially sectional plan view thereof, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional side view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in the figure. 4 and 5 relate to a conventional example, with FIG. 4 being a partially sectional plan view thereof, and FIG. 5 being a partially sectional side view thereof. 11...mask holder, 12...support shaft, 1
6...Arm, 17...Cleaning liquid passage, 19...Cleaning liquid injection hole, 22...Cleaning liquid supply path.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A support shaft having a cleaning liquid supply path formed therein and rotating around a vertical axis, and a mask holder that holds a mask to be cleaned and rotates together with the support shaft; A cleaning liquid flow hole communicating with the cleaning liquid supply path is formed inside a boss portion of the mask holder that is connected to a support shaft and serves as a rotation center, and a cleaning liquid flow hole that extends radially from the boss portion and faces the mask. A mask cleaning device characterized in that a cleaning liquid passage leading to the cleaning liquid distribution hole is formed inside the arm, and a large number of cleaning liquid injection holes opening toward the mask are formed on the surface of the arm.