JPH09299889A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a powder mixture of liquid and gas for cleaning or a particle from becoming scattered and at the same time, prevent the particle from sticking again to the surface of an article to be cleaned by providing a nozzle for ejecting a cleaning material to the article to be cleaned and an enclosure part, spaced as specified, for the nozzle. SOLUTION: When cleaning an article to be cleaned 10 such as a semiconductor substrate, a mixture of pressurized liquid and gas for cleaning as a cleaning material is ejected from a nozzle 18 to the surface of the article to be cleaned 10 previously placed on a table 14 for sucking the article 10. Consequently, a particle sticking to the surface of the article 10 is stripped off. In this case, a powder mixture of liquid and gas for cleaning immediately after cleaning is prevented from being scattered, and the particle stripped off the surface of the article to be cleaned 10 is prevented from being blown up by encircling the nozzle 18, spaced as specified, with an enclosure member 34 with an open part 34a spread like a hollow cone. Finally, the powder mixture and the particle are removed sucking them from a suction device connected to a connecting pipe 36.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cleaning device,
More specifically, it is possible to attach ultrafine particles, coatings, or various size particles adhered to the surface of a plate-like object to be cleaned such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate or a non-plate-like object to be cleaned. The present invention relates to a cleaning device that can easily and reliably remove adhered substances from the surface of an object to be cleaned.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ultrafine particles, coatings, or various fine particles adhering to the surface of a plate-like object to be cleaned such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate or a non-plate-like object to be cleaned. Have been removed from the surface of the object to be cleaned as needed, and a cleaning method and a cleaning device therefor. Have been proposed.

For example, in the process of processing a semiconductor substrate, if particles such as extremely fine particulate or film-like contaminants adhere to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the processing precision of the semiconductor substrate and the reliability of the characteristics are degraded. It is known that this is a cause of the above, and in order to improve the process processing accuracy of the semiconductor substrate and the reliability of the characteristics, it is necessary to remove the particles adhering to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, various cleaning apparatuses have been proposed so far as means for removing particles attached to the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

As such a conventional cleaning device, for example, a cleaning device as shown in FIG. 1 is known.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is an object to be cleaned such as a semiconductor substrate. The object to be cleaned 10 is an object-to-be-cleaned adsorption table 1 installed in a partition 12 which is a cleaning tank.
4 will be placed on top of and fixed. The object-to-be-cleaned suction table 14 is rotatably installed by a driving device 16.

Above the object to be cleaned 10, a predetermined nozzle angle A (the nozzle angle A is
For example, it is about 60 degrees. ) Is maintained, a nozzle 18 is installed as a spraying device that mixes and sprays a pressurized liquid for cleaning and a pressurized gas as a cleaning material. This nozzle 18 is driven by a drive unit 20 to be cleaned 1
It is installed so that it can reciprocate in the direction parallel to 0.

The partition 12 has an exhaust port 22.
Is provided so that the accumulated matter in the partition 12 such as particles which are removed from the article to be cleaned 10 and scattered in the partition 12 can be sucked and discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 22. .

The operation of cleaning the object to be cleaned 10 such as a semiconductor substrate in the above structure will be described.

First, the object to be cleaned 10 is placed and fixed on the object adsorption base 14 in advance. Then, the pressurized liquid for cleaning and the pressurized gas are mixed and sprayed from the nozzle 18 toward the surface of the object to be cleaned 10.

As a result, the cleaning liquid and the gas sprayed from the nozzle 18 collide with the surface of the object 10 to be cleaned, and the particles adhering to the surface of the object 10 to be cleaned can be separated.

The particles separated from the object to be cleaned 10 are discarded to the outside of the partition 12 through the exhaust port 22.

During the above-mentioned cleaning process, the object-to-be-cleaned suction table 14 on which the object-to-be-cleaned 10 is mounted and fixed is rotated by the driving device 14, and the nozzle 18 is also moved.
Is reciprocated by the drive device 20 in a direction parallel to the object to be cleaned 10, so that the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 can be uniformly cleaned.

[0013]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional cleaning device, the cleaning liquid and the gas sprayed from the nozzle 18 collide with the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 to form a powdery mixture. There is a problem that the particles separated from the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 fly up easily and the partition 12 does not maintain a good sealing property. It was pointed out that there is a risk of polluting the outside.

On the other hand, as is clear from the graph showing the relationship between the nozzle angle A shown in FIG. 2 and the particle separation rate (particle separation rate) from the surface of the object to be cleaned 10,
When the nozzle 18 is positioned perpendicular to the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 and the nozzle angle A is 90 degrees, the force with which the liquid and the gas ejected from the nozzle 18 collide with the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 is It is known that it is the largest and the particle peeling rate is the best.

However, the nozzle 18 is replaced by the object 10 to be cleaned.
When the nozzle angle is set to 90 degrees with respect to the surface of the object to be cleaned, the particles separated from the object to be cleaned 10 rise to the position directly above the object to be cleaned 10, and Since the particles may be reattached, it is necessary to incline the nozzle 18 with respect to the surface of the object to be cleaned 10, and there is also a problem that the nozzle angle A of 90 degrees, which has the highest particle separation rate, cannot be adopted. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned various problems of the prior art, and its object is to provide a powdery mixture of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid and gas and particles. Provide a cleaning device that prevents the particles from re-attaching to the surface of the object to be cleaned when a nozzle angle of 90 degrees, which has the highest particle separation rate, is used, while preventing the scattering and soaring of the particles over a long distance. It is what

[0017]

In order to achieve the above object, a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention is a cleaning apparatus for removing adhered matter adhering to the surface of an article to be cleaned from the article to be cleaned. A nozzle for injecting a cleaning material onto a cleaning object and an outer shell member surrounding the nozzle with a predetermined gap are provided.

Here, the outer shell member may be provided with an opening formed so that the injection port side of the nozzle expands with respect to the object to be cleaned.

Further, a through hole is formed in a portion of the outer shell member spaced apart from the opening portion by a predetermined distance, and the accumulated material between the nozzle and the outer shell member is sucked through the through hole. May be.

Further, a guard member may be provided between the nozzle and the outer shell member, and a guard member may be provided at the tip of the jet port of the nozzle so as to surround the jet port of the nozzle.

Furthermore, the nozzle may be arranged at an arbitrary angle with respect to the object to be cleaned.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a partially broken schematic perspective view showing an example of the embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional configuration explanatory view corresponding to FIG. 1 of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. However, the same components as those shown in FIG.
By using the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. 1, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this cleaning device, a shaft 30 is connected to the nozzle 18, and further, the shaft 30 is connected to a nozzle angle changing drive device 32, and the nozzle angle A is arbitrarily set by the nozzle angle changing drive device 30. It can be changed to any angle. Therefore, by setting the nozzle angle A to 90 degrees, which has the best particle separation rate,
The nozzle 18 can be positioned perpendicular to the surface of the article to be cleaned 10.

The nozzle 18 has a nozzle injection port 18a.
It is surrounded by a cylindrical outer shell member 34 having a hollow conical opening 34a on its side with a predetermined gap, and this outer shell member 34 is fixed to the nozzle 18 at the upper end 34b. ing. A through hole 34c is provided at an upper portion of the outer shell member 34 spaced from the opening 34a by a predetermined distance, and a connecting pipe 36 is connected to the through hole 34c. By operating the suction device (not shown)
The accumulated material existing between the nozzle 18 and the outer shell member 34 can be exhausted to the outside.

Further, the nozzle injection port 18a of the nozzle 18
A guard member 38, which is located between the nozzle 18 and the outer shell member 34 and is expanded in a hollow conical shape so as to surround the nozzle injection port 18a, is fixed to the tip portion of the.

The operation of cleaning the object to be cleaned 10 such as the semiconductor substrate in the above structure will be described.

First, the object to be cleaned 10 is previously placed and fixed on the object to be cleaned suction table 14. Then, as a cleaning material, a pressurized liquid for cleaning and a pressurized gas are mixed,
It is jetted from the nozzle 18 toward the surface of the object to be cleaned 10.

As a result, the cleaning liquid and the gas sprayed from the nozzle collide with the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 and the particles adhering to the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 can be peeled off. In this case, the drive device 32 for changing the nozzle angle
The nozzle angle A can be set to 90 degrees, which has the best particle separation rate, by driving, so that the particles can be efficiently separated from the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 and the cleaning time is shortened. Can be converted.

Immediately after the cleaning is started, the nozzle angle A is set to 90.
The nozzle angle A is gradually decreased from 90 degrees as the cleaning progresses, and the force with which the liquid and the gas ejected from the nozzle 18 collide with the object to be cleaned 10 is gradually weakened, and the object to be cleaned 10 It is also possible to prevent the particles peeled off from rising and redepositing.

On the other hand, the scattering of the powdery mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas immediately after being sprayed onto the object to be cleaned 10 and the rising of the particles separated from the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 are caused by the powdery mixture. And particles are outer members 3
4 is blocked by being trapped in the opening 34a,
It is possible to prevent scattering of a powdery powdery mixture of a cleaning liquid and gas and an increase in the distance in which particles fly up. That is, it is possible to reliably prevent the powdery mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas and the particles from flying over a long distance and flying along with the cleaning of the object to be cleaned 10.

Therefore, most of the powdery mixture of the cleaning liquid and gas and the particles are retained between the outer shell member 34 and the nozzle 18, but the suction device (which is connected to the connection pipe 36 ( By operating (not shown), the powdery mixture of cleaning liquid and gas accumulated between the nozzle 18 and the outer shell member 34 and particles are sucked and exhausted to the outside, and these accumulated. Re-adhesion of a powdery mixture of cleaning liquid and gas or particles to the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 is prevented.

As described above, by operating the suction device (not shown) connected to the connection pipe 36, the powder of the cleaning liquid and the gas accumulated between the nozzle 18 and the outer shell member 34. If the liquid mixture and the particles are sucked to the outside, the spraying force may be weakened before the cleaning liquid and the gas sprayed from the nozzle collide with the surface of the object to be cleaned 10. Since the tip portion is surrounded and shielded by the guard member 38, the spraying force of the cleaning liquid and the gas sprayed from the nozzle does not weaken before it collides with the surface of the object to be cleaned 10.

In the above embodiment, the case where the object to be cleaned 10 is a semiconductor substrate has been described, but the object to be cleaned 10 is not limited to this, and various plate-like objects such as a glass substrate and a metal substrate and Needless to say, various other shapes may be used as the object to be cleaned.

In the above-described embodiment, the surface of the object to be cleaned 10 is made uniform by rotating the object to be cleaned suction table 14 on which the object to be cleaned 10 is placed and fixed by the drive device 16. Although it can be cleaned, the object-to-be-cleaned adsorption table 1 on which the object to be cleaned 10 is mounted and fixed
4 may be reciprocated by the drive unit 16.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the relative movement between the object to be cleaned 10 and the nozzle 18 is prohibited,
Of course, both may be fixedly installed.

Furthermore, although the opening 34a and the guard member 38 are formed in a hollow conical shape in the above-described embodiment, the shape is not limited to this, and may be any shape such as a hollow pyramid shape. When the opening 34a is configured to spread out with respect to the object to be cleaned 10, a wide range of powdery mixture of cleaning liquid and gas on the object to be cleaned 10 and particles can be captured. Like In addition, the opening 34a and the guard member 38 are
Of course, it does not have to be configured to expand with respect to zero.

[0038]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the powdery mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas and the particles from scattering and flying up over a long distance, and the most particles. High peeling rate 90
It is possible to prevent particles from reattaching to the surface of the object to be cleaned when a nozzle angle of 4 degrees is adopted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration explanatory view showing an example of a conventional cleaning device.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a relationship between a nozzle angle and a particle separation rate.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway schematic configuration perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

4 is a schematic sectional configuration explanatory diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 of the cleaning apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 cleaning object 12 partition 14 cleaning object suction table 16 driving device 18 nozzle 18a nozzle injection port 20 driving device 22 exhaust port 30 shaft 32 nozzle angle changing driving device 34 outer shell member 34a opening 34b upper end 34c through hole 36 connection Pipe 38 Guard member

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning device for removing deposits adhering to the surface of an object to be cleaned from the object to be cleaned, comprising a nozzle for spraying a cleaning material onto the object to be cleaned, and a predetermined gap. And an outer shell member surrounding the nozzle. 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell member is provided with an opening formed so that an injection port side of the nozzle expands with respect to the object to be cleaned. apparatus. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a through hole is formed in a portion of the outer shell member spaced apart from the opening by a predetermined distance, and the through hole is provided. The cleaning device is configured to suck the accumulated material between the nozzle and the outer shell member. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the nozzle is located between the nozzle and the outer shell member, and is jetted to the tip of the jet port of the nozzle. And a guard member arranged so as to surround the mouth. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, or fourth aspect is selected.
In the cleaning device according to the paragraph 1, the nozzle can be arranged at an arbitrary angle with respect to the object to be cleaned.