KR101852365B1 - Brush cleaning apparatus and control method therof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a brush cleaning apparatus and a control method therefor. The brush cleaning apparatus includes a brush support, a brush holder moving up and down along the brush support, a brush module supported by the brush holder, And a position control unit for controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate in accordance with the contact pressure detected by the pressure sensing unit, It is possible to obtain an effect of uniformly maintaining the contact force of the cleaning brush against the brush.

Description

[0001] BRUSH CLEANING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEROF [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a brush cleaning apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a brush cleaning apparatus and a control method thereof capable of uniformly maintaining a contact force of a cleaning brush against a substrate during a cleaning process.

After a substrate used for a display device or a wafer used for fabricating a semiconductor device (hereinafter, referred to as a " substrate ") is treated, a cleaning process for removing foreign matters on the surface is performed during the process.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show a conventional brush cleaner 9. When the substrate W is transferred to the space between the pair of cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'by the substrate transferring unit, the conventional brush cleaning apparatus 9 can be configured such that any one of the pair of cleaning brushes 10 and 10' The surface of the substrate W is cleaned while the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'are rotated with the substrate W sandwiched therebetween.

The substrate W is rotatably supported by a rotating substrate supporting part 50 and the cleaning brush 10 is rotationally driven in different directions by the driving parts 40 and 40 ' 10 and 10 ', the substrate W is cleaned. Although not shown in the drawing, the substrate W is supplied with a cleaning liquid (cleaning chemical) and desalted water through a nozzle.

On the other hand, in the brush cleaning device 9, since the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'must rotate in contact with the surface of the substrate W, the rotation of the cleaning brushes 10 and 10' The contact pressure (contact force) of the cleaning brush 10, 10 'with respect to the substrate W must be maintained in a constant range.

However, if the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'are brought into contact with the substrate with excessive contact pressure during the cleaning process, a rotation error of the cleaning brushes 10 and 10' may occur. In other words, when the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'are brought into contact with the substrate at a contact pressure larger than a preset reference value or at a contact pressure smaller than the reference value, the rotation of the cleaning brushes 10 and 10' It is difficult to precisely control the conditions.

Further, when the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'are brought into contact with the surface of the substrate at contact pressures larger than the reference value, the rotation of the cleaning brushes 10 and 10' by the frictional force between the substrate and the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 ' And there is a problem that the driving parts 40 and 40 'for rotating the cleaning brushes 10 and 10' are overloaded to damage the driving parts 40 and 40 '.

Further, when the cleaning brush 10, 10 'is brought into contact with the substrate at an abnormal contact pressure (a contact pressure that is larger or smaller than the reference value), it is difficult for the cleaning brush 10, 10' to rotate accurately at the intended rotation speed There is a problem that it is difficult to accurately calculate the cleaning amount of the substrate W.

It is also possible to measure the contact pressure of the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 'on the substrate by measuring the load values of the driving units 40 and 40' for rotating the cleaning brushes 10 and 10 '. However, since many different types of driving motors can be used for the brush cleaner 9 and the load values of the driving motors are different depending on the types and capacities of the motors, It is difficult and troublesome to detect the contact pressure of the cleaning brush.

Accordingly, in recent years, various studies have been made to maintain the contact pressure of the cleaning brush uniformly on the substrate and to improve the cleaning efficiency, but it is still insufficient and development thereof is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a brush cleaning apparatus and a control method thereof that can uniformly maintain a contact force of a cleaning brush against a substrate during a cleaning process.

In particular, the present invention aims to maintain the contact force of the cleaning brush against the substrate uniformly by controlling the position of the cleaning brush relative to the substrate in accordance with the contact pressure applied to the substrate by the cleaning brush.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure the reliability of cleaning by controlling the cleaning process with an appropriate amount of cleansing that is neither excessive nor insufficient, through accurate rotation control of the cleaning brush.

Another object of the present invention is to control the rotation of the cleaning brush by controlling the torque of the cleaning brush according to the contact pressure of the cleaning brush with respect to the substrate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a brush cleaning apparatus comprising: a brush support; a brush holder moving up and down along a brush support; a brush holder supported on the brush holder, And a position control unit for controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate in accordance with the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensing unit. The position control unit controls the position of the brush module relative to the substrate, .

This is to prevent rotation errors of the brush module due to abnormal contact (for example, excessive contact force) between the substrate and the brush module.

That is, according to the present invention, by sensing the contact pressure by the brush module and controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate according to the sensed result, the substrate and the brush module can be brought into normal contact with each other within the set range, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of preventing the rotation error of the brush module due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module.

Particularly, in the present invention, since the position of the brush module is controlled by measuring the vertical load by the brush module, the load value of each driving motor must be individually stored and managed according to the type and capacity of the driving motor for rotating the brush module It is possible to obtain a favorable effect of simply detecting whether or not the drive motor is overloaded by measuring the vertical load by the brush module. In other words, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether the driving motor is overloaded due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module regardless of the type of the driving motor.

Above all, the present invention senses the vertical load of the cleaning brush in the area where the load of the brush module is concentrated (between the support bracket and the moving bracket, for example, where the load measurement error can be minimized) The position of the module is controlled so that the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate is uniformly maintained, thereby achieving an advantageous effect of increasing the reliability of cleaning by accurately controlling the rotation of the brush module.

More specifically, the brush holder includes a moving bracket that moves along the brush support frame, and a support bracket that supports the brush module and has one end supported by the movement bracket and the other end disposed at a free end, And detects the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate by sensing the vertical load by the brush module and the support bracket. As described above, the vertical load caused by the brush module and the support bracket can be precisely sensed at the portion where the loads of the brush module and the support bracket are concentrated, and the contact pressure of the brush module on the board can be more uniformly controlled.

In addition, if the support bracket is formed in a cantilever structure, the brush support base can be provided only at one end of the support bracket without having to be provided at both ends of the support bracket, thereby achieving an advantageous effect of simplifying the structure and improving the degree of design freedom of the equipment .

The brush support may be provided in a variety of structures to support the upward and downward movement of the brush holder. For example, the brush support includes a lead screw disposed along the vertical direction, and the moving bracket is configured to move along the lead screw corresponding to the rotation of the lead screw. At this time, since the support bracket is configured to support the brush module at one end, the structure of the support bracket can be simplified. Alternatively, the support bracket supports both the one end and the other end of the brush module, thereby preventing the deflection of one end (free end) due to the self weight of the cleaning brush and suppressing the oscillation of one end of the cleaning brush during the cleaning process Can be obtained.

A plurality of pressure sensing portions may be disposed between the support bracket and the movable bracket. Accordingly, by sensing the contact pressure of the cleaning brush on the substrate using the average value of the results sensed by the pressure sensing parts, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of heightening the sensing accuracy of the pressure sensing part.

On the other hand, the brush module may include a first cleaning brush which makes a rotational contact with the upper surface of the substrate and a second cleaning brush which makes a rotational contact with the bottom surface of the substrate, and the pressure sensing portion may include a contact pressure of the first cleaning brush And a second sensing unit for sensing a contact pressure of the second cleaning brush with respect to the substrate. This makes it possible to clean both one surface (for example, the upper surface) and the other surface (for example, the lower surface) of the substrate with a uniform contact force. More specifically, the brush holder includes a first moving bracket that moves along the brush support frame, a first supporting bracket that supports the first cleaning brush, one end is supported by the first moving bracket and the other end is disposed at a free end, And a second support bracket that supports the second cleaning brush and has one end supported by the second movement bracket and the other end being disposed at a free end, and the first sensing unit includes a first support bracket And the second sensing portion is disposed between the upper surface of the second supporting bracket and the second moving bracket.

The pressure sensing unit is configured to calculate the contact pressure by comparing the vertical load by the brush module with the brush module in a state where the brush module is in contact with the substrate and the vertical load by the brush module when the brush module is not in contact with the substrate, So that the contact pressure can be indirectly detected. For example, when the cleaning brush is not in contact with the substrate (separated), the sensing unit can detect the load F1 of the cleaning brush and the supporting bracket purely. On the other hand, when the cleaning brush contacts the substrate, the load of the cleaning brush and the support bracket can be partially dispersed in the substrate, so that F1 'sensed by the sensing unit has a value smaller than F1. Therefore, since the contact load due to the contact of the cleaning brush with the substrate can be known through the difference between F1 'and F1, the contact pressure of the cleaning brush with respect to the substrate is increased by a change in the vertical load F1' It is possible to know whether it is lost or decreased.

As the pressure sensing part, a load cell capable of precisely measuring the vertical load is used. When a load cell is applied to the load cell, the change in the vertical load can be detected by detecting the deformation amount (compression or elongation amount) of the load cell as an electrical signal.

Further, since the alarm generating unit generates an alarm signal when the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensing unit is out of a predetermined setting range, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of promptly recognizing the abnormality of contact between the substrate and the brush module to the operator .

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a brush cleaning apparatus includes a positioning step of positioning a brush module to be in contact with a surface of a substrate, a pressure sensing step of sensing a contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate, And a position control step of controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate in accordance with the contact pressure sensed in the position detecting step.

As described above, according to the present invention, by detecting the contact pressure by the brush module and controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate according to the sensed result, the substrate and the brush module can be normally contacted , It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of preventing the rotation error of the brush module due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module.

In particular, in the present invention, since the position of the brush module is controlled by sensing the vertical load of the brush module and indirectly measuring the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether or not the drive motor is overloaded by measuring the vertical load by the brush module without the hassle of storing and managing the load value of the motor. In other words, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether the driving motor is overloaded due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module regardless of the type of the driving motor.

At this time, the brush holder supporting the brush module is provided with a moving bracket that moves along the brush support frame, and a support bracket that supports the brush module and has one end supported by the movement bracket and the other end being disposed at a free end, The vertical load caused by the brush module and the support bracket is sensed to sense the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate. Accordingly, the vertical load caused by the brush module and the support bracket can be accurately It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of more uniformly controlling the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate.

In the pressure sensing step, the contact pressure is calculated by comparing the vertical load by the brush module and the vertical load by the brush module in a state in which the brush module is not in contact with the substrate while the brush module is in contact with the substrate. It is possible to indirectly detect the contact pressure.

At this time, if the contact pressure detected in the pressure sensing step is out of a predetermined setting range, the position control step approaches or separates the brush module with respect to the substrate.

In addition, by including an alarm generating step for generating an alarm signal when the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step is out of a predetermined setting range, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of promptly recognizing the abnormal contact of the substrate and the brush module to the operator Can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present invention, the contact force of the cleaning brush against the substrate during the cleaning process can be uniformly maintained.

Particularly, according to the present invention, by sensing the vertical load by the brush module, indirectly sensing the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate, and controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate according to the sensed result, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of preventing the rotation error of the brush module due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module by making the brush module normally contact with the condition within the setting range.

Further, according to the present invention, since the position of the brush module is controlled by measuring the vertical load by the brush module, it is necessary to individually store and manage the load values of the respective driving motors according to the type and capacity of the driving motor for rotating the brush module It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether or not the drive motor is overloaded by measuring the vertical load by the brush module. In other words, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether the driving motor is overloaded due to abnormal contact between the substrate and the brush module regardless of the type of the driving motor.

Above all, according to the present invention, the vertical load of the cleaning brush is sensed in the area where the load of the brush module is concentrated (between the support bracket and the movable bracket, for example, where the load measurement error can be minimized) By controlling the position of the brush module, the contact pressure of the brush module relative to the substrate is maintained uniform, thereby achieving an advantageous effect of increasing the reliability of cleaning by accurately controlling the rotation of the brush module.

Further, according to the present invention, the contact pressure of the cleaning brush against the substrate can be uniformly controlled, and the rotation condition of the cleaning brush can be accurately controlled to improve stability and reliability.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to control the cleaning process with an appropriate amount of cleansing not excessively and insufficiently through the accurate rotation control of the cleaning brush to secure the reliability of cleaning, and to control the cleaning state of the substrate uniformly and consistently Can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a favorable effect of more accurately controlling the rotation of the cleaning brush by controlling the torque of the cleaning brush in accordance with the contact pressure of the cleaning brush with respect to the substrate.

1 is a front view showing a configuration of a conventional brush cleaning apparatus except for a substrate support,
Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1,
3 is a view for explaining a brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention,
FIGS. 4 and 5 are views for explaining the structure of the brush holder and the pressure sensing unit of FIG. 3,
6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining a process of sensing the contact pressure in the pressure sensing unit of FIG. 3,
10 is a view for explaining a position control section of the brush module of FIG. 3,
FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a position control process of the brush module by the position control unit of FIG. 3;
12 is a block diagram for explaining a control method of the brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. For reference, the same numbers in this description refer to substantially the same elements and can be described with reference to the contents described in the other drawings under these rules, and the contents which are judged to be obvious to the person skilled in the art or repeated can be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are views for explaining the structure of the brush holder and the pressure sensing unit of FIG. 6 to 9 are views for explaining a process of sensing a contact pressure in the pressure sensing unit of FIG. 3, FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a position control period of the brush module of FIG. 3, 3 is a view for explaining a position control process of the brush module by the position control unit of FIG. 3. FIG.

3 to 11, the brush cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a brush support 100, a brush holder 200 moving up and down along the brush support 100, A brush module 300 mounted on the brush holder 200 and sensing a vertical load by the brush module 300 so as to be rotatable on the surface of the substrate W, And a position controller 500 for controlling the position of the brush module 300 relative to the substrate W according to the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 400. The pressure sensor 400 senses the contact pressure of the brush module 300, ).

For example, the brush cleaning apparatus 10 according to the present invention may be configured to clean one surface (e.g., a polishing surface) of a substrate W or to clean one surface (e.g., an upper surface) For example, the bottom surface). Hereinafter, an example in which the brush cleaning apparatus 10 is configured to simultaneously clean the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate W will be described.

The brush module 300 includes a first cleaning brush 310 that is in rotational contact with the upper surface of the substrate W and a second cleaning brush 320 that is in rotational contact with the bottom surface of the substrate W, The brush holder 200 includes a first holder 210 for supporting the first cleaning brush 310 and a second holder 220 for supporting the second cleaning brush 320. The pressure holder 400 Includes a first sensing unit 410 for sensing the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 and a second sensing unit 420 for sensing the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320. On the other hand, if the brush cleaning apparatus is configured to clean only one surface of the substrate W, the cleaning brush, the holder, and the sensing unit may be used individually.

Further, the substrate W can be cleaned by the brush cleaner while rotating with the edge supported by the substrate support (see 50 in Fig. 9). In some cases, the substrate may be cleaned by the brush cleaner in a state in which the substrate is not rotated, or may be cleaned by the brush cleaner in a state of being supported by other normal supporting means.

The brush support 100 is provided to form a support section for supporting the brush holder 200 along the vertical direction and the brush holder 200 can move up and down along the brush support 100.

The brush support 100 may be provided in various structures capable of supporting the upward and downward movement of the brush holder 200. For example, the brush support 100 may include a lead screw 110 having a screw formed along an outer circumferential surface thereof and disposed along a vertical direction, and the brush holder 200 may correspond to rotation of the lead screw 110 So as to move in the vertical direction along the lead screw 110.

The brush holder 200 includes a first holder 210 and a second holder 220 that move up and down along the brush support 100 (e.g., a lead screw). For example, the first holder 210 and the second holder 220 may be configured to move along different lead screws 110, respectively. A first screw thread is formed on one side of the common lead screw and a second screw thread is formed on the other side in the opposite direction so that the first holder and the second holder jointly use one common lead screw, As shown in FIG.

The first holder 210 includes a first moving bracket 212 that moves along the brush support 100 and a second moving bracket 212 that supports the first cleaning brush 310 and has one end fixed to the first moving bracket 212 And the other end is a free end.

The first moving bracket 212 is configured to move along the brush support 100 in response to rotation of the brush support 100 (e.g., leadscrew). The first movable bracket 212 may be formed in various structures and shapes that are movable along the brush support 100, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the shape and structure of the first movable bracket 212. For example, the first movable bracket 212 may be formed to have a hollow rectangular cross-sectional shape.

The first support bracket 214 is provided to support the first cleaning brush 310 and is provided in a cantilever structure in which one end is supported by the first movable bracket 212 and the other end is disposed in a free end. When the first support bracket 214 is formed in the cantilever structure, the brush support 100 is provided only at one end of the first support bracket 214 without having to be provided at both ends of the first support bracket 214 It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simplifying the structure and improving the design freedom of the equipment.

The first support bracket 214 may have various structures that can rotatably support the first cleaning brush 310. Preferably, the first support bracket 214 may be configured to support both ends of the first cleaning brush 310. As described above, the first support bracket 214 supports both ends of the first cleaning brush 310, thereby preventing one end (free end) of the first cleaning brush 310 from sagging due to its own weight, An advantageous effect of suppressing oscillation of one end of the first cleaning brush 310 during the process can be obtained. In some cases, the first support bracket may be configured to support only one of both ends of the first cleaning brush in a cantilever manner.

The second holder 220 includes a second moving bracket 222 that moves along the brush support 100 and a second cleaning brush 320 that is supported by the second moving bracket 222 at one end And the other end includes a second support bracket 224 disposed at a free end.

The second moving bracket 222 is configured to move along the brush support 100 in response to rotation of the brush support 100 (e.g., leadscrew). The second movable bracket 222 may be formed in various structures and shapes movable along the brush support 100 and the present invention is not limited or limited by the shape and structure of the second movable bracket 222. For example, the second movable bracket 222 may be formed to have a hollow rectangular cross-sectional shape.

The second support bracket 224 is provided to support the second cleaning brush 320 and is provided in a cantilever structure in which one end is supported by the second moving bracket 222 and the other end is disposed in a free end. In this way, when the second support bracket 224 is formed in the cantilever structure, the brush support 100 is provided only at one end of the second support bracket 224 without having to be provided at both ends of the second support bracket 224 It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simplifying the structure and improving the design freedom of the equipment.

The second support bracket 224 may have a variety of structures that can rotatably support the second cleaning brush 320. Preferably, the second support bracket 224 may be configured to support both ends of the second cleaning brush 320. The second support bracket 224 supports the both ends of the second cleaning brush 320 to prevent one end (free end) of the second cleaning brush 320 from sagging due to its own weight, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of suppressing oscillation of one end of the second cleaning brush 320 during the process. In some cases, the second support bracket may be configured to support only one of both ends of the second cleaning brush in a cantilever manner.

The brush module 300 includes a first cleaning brush 310 which is supported by the first holder 210 and rotatably contacts the upper surface of the substrate W and a second cleaning brush 310 which is supported by the second holder 220, And a second cleaning brush 320 rotating in contact with the bottom surface of the second cleaning brush 320.

As the first cleaning brush 310, a brush made of a normal material (for example, polyvinyl alcohol of porous material) capable of being brought into frictional contact with the surface of the substrate W may be used. In addition, a plurality of cleaning protrusions may be formed on the surface of the first cleaning brush 310 to improve the contact property of the brush. Of course, it is also possible to use a brush having no cleaning protrusion in some cases.

The first cleaning brush 310 and the substrate W may be cleaned by the first cleaning brush 310 so that the cleaning effect of the first cleaning brush 310 and the substrate W can be enhanced by the frictional contact, W to the contact portion of the cleaning liquid. For example, a cleaning liquid such as SC1 (Standard Clean-1, APM), hydrofluoric acid (HF), pure water or the like may be supplied to the contact area between the first cleaning brush 310 and the substrate W.

The second cleaning brush 320 may be formed of the same or similar material as the first cleaning brush 310 (for example, a polyvinyl alcohol of a porous material), and the second cleaning brush 320 may be formed of a material The present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, a plurality of cleaning protrusions may be formed on the surface of the second cleaning brush 320 to improve the contact property of the brush. Of course, it is also possible to use a brush having no cleaning protrusion in some cases.

While the second cleaning brush 320 is being cleaned, the second cleaning brush 320 and the substrate W may be cleaned to improve the cleaning effect of the second cleaning brush 320 and the substrate W. [ W to the contact portion of the cleaning liquid. For example, a cleaning liquid such as SC1 (Standard Clean-1, APM), hydrofluoric acid (HF), pure water or the like may be supplied to the contact area between the second cleaning brush 320 and the substrate W.

The pressure sensing part 400 is mounted on the first holder 210 and senses the vertical load by the first cleaning brush 310 to sense the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W The first sensing unit 410 senses the vertical load by the second cleaning brush 320 mounted on the second holder 220 and detects the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the substrate W And a second sensing unit 420.

For example, the pressure sensing unit 400 (the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit) may be configured such that the vertical load by the brush module 300 and the vertical load by the brush module 300 when the brush module 300 is in contact with the substrate W 300 are not in contact with the substrate W, the contact pressure may be calculated by comparing the vertical loads by the brush module 300.

The first sensing unit 410 is disposed between the bottom surface of the first supporting bracket 214 and the first moving bracket 212 and is disposed between the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214, And senses the contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The second sensing unit 420 is disposed between the upper surface of the second supporting bracket 224 and the second moving bracket 222 and is supported by the second cleaning brush 320 and the second supporting bracket 224 And detects the contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W by sensing the vertical load.

As described above, in the region where the loads of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 are concentrated (between the bottom surface of the first supporting bracket 214 and the first moving bracket 212) The contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W can be sensed by measuring the vertical load by the brush 310 and the first support bracket 214. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the first cleaning brush 310 is not contacted (separated) from the substrate W, the first sensing unit 410 senses a result F1, and as shown in FIG. 7, When the detection result of the first sensing unit 410 is detected to be F1 'smaller than F1, the first cleaning brush 310 is moved to the substrate W through the difference between F1 and F1' When the contact load Fa is known and the change of the vertical load F1 sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is sensed while the contact load Fa is known, It is possible to calculate the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the wafer W. [ In other words, when the first cleaning brush 310 is not in contact with the substrate W, the loads F1 of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 are applied to the first sensing unit 410 ). On the other hand, when the first cleaning brush 310 is brought into contact with the substrate W, since the loads of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 can be partially dispersed in the substrate W, F1 'sensed by the unit 410 has a value smaller than F1. Accordingly, since the contact load Fa due to the contact of the first cleaning brush 310 with the substrate W can be known through the difference between F1 'and F1, the vertical load (the vertical load) detected by the first sensing unit 410 The contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W is increased or decreased by the change of the contact pressure F1 '.

(Between the upper surface of the second supporting bracket 224 and the second moving bracket 222) where the loads of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second supporting bracket 224 are concentrated in the same manner, The contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the substrate W can be sensed by measuring the vertical load by the cleaning brush 320 and the second support bracket 224. [ 8, when the second cleaning brush 320 is not in contact with (separated from) the substrate W, the result detected by the second sensing unit 420 is F2, and as shown in FIG. 9, When the second sensing unit 420 senses F2 ', which is smaller than F2, when the sensing unit 320 contacts the substrate W, the second cleaning brush 320 senses the difference between F2 and F2' When the contact load Fb is known and the change of the vertical load F2 'sensed by the second sensing unit 420 is sensed while the contact load F2 is known, It is possible to calculate the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the wafer W. [ In other words, when the second cleaning brush 320 is not in contact with the substrate W, the load F2 of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second supporting bracket 224 is set to the second sensing unit 420 ). On the other hand, when the second cleaning brush 320 is brought into contact with the substrate W, the load of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second support bracket 224 can be partially dispersed in the substrate W, F2 'sensed by the unit 420 has a value smaller than F2. Accordingly, since the contact load Fb due to the contact of the second cleaning brush 320 with the substrate W can be known through the difference between F2 'and F2, the vertical load (the vertical load) sensed by the second sensing unit 420 F2 ', the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the substrate W is increased or decreased.

As the pressure sensing unit 400 (the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit), various sensing means capable of sensing a vertical load may be used. Preferably, the pressure sensor 400 (the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit) may be a load cell capable of accurately measuring a vertical load. When a load cell is applied to the load cell, the change in the vertical load can be detected by detecting the deformation amount (compression or elongation amount) of the load cell as an electrical signal.

A plurality of first sensing portions 410 may be mounted between the first supporting bracket 214 and the first moving bracket 212. Preferably, the plurality of first sensing units 410 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the leadscrew 110, and the average value of the results sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is used as the substrate W, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of increasing the detection accuracy of the first sensing unit 410 by sensing the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the first sensing unit 410. Similarly, a plurality of second sensing units 420 may be mounted.

The position control unit 500 is configured to control the position of the brush module 300 relative to the substrate W according to the sensed contact pressure of the pressure sensing unit 400.

For example, the position controller 500 controls the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) to approach the substrate W according to the result (contact pressure) sensed by the pressure sensing part 400 Or the like.

The position controller 500 controls the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) with respect to the substrate W when the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensing part 400 is different from a predetermined setting range, Or the like. For example, when the contact pressure sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is greater than a predetermined setting range, that is, when the first cleaning brush 310 contacts the substrate W with a contact pressure larger than the set range, The position controller 500 separates the first cleaning brush 310 from the substrate W so that the first cleaning brush 310 can be brought into contact with the substrate W under the setting range condition. In contrast, when the contact pressure sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is smaller than a predetermined setting range, that is, when the first cleaning brush 310 contacts the substrate W with a contact pressure smaller than the set range, The control unit 500 approaches the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W so that the first cleaning brush 310 can be brought into contact with the substrate W under the setting range condition.

For reference, the setting range of the appropriate contact pressure of the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) with respect to the substrate W is set such that the average frictional force of the brush module 300, ), And the setting range is defined to include a range up and down (±) of the optimum set value (optimum contact pressure).

As described above, the present invention controls the position of the brush module 300 according to the contact pressure of the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) with respect to the substrate W, The contact force of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W can be uniformly maintained by allowing the substrate W to be normally brought into contact with the substrate W in a predetermined range (appropriate contact pressure).

Further, according to the present invention, since the position of the brush module 300 is controlled by measuring the vertical load by the brush module 300, it is possible to control the position of the brush module 300 in accordance with the type and capacity of the driving motor for rotating the brush module 300 It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether or not the driving motor is overloaded by measuring the vertical load by the brush module 300 without the need to individually store and manage the load value. In other words, in the present invention, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of simply detecting whether the driving motor is overloaded due to abnormal contact between the substrate W and the brush module 300 regardless of the type of the driving motor.

The brush cleaner according to the present invention may further include an alarm generator 600 for generating an alarm signal when the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 400 is out of a predetermined setting range. In addition, if the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensing unit 400 is sensed as being abnormal (within the setting range), the position of the brush module 300 can be maintained.

Here, the alarm signal may include at least one of an audible alarm signal by a normal acoustic means and a visual alarm signal by a normal warning light. In addition, the operator may be provided with a brush module 300 for the substrate W, Other various alarm signals that can recognize the occurrence of abnormalities in the contact pressure of the contactor may be used.

12 is a block diagram for explaining a method of controlling the brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. In addition, the same or equivalent portions as those in the above-described configuration are denoted by the same or equivalent reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

11, a method of controlling a brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention includes a placement step S10 of placing a brush module 300 in contact with a surface of a substrate W, A pressure sensing step S20 for detecting a contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W by sensing a load and a pressure sensing step S20 for sensing a contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W, And a position control step (S30) for controlling the position of the lens.

Step 1:

First, the brush module 300 is placed in contact with the surface of the substrate W. (S10)

In the placement step S10, the brush module 300 is held in contact with the substrate W while being supported by the brush holder 200.

For example, the brush holder 200 includes a first holder 210 and a second holder 220 that move up and down along a brush support 100 (e.g., a lead screw), and the brush module 300 Is provided with a first cleaning brush 310 which is supported by a first holder 210 and makes a rotational contact with the upper surface of the substrate W and a second cleaning brush 310 which is supported by the second holder 220 and rotates on the bottom surface of the substrate W And a second cleaning brush 320 that contacts the first cleaning brush 320.

The first holder 210 includes a first moving bracket 212 that moves along the brush support 100 and a second moving bracket 212 that supports the first cleaning brush 310 and has one end fixed to the first moving bracket 212 And the other end is a free end. The second holder 220 includes a second moving bracket 222 that moves along the brush support 100 and a second cleaning brush 320 that is supported by the second moving bracket 222 at one end And the other end includes a second support bracket 224 disposed at a free end.

Step 2:

Next, the vertical load by the brush module 300 is sensed to detect the contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W. (S20)

In the pressure sensing step S20, the vertical load by the brush module 300 is measured at a point where the brush module 300 is supported by the brush module 300, and the vertical load by the brush module 300 is indirectly measured The contact pressure of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W is sensed.

For example, in the pressure sensing step S20, when the brush module 300 is in contact with the substrate W, the vertical load by the brush module 300 and the state in which the brush module 300 is not in contact with the substrate W The contact pressure can be calculated by comparing the vertical load by the brush module 300. [

More specifically, in the pressure sensing step S20, the first cleaning brush 310 is rotated through the first sensing unit 410 disposed between the bottom surface of the first supporting bracket 214 and the first moving bracket 212, The first support bracket 224 and the second support bracket 224 can sense the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W by sensing the vertical load by the first support bracket 214 and the second support bracket 214, The second cleaning brush 320 and the second support bracket 224 detect the vertical load through the second sensing part 420 disposed between the brackets 222 to thereby detect the vertical load of the second cleaning brush 320, The contact pressure of the contact portion 320 can be sensed.

As described above, in the region where the loads of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 are concentrated (between the bottom surface of the first supporting bracket 214 and the first moving bracket 212) The contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W can be sensed by measuring the vertical load by the brush 310 and the first support bracket 214. That is, when the first cleaning brush 310 is not contacted with the substrate W, the first sensing unit 410 senses the result of the first sensing brush 410 as F1 (see FIG. 6) (See FIG. 7), when the detection result of the first sensing unit 410 is detected to be F1 'smaller than F1 (see FIG. 7), the first cleaning brush 310 contacts the substrate W When the contact load Fa is known and the change of the vertical load F1 sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is sensed while the contact load Fa is known, It is possible to calculate the contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the wafer W. [ In other words, when the first cleaning brush 310 is not in contact with the substrate W, the loads F1 of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 are applied to the first sensing unit 410 ). On the other hand, when the first cleaning brush 310 is brought into contact with the substrate W, since the loads of the first cleaning brush 310 and the first supporting bracket 214 can be partially dispersed in the substrate W, F1 'sensed by the unit 410 has a value smaller than F1. Accordingly, since the contact load Fa due to the contact of the first cleaning brush 310 with the substrate W can be known through the difference between F1 'and F1, the vertical load (the vertical load) detected by the first sensing unit 410 The contact pressure of the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W is increased or decreased by the change of the contact pressure F1 '.

(Between the upper surface of the second supporting bracket 224 and the second moving bracket 222) where the loads of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second supporting bracket 224 are concentrated in the same manner, The contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the substrate W can be sensed by measuring the vertical load by the cleaning brush 320 and the second support bracket 224. [ That is, when the second cleaning brush 320 is not in contact with the substrate W, the second sensing unit 420 senses F2 as a result of the second cleaning brush 320, (See FIG. 9) when the second sensing unit 420 senses F2 ', which is smaller than F2 (see FIG. 9), the second cleaning brush 320 contacts the substrate W through the difference between F2 and F2' When the contact load Fb is known and the change of the vertical load F2 'sensed by the second sensing unit 420 is sensed while the contact load F2 is known, It is possible to calculate the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the wafer W. [ In other words, when the second cleaning brush 320 is not in contact with the substrate W, the load F1 of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second supporting bracket 224 is maintained at the first sensing unit 410 ). On the other hand, when the first cleaning brush 310 is brought into contact with the substrate W, the loads of the second cleaning brush 320 and the second support bracket 224 can be partially dispersed in the substrate W, F2 'sensed by the unit 420 has a value smaller than F2. Accordingly, since the contact load Fb due to the contact of the second cleaning brush 320 with the substrate W can be known through the difference between F2 'and F2, the vertical load (the vertical load) sensed by the second sensing unit 420 F2 ', the contact pressure of the second cleaning brush 320 with respect to the substrate W is increased or decreased.

Step 3:

Next, the position of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W is controlled according to the contact pressure detected in the pressure sensing step S20 (S30)

That is, in the position control step S30, the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) is moved toward or away from the substrate W in accordance with the result (contact pressure) sensed in the pressure sensing step S20 .

More specifically, in the position control step S30, if the contact pressure sensed at the pressure sensing step S20 is different from the predetermined setting range, the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) ) Of the vehicle. For example, when the contact pressure sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is greater than a predetermined setting range, that is, when the first cleaning brush 310 contacts the substrate W with a contact pressure larger than the set range, The position controller 500 separates the first cleaning brush 310 from the substrate W so that the first cleaning brush 310 can be brought into contact with the substrate W under the setting range condition. In contrast, when the contact pressure sensed by the first sensing unit 410 is smaller than a predetermined setting range, that is, when the first cleaning brush 310 contacts the substrate W with a contact pressure smaller than the set range, The control unit 500 approaches the first cleaning brush 310 with respect to the substrate W so that the first cleaning brush 310 can be brought into contact with the substrate W under the setting range condition.

For reference, the setting range of the appropriate contact pressure of the brush module 300 (the first cleaning brush and the second cleaning brush) with respect to the substrate W is set such that the average frictional force of the brush module 300, ), And the setting range is defined to include a range up and down (±) of the optimum set value (optimum contact pressure).

The control method of the brush cleaner according to the present invention may include an alarm generating step S32 for generating an alarm signal if the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step S20 is different from a predetermined setting range.

Here, the alarm signal may include at least one of an audible alarm signal by a normal acoustic means and a visual alarm signal by a normal warning light. In addition, the operator may be provided with a brush module 300 for the substrate W, Other various alarm signals that can recognize the occurrence of abnormalities in the contact pressure of the contactor may be used.

On the other hand, if it is detected that the horizontal load detected in the pressure sensing step S20 is not abnormal (within the setting range), the position of the brush module 300 may be maintained (S36).

The control method of the brush cleaning apparatus according to the present invention includes a torque control step of controlling the rotation torque of the brush module 300 when the contact pressure sensed at the pressure sensing step S20 is out of a predetermined setting range can do.

For example, if the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step S20 is greater than a predetermined setting range, the torque control step increases the rotation torque of the brush module 300 to rotate the brush module 300 to a larger torque . In other words, by increasing the rotation torque of the brush module 300 even if the contact pressure (friction force) of the brush module 300 with respect to the substrate W is larger than the set range, the brush module 300 is rotated at an intended rotation speed As shown in Fig. On the contrary, if the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step S20 is smaller than a predetermined setting range, the torque control step may lower the rotation torque of the brush module 300 and rotate the brush module 300 to a smaller torque .

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. It will be understood that the present invention can be changed.

100: Brush support 110: Lead screw
200: brush holder 210: first holder
212: first moving bracket 214: first supporting bracket
220: second holder 222: second moving bracket
224: second support bracket 300: brush module
310: first cleaning brush 320: second cleaning brush
400: pressure sensing unit 410: first sensing unit
420: second sensing unit 500: position control unit
600:

Claims (20)

In the brush cleaner,
A brush support;
A brush holder vertically moving along the brush support;
A brush module supported on the brush holder and rotated in contact with the surface of the substrate;
A pressure sensing unit for sensing a contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate; Including,
Wherein the rotation torque of the brush module is controlled when the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensing unit is out of a predetermined setting range.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the pressure sensing unit senses the contact pressure by measuring a vertical load by the brush module.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the brush holder comprises:
A moving bracket that moves along the brush support;
A support bracket for supporting the brush module, the support bracket having one end supported by the movement bracket and the other end disposed at a free end; Including,
Wherein the pressure sensing unit is disposed between the support bracket and the movable bracket and senses a contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate by sensing a vertical load by the brush module and the support bracket, Device.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein the brush support base includes a lead screw disposed along a vertical direction,
And the moving bracket moves along the lead screw corresponding to the rotation of the lead screw.
The method of claim 3,
And the support bracket supports one end of the brush module.
The method of claim 3,
And the support bracket supports one end and the other end of the brush module.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein a plurality of the pressure sensing portions are disposed between the support bracket and the movable bracket.
The method according to claim 1,
The brush module includes:
A first cleaning brush rotating and contacting the upper surface of the substrate; and a second cleaning brush rotating and contacting the bottom surface of the substrate,
The pressure sensing unit may include:
A first sensing unit sensing a contact pressure of the first cleaning brush with respect to the substrate; and a second sensing unit sensing a contact pressure of the second cleaning brush with respect to the substrate.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the brush holder comprises:
A first moving bracket that moves along the brush support;
A first support bracket supporting the first cleaning brush and having one end supported by the first moving bracket and the other end disposed at a free end;
A second moving bracket that moves along the brush support;
A second support bracket supporting the second cleaning brush and having one end supported by the second movement bracket and the other end disposed at a free end; Including,
Wherein the first sensing unit is disposed between the bottom surface of the first supporting bracket and the first moving bracket and the second sensing unit is disposed between the top surface of the second supporting bracket and the second moving bracket. A brush cleaning device.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the pressure sensing unit is configured to sense the vertical load of the brush module when the brush module is in contact with the substrate and the vertical load of the brush module when the brush module is not in contact with the substrate, And calculates the contact pressure.
11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
And a position controller for controlling the position of the brush module relative to the substrate according to the contact pressure sensed by the pressure sensor.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the position controller controls the brush module to approach or separate the brush module with respect to the substrate when the contact pressure is out of a preset range.
11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
And an alarm generating unit for generating an alarm signal when the contact pressure is out of a predetermined setting range.
A method of controlling a brush cleaning apparatus,
Disposing the brush module in contact with the surface of the substrate;
A pressure sensing step of sensing a contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate;
A torque control step of controlling the rotation torque of the brush module when the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step is out of a predetermined setting range;
And a control unit for controlling the brush cleaning apparatus.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the pressure sensing step senses the contact pressure by measuring a vertical load by the brush module.
16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the brush holder for supporting the brush module comprises a moving bracket for moving along the brush support frame and a support bracket for supporting the brush module and having one end supported by the moving bracket and the other end being disposed at a free end,
Wherein the pressure sensing step senses a vertical load caused by the brush module and the support bracket to sense the contact pressure of the brush module with respect to the substrate.
16. The method of claim 15,
In the pressure sensing step, a vertical load by the brush module in a state where the brush module is in contact with the substrate, and a result of comparing the vertical load by the brush module in a state where the brush module is not in contact with the substrate, And the contact pressure calculating means calculates the contact pressure.
18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17,
And controlling a position of the brush module with respect to the substrate according to the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein when the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step is out of a predetermined setting range, the position control step causes the brush module to approach or separate from the substrate.
18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17,
Further comprising an alarm generating step of generating an alarm signal when the contact pressure sensed in the pressure sensing step is out of a predetermined setting range.

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