TW200901303A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate processing device prevents a treating fluid attached on a nozzle component from dripping on the substrate. The substrate processing device (1) comprises: a fluid knife (16) spraying a washing fluid on the upper surface of the conveyed substrate (S) from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveying direction along the oblique direction and an air jet device with an air nozzle (32) for jetting air to the fluid knife (16). Moreover, the substrate processing device (1) is constructed by the following way, namely, based on the control of the controller (40), when no substrate (S) is below the fluid knife (16), air is jetted from the air nozzle (32) to the fluid knife (16).

Description

200901303 IX. Description of the Invention: [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus which is directed to an LCD (Liquid)

Crystal Display, liquid crystal display), pDp (pUsma Display

Panel, plasma display panel) Various treatments are performed by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate. [Prior Art] Conventionally, a specific processing process is performed by supplying various processing liquids to the surface of the substrate while transporting the substrate. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus which is transported on the one hand. On the one hand, the substrate after the chemical liquid treatment is supplied with a cleaning liquid to the substrate in order by a liquid knife (slit nozzle) and a shower nozzle to perform a cleaning process. The apparatus is configured such that, for the substrate to be conveyed, the strip-shaped cleaning liquid is obliquely ejected from the upstream side toward the downstream side by the liquid knife, thereby allowing the chemical solution to react from the front end side of the substrate. The process is started rapidly and uniformly in the width direction of the substrate, and thereafter, the substrate is subjected to a final cleaning process by the cleaning liquid sprayed from the shower nozzle. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-273984 [Abstract] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, "According to, 纟! The test can be known | · tell you, the main. J. slaves know. Although the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the liquid knife, until the catch of the liquid is 'fixed to a fixed degree', more or less liquid dripping will occur. In consideration of this situation, if the cleaning liquid flowing down the surface of the blade remains on the lower surface of the liquid knife or the like, the cleaning liquid is dropped onto the substrate of the transfer, which causes the quality of the substrate to deteriorate. That is, since the cleaning liquid drops τ from the liquid knife, some of the chemical liquid is displaced prematurely at the upstream position, and as a result, the uniformity of the reaction time of the liquid reaction is broken. Further, if the cleaning liquid is continuously ejected for a long period of time, the mist of the cleaning liquid adheres to the liquid knife, and after the mist becomes a droplet, it is dropped from the liquid knife onto the substrate. Also in this case, as in the case described above, the quality of the substrate is lowered and JJJ. ^ , Therefore, the operator seeks a way to avoid the above-mentioned bad situation in advance. The present invention has been developed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to improve the quality of a substrate by dropping an unnecessary treatment liquid from a nozzle member such as a liquid knife onto a substrate. [Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention has a nozzle member 'the nozzle member for transporting the upper surface of the substrate in the US-A-T micro-transport' from the substrate. The cutting side obliquely ejects the processing liquid toward the downstream side, and the substrate processing apparatus and the nozzle forming means "spray the gas toward the nozzle member." Further, the gas injection means is controlled to be below the nozzle member. The above gases are sprayed on the substrate (requested). Nose: According to the substrate processing device, the nozzle member is sprayed by the gas jet means to remove the liquid droplets, the liquid droplets are frozen, the liquid droplets of the treatment liquid, etc., and the nozzle is attached to the nozzle and the apricot treatment & It is possible to prevent the adhesion to the shot in advance, and you can π, the plate, and the spray of the gas, so: self-adhesive: when there is no substrate under the nozzle member, the liquid is sprayed, and the treatment liquid is removed. Scattered onto the substrate. J29558.doc 200901303: The composition of the body, the control means, for example, the means for controlling the gas injection means, from the above: "" treatment liquid to the delivery of the specificity that satisfies the discharge amount of the treatment liquid: In the meantime, the gas is ejected (claim 2). According to this configuration, the deuterated strip can effectively prevent the treatment liquid from dripping from the nozzle member due to the dripping of the liquid which starts the discharge processing.

Further, the control means controls the gas jet ejecting means to eject the gas only at a specific time immediately before the substrate to be processed reaches the nozzle structure (request item 3). According to this configuration, it is possible to apply a mist-like treatment liquid to the nozzle member immediately before the substrate is processed. Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the gas ejecting means injects the gas to the nozzle member from the upstream side of the transport path toward the downstream side (request item 4). According to this configuration, since the treatment liquid adhering to the nozzle member can be blown to the downstream side, it is possible to effectively prevent the removed treatment liquid from scattering to the substrate before the treatment. In this case, a backflow prevention means is provided on the upstream side of the nozzle member in the transport direction. The backflow prevention means prevents the processing liquid on the substrate from flowing toward the upstream side by injecting gas toward the upper surface of the substrate. The prevention means is configured to be capable of ejecting the gas to both the substrate and the nozzle member, and the backflow prevention means also serves as the gas injection means (request item 5). According to this configuration, the treatment liquid adhering to the surface of the nozzle member can be removed by using the above-described backflow prevention means as a reasonable configuration of the gas 129558.doc 200901303. [Effects of the Invention] According to the substrate processing apparatuses of claims (1) to (5), it is possible to effectively prevent unnecessary processing liquid from dripping onto the substrate from the nozzle member, thereby contributing to improvement in quality of the substrate. In particular, according to the configuration of the request item 2, it is possible to effectively prevent the dripping of the treatment liquid due to the dripping of the liquid after the start of the discharge of the treatment liquid, and according to the configuration of the claim 3, the mist attached to the nozzle member can be effectively prevented. The treatment liquid caused by the treatment liquid is dripped. Further, according to the configuration of the request item 4, it is possible to prevent the treatment liquid removed from the nozzle member from being scattered to the substrate before the treatment, and further, according to the configuration of the request item 5, the above-described effects can be obtained, and at the same time, It realizes the reasonable structure of the means for preventing backflow and the means of (4) gas injection. [Embodiment] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described using the drawings. A broad view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. In the substrate processing apparatus i shown in the figure, the base (four) = posture is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and on the other hand, it is processed in the previous step. The substrate S in the place (for example, the stripping treatment of the photoresist) is cleaned as shown in Fig. 1. The processing chamber 10 of the "L-" is provided with a plurality of conveying rollers 14 at special intervals. s. The transport path formed by the transfer stick 14 is transported in a horizontal posture. The symbol 12a in the figure shows the base of the base 12955S.doc 200901303 formed on the side wall of the processing chamber 1 又, and the symbol 12b indicates the substrate. The inside of the processing chamber 10 is provided with two liquid nozzles for supplying a cleaning liquid (in this example, pure water, which corresponds to the treatment liquid of the present invention) to the substrate 3. Specifically, in the immediate vicinity A liquid knife 16 (corresponding to the nozzle member of the present invention) is provided in the vicinity of the inlet 12a, and a shower nozzle 8a, 8b is provided on the downstream side (the right side in the figure) of the liquid knife 16. 16 is fixed to the wall of the processing chamber 1 via the mounting arm outside the drawing

Etc. The liquid blade 16 is elongated in the width direction of the transport path of the substrate S (the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate 8, which is orthogonal to the plane of the drawing in the drawing), and has a length along the transport path. The so-called slit nozzle of the elongate discharge port extending in the direction is arranged, and as shown in the figure, the discharge port is disposed in the upper portion of the conveyance roller 14 in a state of being inclined downward. In this case, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid blade 16 to the substrate S from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the substrate S toward the downstream side in a strip shape (layered shape). The other shower nozzles 18a and 18b are disposed on the upper and lower sides (four) of the transfer nozzles 18a and 18b. For example, the cleaning liquid is ejected in a droplet shape from the nozzle openings arranged in a matrix, and the cleaning liquid is ejected. Onto the substrate S. Further, as shown in the figure, the cleaning liquid is stored in the storage tank 2G disposed below the processing chamber 1 , and the pump 22 is operated by the outlet tube (4). The m washing liquid is guided from the storage tank 2G via the outlet tube (4), and The supply pipes 24 are branched from the supply pipes 26 to 28, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the liquid knife (4) and the respective nozzles 18a and 18b. On each of them, 卞 V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V Supply the cleaning liquid 'or control the supply amount of the cleaning liquid. Further, a funnel-shaped recovery tray (not shown) is disposed at the bottom of the processing chamber 10, and the used cleaning liquid is collected by the recovery tray, and the cleaning liquid is returned to the storage tank via the recovery tube 30. 20. That is, in the seven-sea substrate processing apparatus 1, the cleaning liquid is configured to circulate and reuse the cleaning liquid between the storage tank 2 and the liquid knife 16 and the like. Further, the supply and discharge system is configured to have a waste liquid pipe outside the map branched out from the middle of the recovery pipe 3, and a new liquid supply pipe outside the drawing, which can be discarded by the waste liquid pipe On the other hand, the new cleaning liquid can be supplied to the storage tank 2 via the new liquid supply pipe. An air nozzle 32 for injecting a gas (in this example, air) toward the liquid knife (4) is further provided in the processing chamber 10 described above. The air nozzle 32 is along the liquid knife! 6 an elongated member extending from a spray nozzle having a circular discharge port in the longitudinal direction thereof, or a slit nozzle having an elongated discharge port extending in the longitudinal direction: (or intermittently) It is placed in the vicinity of the moving population (5) - between the transporting _ between ^ ^ fine this as shown in Figure 2 'The air nozzle 32 is below the liquid knife 16 without a soil plate to the temple, which can be obliquely upward from the bottom of the transport path * In the case of the mountain, the a AI is sprayed with air for 4 minutes before the liquid knife 16 and more specifically, and the air is sprayed upward from the upstream side of the moving direction of the substrate S obliquely upward. The air mouthpiece 1 ? cage ia A is in this example 'έ海', and the nozzle 4 phase is the gas injection means of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the air nozzle 32 passes through an air supply source that is outside the drawing. Then, 7Β36 is connected and the door of the connecting pipe 36 is closed. W. The sigh is placed on the above-mentioned air supply S36. The valve is opened. The air is sprayed or the air is sprayed or 129558.doc 200901303.

Furthermore, the substrate processing device! A controller 4 (corresponding to a control means of the present invention) having a cpu (Central Processing Unit) or the like as a component is provided, and the drive operation of the transport roller 14 is collectively controlled by the controller 4? Or the switching operation of the above-mentioned switching valve ¥1 to ¥4. In particular, in the sigma apparatus 1, as shown in the figure, a substrate for detecting the substrate is disposed on the slightly upstream side of the transfer port 12a outside the processing chamber and in the vicinity of the transfer port 12b in the processing chamber 1b. The sensor 3 (referred to as the first sensor 42 and the second sensor 44) controls the switching valves v 丨 V V4 based on the detection results of the substrates S by the sensors 42 and 44. Next, the control of the on-off valves V1 to V4 by the controller 40, that is, the (four) supply of the cleaning liquid via the liquid knife 16, the control of the injection of air via the line injection, and the effects of such control will be described. Fig. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of the above-described controller 4 〇 controlling the switching valves νι to ν4 as shown in Fig. 4 until the first! When the sensor 42 detects the substrate s, the controller 40 closes the respective open valves V1 to V4, thereby stopping the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the liquid knife 16 or the like and stopping the ejection of the air from the air nozzle 32. Then, the substrate S is transferred, and the controller 40 switches the switching valves νι to ν3 from the off state to the open state before the i-th sensor 42 detects the substrate s, thereby starting the liquid knife 16 The shower nozzles 18a and m eject the cleaning liquid X, and at the same time, the switch V4 is opened only for a fixed period of time, and air is ejected from the air nozzle 32 (at a time point of t1 to t2), whereby after the liquid knife 16 starts to eject the cleaning liquid The air is sprayed on the front end of the air nozzle 32 only in the squatting room of the Gusong 昧pq coffee MA ^ 1 于 129 129 558.doc 12 200901303 The air is sprayed in the above manner, just after the start of the injection, by the beginning The cleaning liquid (the trickle of the liquid) flowing down from the liquid jet 16 or the mist-like cleaning liquid adhering to the liquid knife 16 is removed by the air pressure, thereby preventing the cleaning liquid from being removed, for example, as shown in FIG. The water droplets remain in the lower portion of the front end of the liquid knife 16 or the like (indicated by the symbol D). Further, the air injection time (time t1 to t2) is set as follows when the door is detected by the first sensor 42 After the front end of the substrate s, to the

The front end of the base reaches a specific point between the liquid knife 16 and the transfer inlet i2a, and the air injection period is set to the period below the liquid knife 6 without the substrate S. The problem of the air ejected from the air nozzle 32 is broken, or the problem that the cleaning liquid removed from the liquid knife is scattered to the substrate s due to the air from the air nozzle 32 is avoided.

The air injection time is set to be sufficiently longer than the time from when the switching valve W is switched to the open state until the discharge amount of the cleaning liquid discharged from the liquid jet 16 is stabilized. Then, after the air is ejected from the air nozzle 32, the substrate is sent to the lower side of the liquid knife 16, whereby the cleaning liquid ejected from the liquid knife 16 is transported along with the substrate S, from the substrate 8. The front end side is sequentially supplied to the entire width, and as a result, the chemical liquid reacts quickly and ends at the width of the substrate 8 = the upper end. At this time, as described above, the air is sprayed toward the liquid jet 16 to remove the adhesion (four) liquid knife (10), and the cleaning liquid 'by this' can effectively prevent the liquid droplets and the like of the cleaning liquid remaining in the lower portion of the W end of the liquid (4) (symbol D). Dropping to the upstream position p 2 of the supply position P1 (see Fig. 3) of the cleaning liquid. After the substrate S passes the position of the liquid knife 16, then a large amount of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the shower nozzles (10), 129558.doc -13 - 200901303 18b is supplied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate s, thereby finalizing the substrate S. Cleaning.

Then, the substrate S is further conveyed, and when the second inductor 44 detects the front end of the substrate s (at time t3), the controller 40 switches the switching valve V1 from the open state to the closed state, thereby stopping the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the liquid knife 16. Further, when the second inductor 44 detects the rear end of the substrate S (at the time t4), the switching valves v2 and V3 are switched from the open state to the closed state, respectively, thereby stopping the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the shower nozzles 18a and 18b. By the above operation, the cleaning process of one of the substrates s is completed. As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus, the air is ejected toward the end portion of the air nozzle 32, and the cleaning liquid (the trickle of the liquid) flowing down the liquid jet port 6 from the ejection port or the liquid knife 16 is removed. The mist-like cleaning liquid is thereby prevented from dropping unnecessary cleaning liquid from the liquid knife 16 onto the substrate §. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the following problem: the cleaning liquid is dropped from the liquid knife 16 to the upstream side of the original supply device p丨, causing the chemical reaction to partially end prematurely, thereby destroying the chemical solution. Uniformity of processing. Therefore, as long as the above problem can be avoided, the substrate s can be subjected to a more uniform chemical liquid treatment. As a result, the quality of the substrate can be further improved. Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the substrate processing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment and the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is that the air squirt 32 is placed above the transport path and the air nozzle η is shown. It is also used as a means to prevent backflow of cleaning fluid. 129558.doc •14- 200901303 Specifically, after the liquid knife 16 is installed, the air nozzle 32 is disposed in the __ section, and the air nozzle is below the left end.) The swimming side is sprayed downward downward toward the front end; the gas is from the upstream side. As shown in Fig. 6, the air nozzle 32 is squirting toward the liquid knife, and when there is a lower side of the liquid knife 16 or the like, there is a lower side of the moving side, and the lower side is sprayed on the surface of the upper surface of the substrate. angle. That is, using the above controller setting = ί

This 'when the substrate S is processed =_V4, the gas nozzle 32:, the "(four) cancer, the same as the airmail, the main jet air, to remove the self-ejection outlet along the liquid knife, the lower cleaning liquid (Drip of liquid), or a misty 'month wash liquid attached to the liquid knife 16, another aspect' causes the substrate S to straddle the processing chamber 1 and its upstream side, for example, due to a transport failure of the substrate s or the like. When the conveyance is stopped in the state of the processing chamber (the state indicated by the two-point lock line in Fig. 6), the air is sprayed from the air nozzle 32 toward the upper surface of the substrate s to prevent the cleaning liquid on the base 3 from flowing backward, that is, the supply is prevented. The cleaning liquid on the substrate s flows into the processing chamber on the upstream side along the substrate §. The substrate processing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment can effectively prevent unnecessary use in the same manner as the first embodiment. The cleaning liquid is dropped from the liquid blade 16 onto the substrate S. On the other hand, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the air nozzle 32 and the like have a function of means for ejecting air to the liquid knife 16, and as a prevention. The function of the means of cleaning liquid countercurrent. The substrate processing apparatuses 1 and 2 described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, and the specific configuration thereof is, for example, the shape and arrangement of the air nozzles 32, the direction (angle) of the air jet, and the ejection timing 129558. Doc •15· 200901303 is not limited to the scope of the present invention, and may be modified as appropriate. For example, in the above embodiment, the air nozzle 32 may be set to be a solid coke. By inserting the rocking mechanism, the air nozzle 32 can be swung around the axis parallel to the feed roller 14, so that the direction of the air jet can be changed on the one hand toward the liquid knife μ. In particular, in the second embodiment At the time, there are the following cases, #, removing the liquid droplets of the liquid knife 16, etc. (

The best air injection angle is the same as the optimum air injection angle for preventing the backflow of the cleaning liquid. When the air nozzle 32 is fixed, it is difficult to make the air: the angle of the shot is the best for both applications. angle. In this case, as described above, the air nozzle 32 is set to be shaken, and the angle of the air nozzle 32 (air injection angle) is controlled by the controller 40 according to the use, and the liquid knife 16 can be used. And the substrate § both sides are the best angle to shoot the air. Further, when the S gas nozzle 32 injects air, it is necessary to prevent the substrate 8 from blocking the air ejected from the air nozzle 32 (in the case of the third embodiment) or the cleaning liquid removed from the liquid knife 16 Since the air from the air nozzle 32 is scattered on the substrate S, it is necessary to avoid the period in which the substrate 8 is present under the liquid knife 16, but the air can be ejected at any time as long as it is other than this. However, in the period from the start of the liquid rinsing to the discharge of the cleaning liquid until the discharge amount of the cleaning liquid is stabilized, the droplet-shaped cleaning liquid is likely to remain on the liquid knife 16 due to the liquid dripping, so that 汝In the above-described embodiment, the center of the air jet 16 is ejected to effectively prevent the dripping of the cleaning liquid. 129558.doc 200901303 Λ日夺' pre-measurement ή & liquid flow rate reached the cleaning solution to the cleaning chamber in the supply pipe 26 (stabilized strips, ^ 疋 also congratulated the flow rate of the cleaning liquid) In addition, I controls the injection time of the air according to the time, the flow rate, and the detection Π:: Instantly detects the cleaning liquid in the supply pipe % (stabilizing condition washing liquid until the flow rate reaches the above specific value, pre-study z* 6, point, and stop the injection of air according to the detection. The total required stabilization 2 the discharge state of the cleaning liquid from the liquid knife 16 is stable

The period until the conditions are standardized: ; =:: _ wash the liquid until the above stability is satisfied. When the air nozzle 32 injects the air 8 to the liquid knife 16 during the processing of the plurality of substrates s, when the cleaning liquid is continuously ejected from the liquid knife or the shower J 18b, a large amount of mist 1 is generated in the processing chamber 10 It is easy to generate droplets of the cleaning liquid on the liquid knife 16. Therefore, in such a material, the air nozzle 32 injects air only for a fixed time before the substrate s reaches the lower portion of the liquid knife 16, whereby the liquid blade 16 can be effectively removed immediately before the substrate s is processed. The above droplets. In the above embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the substrate processing apparatus 丨' 2 for performing the cleaning process on the substrate S has been described. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the apparatus for performing the cleaning process, and A substrate processing apparatus for performing a chemical liquid treatment or the like can be used. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential part of a substrate processing apparatus. 129558.doc -17· 200901303 Fig. 3 is a view showing the relationship between the liquid knife and the supply position of the cleaning liquid supplied from the liquid blade to the substrate. Figure 4 is a timing diagram showing the controller's control of the switching valve. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential part of the substrate processing apparatus. [Main component symbol description]

1, 2 10 14 16 18a ' 18b 32 S Substrate processing unit Processing chamber Transfer roller Liquid knife Spray nozzle Air nozzle Substrate I29558.doc

Claims (1)

200901303 X. Patent application process: ^The substrate processing apparatus has a nozzle member, and the upper surface of the substrate on which the (4) member is moved, obliquely ejects the processing liquid toward the downstream side from the upstream side in the transport direction of the substrate, The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the hole body ejecting means ejects gas toward the nozzle member; and the control hand #'' controls the gas ejecting means to eject the gas when there is no substrate below the nozzle member. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means controls the gas timing means such that the gas generating means, the nozzle member starts to discharge the processing liquid to satisfy the discharge of the liquid The gas is ejected during the period until the state becomes the jersey condition. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means controls the gas ejecting means such that the gas moving means ejects the gas only at a specific time immediately before the substrate to be processed reaches the nozzle member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas injection means sprays the upstream side of the transport path of the substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 from the upper side to the nozzle member. a downstream flow preventing means for injecting a gas flow side toward the upper surface of the substrate than the nozzle member, wherein the upstream side of the transport direction is provided with a substrate to prevent the processing liquid on the substrate from facing upward, and the backflow prevention means In the case of I29558.doc 200901303, the gas can be ejected to both the substrate and the nozzle member, and the backflow prevention means can also serve as the gas injection means. 129558.doc