JP2009206358A - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing device which has a simple structure and can certainly remove foreign matter from a brush. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate processing device 1 includes the brush 18 and a brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53. The brush 18 has contact surfaces 45 and 46 to be brought into contact with a substrate on external surfaces, and also has brush cleaning liquid introduction holes 47 for supplying a brush cleaning liquid from the inside toward the contact surfaces 45 and 46. The brush 18 cleans the substrate by bringing the contact surfaces 45 and 46 into contact with the substrate at a prescribed substrate processing position. At a standby position where the brush 18 is retracted from the substrate processing position to stand by, a standby pod 21 is provided which stores the brush 18. A brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is provided at a bottom part 51 of the standby pod 21 and supplies the brush cleaning liquid to the brush cleaning liquid introduction holes 47. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning a substrate with a brush. Examples of substrates to be processed include semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal display substrates, plasma display substrates, FED (Field Emission Display) substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, and photomasks. Substrate etc. are included.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, a cleaning process for cleaning a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer with a brush is performed. Specifically, the processing liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate while the substrate is rotated in a horizontal plane. Further, a brush is brought into contact with the upper surface of the substrate, and the brush is moved along the upper surface of the substrate. Thereby, the entire upper surface of the substrate is cleaned by the brush.

On the other hand, foreign substances on the substrate are transferred and accumulated on the brush used for cleaning the substrate. Therefore, a brush cleaning process for cleaning the brush is performed using the brush cleaning liquid. Specifically, the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the outside toward the surface of the rotating brush. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is uniformly supplied to the brush, and the foreign matter adhering to the surface of the brush is washed away (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The brush is supported by the support arm below the support arm.
JP 2003-332287 A

  However, in the brush cleaning process described above, foreign matter may not be reliably removed from the brush. That is, foreign matter adhering to the surface of the brush can be washed away with the brush cleaning liquid, but the foreign matter that has penetrated into the brush remains in the brush without being removed by the brush cleaning liquid. Therefore, there is a possibility that foreign matters inside the brush move to the substrate during the cleaning of the substrate and the substrate is contaminated.

  In order to remove foreign matter inside the brush, it is conceivable to supply brush cleaning liquid from the inside of the brush toward the outer surface. Specifically, for example, a brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism is provided inside a support arm that supports the brush. Further, a flow path through which the brush cleaning liquid from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism circulates and a discharge port for discharging the brush cleaning liquid are formed in a shaft connecting the brush to the support arm. When the brush cleaning liquid from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism is supplied to the flow passage, the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port toward the inside of the brush. Thereby, the flow of the brush cleaning liquid is formed in the brush from the inner side of the brush toward the outer surface. Thereby, the foreign material in a brush and the foreign material on a brush outer surface can be removed.

  However, the inside of the support arm is a space having a limited size in addition to housing a mechanism for rotating the brush and other mechanisms. Therefore, if the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism is provided inside the support arm, the structure inside the support arm becomes complicated, which may increase the cost. In addition, since electric parts such as a brush rotation motor are accommodated in the support arm, if the brush cleaning liquid leaks from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism, the electric parts may break down. Therefore, appropriate measures are required. As a result, the structure may be further complicated.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can reliably remove foreign matters from a brush with a simple structure.

  In order to achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 has a contact surface (45, 46, 69) in contact with the substrate (W) on the outer surface, and the brush cleaning liquid is applied from the inside toward the contact surface. Brush cleaning liquid introduction holes (47, 447, 547) for supplying, and brushes (18, 418, 518) for cleaning the substrate by bringing the contact surface into contact with the substrate at a predetermined substrate processing position; A substrate processing apparatus (1), comprising: a brush cleaning liquid supply means (53) provided at a standby position when the brush retracts from the substrate processing position and stands by, and supplies brush cleaning liquid to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole; is there.

In this section, alphanumeric characters in parentheses indicate corresponding components in the embodiments described later.
According to this invention, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole formed in the brush at the standby position where the brush stands by. Then, the brush cleaning liquid supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole moves from the inside of the brush toward the outer surface of the brush including the contact surface that contacts the substrate. Therefore, even if foreign matter has penetrated into the brush, the foreign matter is pushed out of the brush from the outer surface together with the brush cleaning liquid and eliminated. Further, the foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the brush is washed away by the brush cleaning liquid pushed out from the outer surface. Thereby, a foreign material is reliably removed from a brush.

  The brush cleaning liquid supply means is provided at the standby position. Therefore, the brush cleaning liquid can be supplied into the brush with a simple structure. That is, there is another mechanism, such as a brush support mechanism for supporting the brush (for example, the above-described support arm), and the standby is not limited in space but is limited in space. The brush cleaning liquid supply means is disposed at the position. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus and supply the brush cleaning liquid from the inside of the brush with a simple structure.

  Further, by providing the brush cleaning liquid supply means at the standby position, it is possible to arrange the brush cleaning liquid supply means and the electric parts such as a motor provided in the brush support mechanism and the like greatly apart. As a result, it is possible to reduce or simplify countermeasures against electrical component failures caused by leakage from the brush cleaning liquid supply means. This also makes it possible to simplify the structure.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge pipe (34,234) which is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole and has a discharge port (42) for discharging the brush cleaning liquid formed on the peripheral surface (34a, 234a). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush cleaning liquid supply means includes a brush cleaning liquid supply head (54, 254) for supplying brush cleaning liquid to the discharge pipe.

  According to this invention, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply head into the discharge pipe inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole at the standby position. And the brush washing | cleaning liquid supplied in the discharge pipe is discharged from the discharge port formed in the surrounding surface of the said discharge pipe. That is, the brush cleaning liquid from the brush cleaning liquid supply head is supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the inside of the brush toward the outer surface of the brush including the contact surface, and foreign matters are reliably removed from the brush.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the brush cleaning liquid supply head surrounds the cleaning liquid supply port (58) from which the brush cleaning liquid is discharged and the end of the discharge pipe (39, 234b). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising sealing means (60) for sealing between an end portion of the discharge pipe and the abutting portion.

  According to the present invention, the butting portion provided in the brush cleaning liquid supply head is butted against the end of the discharge pipe, and the butting portion is butted against the end of the discharging pipe and is surrounded by the butting portion. The brush cleaning liquid is supplied into the discharge pipe from the cleaning liquid supply port. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port of the discharge pipe, and foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush. Further, since the gap between the end of the discharge pipe and the butting part is sealed by a sealing means, the brush cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquid supply port is between the end of the discharge pipe and the butting part. It is reliably supplied into the discharge pipe without leaking. Accordingly, since the pressure of the brush cleaning liquid in the discharge pipe can be maintained high, the brush cleaning liquid having a high pressure can be discharged from the discharge port. Accordingly, since the brush cleaning liquid is reliably fed into the brush, the foreign matter inside the brush and the foreign matter on the outer surface of the brush can be reliably removed.

The sealing means may be provided at a butting portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head so as to surround the cleaning liquid supply port. The sealing means may be provided at the end of the discharge pipe so as to surround the opening (38) provided at the end of the discharge pipe.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the end (39) of the discharge pipe is located outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and the abutting part (56) of the brush cleaning liquid supply head is the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is adapted to abut against an end of the discharge pipe outside.

According to this invention, the butting portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head is butted against the end of the discharge pipe outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole (that is, outside the brush), and the brush enters the discharge pipe from the cleaning liquid supply port. A cleaning solution is supplied. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port of the discharge pipe, and foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush.
Since the butting portion is butted against the end of the discharge pipe outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, it is not necessary to perform highly accurate positioning when the butting portion is butted against the end of the discharging tube. That is, if the butt portion is abutted against the end of the discharge pipe so that at least a part of the cleaning liquid supply port faces the opening formed at the end of the discharge pipe, the discharge from the cleaning liquid supply port Brush cleaning liquid can be supplied into the tube. Therefore, when the abutting portion is abutted against the end portion of the discharge pipe, the abutting portion and the end portion of the discharge pipe need not be positioned accurately.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an end (234b) of the discharge pipe is located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and a butting portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head is a protrusion inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a portion (62).
According to the present invention, the protrusion provided on the brush cleaning liquid supply head is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and the end of the discharge pipe located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. Faced. Then, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied into the discharge pipe from the cleaning liquid supply port in a state where the protruding portion is abutted against the end of the discharge pipe. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port of the discharge pipe, and foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush.

  In the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, the protrusion is abutted against the end of the discharge pipe, so even if brush cleaning liquid leaks from between the end of the discharge pipe and the protrusion, the leakage It is possible to reliably supply the brush cleaning liquid to the brush. In addition, since the protruding portion can be guided by the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, it is possible to easily align the protruding portion with the end of the discharge pipe.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the brush cleaning liquid supply means can be inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and a discharge pipe having a discharge port (82) for discharging the brush cleaning liquid formed on its peripheral surface (79a). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a portion (79).
According to this invention, the discharge pipe part is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and the brush is discharged from the discharge port formed on the peripheral surface of the discharge pipe part in a state where the discharge pipe part is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. The cleaning liquid is discharged. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and foreign matters are reliably removed from the brush. In this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide a discharge pipe on the brush side, the configuration of the brush can be simplified.

The invention according to claim 7 is provided with an outer brush cleaning liquid supply means (63) for supplying brush cleaning liquid from the outside to the outer surface of the brush at the standby position, and is provided at the standby position and accommodates the brush. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a storage member (21) for receiving the processing liquid scattered from the brush.
According to this invention, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the outside to the outer surface of the brush at the standby position by the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to the outer surface of the brush is removed. That is, since the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from both the brush cleaning liquid supply means and the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush, foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the brush is more reliably removed. In particular, the foreign matter pushed to the outer surface of the brush by the brush cleaning liquid supplied from the inside of the brush toward the outer surface can be quickly removed by supplying the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means. Thereby, a brush can be washed efficiently.

The supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush may be performed simultaneously with the brush cleaning liquid supply means, or may be performed separately.
Specifically, after the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush, the brush cleaning liquid may be supplied from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush. The brush cleaning liquid may be supplied from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush before the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush.

Further, the brush cleaning liquid supplied from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means may be the same as or different from the brush cleaning liquid supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply means.
Further, the supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush may be performed in a state where the brush is fixed, or in a state where the brush is rotated, for example, around the rotation axis passing through the central axis of the brush. It may be performed in a state where it is rotated. That is, you may further provide the brush rotation means (26) for rotating a brush.

By supplying the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush while rotating the brush by the brush rotating means, the brush cleaning liquid can be uniformly supplied to the outer surface of the brush. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to the outer surface of a brush is removed uniformly.
Moreover, according to this invention, liquids, such as a brush cleaning liquid which splashes from a brush, are received by the accommodating member. Therefore, it is suppressed that the member arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the said standby position is contaminated with the liquid which scatters from a brush. Furthermore, the liquid splashed from the brush is reliably collected by the housing member.

The invention according to claim 8 further includes brush moving means (19, 20) for moving the brush between the substrate processing position and the standby position. It is a substrate processing apparatus of description.
According to the present invention, by moving the brush to the substrate processing position by the brush moving means, it is possible to perform the cleaning process with the brush at the substrate processing position. Further, by moving the brush to the standby position by the brush moving means, the brush cleaning liquid can be supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply means to the brush at this standby position, thereby cleaning the brush.

The invention according to claim 9 is the brush according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the brush includes a peripheral edge cleaning brush (18) for cleaning the peripheral edge (13, 14, 15) of the substrate. This is a substrate processing apparatus.
According to this invention, the brush that has undergone the brush cleaning process by the brush cleaning liquid supply means has the foreign matter reliably removed, so that the peripheral portion can be suppressed while preventing the foreign matter from transferring from the brush to the peripheral portion of the substrate. A good cleaning process can be performed.

The invention according to claim 10 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the brush includes a main surface cleaning brush (418, 518) for cleaning the main surface of the substrate. is there.
According to this invention, the brush that has undergone the brush cleaning process by the brush cleaning liquid supply means has the foreign matter reliably removed, so that the main surface can be suppressed while preventing the foreign matter from transferring from the brush to the main surface of the substrate. A good cleaning process can be performed.

The surface of the substrate which is the surface on which the device is formed is one main surface, and the back surface which is the surface opposite to the surface is the other main surface.
The substrate processing apparatus may further include a substrate holding and rotating mechanism that holds and rotates the substrate. In this case, the substrate processing position of the peripheral edge cleaning brush is a position in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the substrate held and rotated by the substrate holding and rotating mechanism. The substrate processing position of the main surface cleaning brush is a position where the main surface cleaning brush contacts the main surface of the substrate held and rotated by the substrate holding and rotating mechanism. When the main surface cleaning brush is in contact with the main surface of the substrate in a range smaller than the main surface of the substrate, the substrate processing position of the main surface cleaning brush is determined while the substrate is being rotated by the substrate holding and rotating mechanism. It is preferable to move in the rotational radius direction. By moving the substrate processing position in a range from the rotation radius center to the substrate periphery, the entire area of the substrate main surface can be scanned with the main surface cleaning brush.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafers W”) as an example of a substrate one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a spin chuck 3 for rotating the wafer W while holding the wafer W substantially horizontally in a processing chamber 2 partitioned by a partition, and a surface of the wafer W (a surface on which a device is formed: this surface). In the embodiment, the front surface nozzle 4 for supplying the processing liquid to the upper surface), the rear surface nozzle 5 for supplying the processing liquid to the back surface (lower surface in the present embodiment) of the wafer W, and the wafer W are cleaned. The brush mechanism 6 is provided.

  In this embodiment, the spin chuck 3 is a vacuum chuck. The spin chuck 3 is attached to an upper end of the spin shaft 7 extending in a substantially vertical direction, and an adsorption base that adsorbs and holds the back surface (lower surface) of the wafer W in a substantially horizontal posture. 8 and a spin motor 9 having a rotation shaft coupled coaxially with the spin shaft 7. When the spin motor 9 is driven in a state where the back surface of the wafer W is sucked and held by the suction base 8, the wafer W rotates around the central axis of the spin shaft 7.

  A processing liquid supply pipe 10 and a processing liquid supply pipe 11 are connected to the front surface nozzle 4 and the back surface nozzle 5, respectively. A processing liquid from a processing liquid supply source (not shown) is supplied to these processing liquid supply pipes 10 and 11 via a processing liquid valve 12. The surface nozzle 4 discharges the processing liquid supplied through the processing liquid supply pipe 10 toward the center of the surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 3. The back nozzle 5 discharges the processing liquid supplied through the processing liquid supply pipe 11 between the peripheral edge of the back surface of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 3 and the suction base 8.

For example, pure water is used as the processing liquid supplied to the nozzles 4 and 5. The treatment liquid is not limited to pure water but may be functional water such as carbonated water, ionic water, ozone water, reduced water (hydrogen water) or magnetic water, or ammonia water or ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water. It may be a chemical solution such as a mixed solution.
The brush mechanism 6 includes a swing arm 16 that extends substantially horizontally above the position where the wafer W is held by the spin chuck 3, and an arm support shaft 17 that is set outside the rotation range of the wafer W and supports the swing arm 16. And a brush 18 that is held at the tip of the swing arm 16 and serves as a peripheral edge cleaning brush for cleaning the peripheral edge of the wafer W.

The peripheral portion of the wafer W is a portion including the peripheral region 13 on the front surface of the wafer W, the peripheral region 14 on the back surface of the wafer W, and the peripheral end surface 15. The peripheral regions 13 and 14 are, for example, annular regions having a width of several millimeters from the peripheral edge of the wafer W.
The arm support shaft 17 extends in the vertical direction. The upper end portion of the arm support shaft 17 is coupled to the lower surface of one end portion (base end portion) of the swing arm 16. The arm support shaft 17 is coupled with a lifting drive mechanism 19 as a brush moving means. The arm support shaft 17 receives the driving force of the lifting drive mechanism 19. By the elevation drive mechanism 19, the arm support shaft 17 can be moved up and down, and the swing arm 16 can be moved up and down integrally with the arm support shaft 17.

The arm support shaft 17 is coupled with a swing drive mechanism 20 as a brush moving means. The arm support shaft 17 receives the driving force of the swing drive mechanism 20. By inputting the driving force of the swing drive mechanism 20 to the arm support shaft 17 and rotating the arm support shaft 17 back and forth, the swing arm 16 can be swung around the arm support shaft 17 as a fulcrum.
Specifically, the brush 18 is swung so as to move between a substrate processing position where the brush 18 comes into contact with the wafer W and cleans the wafer W and a standby position when the brush 18 retracts from the substrate processing position and stands by. The moving arm 16 can be swung. In FIG. 1, the position of the swing arm 16 when the brush 18 is at the substrate processing position is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the position of the swing arm 16 when the brush 18 is at the standby position is indicated by a solid line.

  A brush rotation shaft 25 extending in the vertical direction is rotatably provided at the tip of the swing arm 16. A brush rotation mechanism 26 for rotating the brush 18 is coupled to the brush rotation shaft 25 inside the swing arm 16. The brush rotation mechanism 26 includes, for example, a pulley 27 that is connected to the brush rotation shaft 25 so as to be integrally rotatable, a pulley 28 that is driven by a motor 29, and a belt 30 that is stretched between the pair of pulleys 27 and 28. including. A brush holder 32 is attached to the brush rotation shaft 25 via a holder attachment portion 31. A brush 18 is attached below the brush holder 32.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a standby pod 21 as an accommodating member for accommodating the brush 18 is disposed at the standby position. The standby pod 21 is a bottomed cylindrical container. The brush 18 is made to wait in the standby pod 21. A brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 (see FIG. 9) described later is provided in the standby pod 21. Brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 to the brush 18 that has performed the cleaning process on the wafer W in the standby pod 21. Thereby, a brush cleaning process for cleaning the brush 18 with the brush cleaning liquid is performed.

A first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 and a drain pipe 23 are connected to the standby pod 21. A brush cleaning liquid from a brush cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) is supplied to the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 via a first cleaning liquid valve 24. Further, the liquid such as the brush cleaning liquid accumulated in the standby pod 21 is guided to a drain tank (not shown) through the drain pipe 23.
For example, pure water is used as the brush cleaning liquid supplied to the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22. The brush cleaning liquid is not limited to pure water but may be functional water such as carbonated water, ionic water, ozone water, reduced water (hydrogen water) or magnetic water, or ammonia water or ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water. It may be a chemical solution such as a mixed solution. The brush cleaning liquid may be the same type as the processing liquid discharged from the nozzles 4 and 5.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the brush 18 and the brush holder 32. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the brush 18 and the brush holder 32 taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.
The brush holder 32 includes a substantially cylindrical resin block 33 and a pipe member 34 as a discharge pipe fixed to the resin block 33.
On the upper end of the resin block 33, a male screw part 35 having a threaded surface is integrally formed. The male screw part 35 is screwed to the holder mounting part 31. Thereby, the brush holder 32 is fixed to the holder mounting portion 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the tube member 34 has a circular tubular shape. The pipe member 34 is arranged so that the center axis thereof coincides with the center axis of the resin block 33. A male thread portion 36 having a peripheral surface threaded is integrally formed at the upper end portion of the tube member 34. The male screw portion 36 is screwed to a female screw portion 37 formed at the lower end portion of the resin block 33. Thereby, the pipe member 34 is fixed to the resin block 33.

An opening 38 communicating with the internal space of the pipe member 34 is formed on the lower surface of the pipe member 34. Further, an annular plate portion 39 that extends outward from the lower end and surrounds the opening 38 is integrally formed at the lower end of the pipe member 34. The plate portion 39 forms an end portion of a tube member 34 as a discharge tube.
A plurality of through holes 41 penetrating the peripheral wall 40 are formed in the tube member 34. As shown in FIG. 3, the through holes 41 are formed at intervals in the axial direction of the tube member 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the through holes 41 are formed in the circumferential direction of the pipe member 34 with an interval (for example, an interval of 90 degrees at the central angle). Each through-hole 41 opens at the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe member 34. That is, a plurality of discharge ports 42 communicating with the internal space of the tube member 34 are formed on the outer peripheral surface 34 a of the tube member 34. As will be described later, the brush cleaning liquid supplied to the internal space of the pipe member 34 is discharged from each discharge port 42 through the opening 38.

  The brush 18 is made of, for example, a sponge material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). In this embodiment, the brush 18 is formed in a substantially drum shape that is rotationally symmetric about the vertical axis. The brush 18 has a first cleaning unit 43 for cleaning the peripheral region 13 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the surface of the wafer W, and a second cleaning unit 44 for cleaning the peripheral region 14 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the back surface of the wafer W. Are integrally provided on the top and bottom.

  The upper part 43a of the first cleaning unit 43 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the lower part 43b has a substantially inverted truncated cone shape that narrows downward. The side surface of the lower part 43b of the first cleaning unit 43 has an upper edge that is continuous with the lower edge of the side surface of the upper part 43a, has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central axis, and approaches the central axis as it goes downward. Inclined. In the first cleaning unit 43, the side surface of the lower portion 43 b is a first cleaning surface 45 that abuts on the peripheral region 13 and the peripheral end surface 15 of the surface of the wafer W.

  The second cleaning unit 44 is integrally coupled to the lower end of the first cleaning unit 43 and is arranged so as to share the central axis with the first cleaning unit 43. The second cleaning unit 44 has a substantially truncated cone shape in which the upper part 44a expands downward, and the lower part 44b has a substantially cylindrical shape. The side surface of the upper part 44a of the second cleaning unit 44 has an upper end edge that is continuous with a lower end edge of the side surface of the lower part 43b of the first cleaning unit 43 and has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central axis. Inclined away from the central axis. Further, the lower end edge of the side surface of the upper portion 44a is continuous with the upper end edge of the side surface of the lower portion 44b. In the second cleaning unit 44, the side surface of the upper portion 44 a is a second cleaning surface 46 that contacts the peripheral region 14 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the back surface of the wafer W.

  The brush 18 is formed with a brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 into which the brush cleaning liquid is introduced. The brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 extends along the central axis of the brush 18 and penetrates the brush 18. The pipe member 34 is fitted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 from below the brush 18. A male screw portion 36 provided at the upper end portion of the tube member 34 protrudes from the upper surface of the brush 18. Further, the plate portion 39 provided at the lower end of the tube member 34 is in contact with the lower surface of the brush 18. The brush 18 is sandwiched between the resin block 33 and the plate portion 39. In this way, the brush 18 is held by the brush holder 32.

The brush 18 is held by the brush holder 32 so that the center axis thereof coincides with the center axis of the brush rotation shaft 25. Therefore, when the brush rotation mechanism 26 rotates the brush rotation shaft 25, the brush 18 rotates with its central axis as the rotation axis.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1.
The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 48 including a microcomputer. The controller 48 is connected to a recipe input key 49 for inputting a process recipe (various conditions for processing the wafer W) by the user. Further, the control unit 48 is connected with the spin motor 9, the processing liquid valve 12, the elevation drive mechanism 19, the swing drive mechanism 20, the first cleaning liquid valve 24, the brush rotation mechanism 26, and the like as control targets.

FIG. 6 is a process diagram for explaining the processing of the wafer W in the substrate processing apparatus 1. 7 and 8 are side views showing the state of the brush 18 during the processing of the wafer W. FIG.
Prior to the processing of the wafer W, the user operates the recipe input key 49 to set the pressing amount of the brush 18 against the peripheral end surface 15 of the wafer W (step S1). The pressing amount refers to an elastic deformation amount of the brush 18 when the cleaning surface (the first cleaning surface 45 or the second cleaning surface 46) of the brush 18 is pressed against the peripheral end surface 15 of the wafer W.

Thereafter, the wafer W is loaded into the processing chamber 2 (step S2), and when the wafer W is held by the spin chuck 3, the control unit 48 controls the spin motor 9 to rotate the wafer W by the spin chuck 3. Is started (step S3).
Next, the processing liquid valve 12 is opened by the control unit 48, and supply of the processing liquid from the front surface nozzle 4 and the back surface nozzle 5 to the front surface and the back surface of the wafer W is started (step S4).

Further, the brush rotation mechanism 26 is controlled by the controller 48, and the brush 18 is rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction of the wafer W, for example. Thereafter, the controller 48 controls the elevation drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20, and the second cleaning surface 46 of the brush 18 is brought into contact with the peripheral region 14 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the back surface of the wafer W (step S5). ).
Specifically, first, the elevation drive mechanism 19 is controlled, the brush 18 is moved to a position corresponding to the pressing amount set from the recipe input key 49, and the second cleaning surface 46 of the brush 18 is moved to the wafer. It faces the circumferential end surface 15 of W. Next, the swing drive mechanism 20 is controlled so that the swing arm 16 rotates and the brush 18 moves horizontally, so that the peripheral edge of the wafer W bites into the second cleaning surface 46 of the brush 18, and FIG. As shown, the second cleaning surface 46 of the brush 18 is pressed against the peripheral region 14 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the back surface of the wafer W. Thereby, the peripheral area | region 14 and the peripheral end surface 15 of the back surface of the wafer W are wash | cleaned.

  When a predetermined time elapses after the second cleaning surface 46 of the brush 18 comes into contact with the wafer W, the controller 48 controls the lifting drive mechanism 19 to lower the brush 18 to a predetermined height. As a result, the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W bites into the first cleaning surface 45 of the brush 18 (step S6), and the first cleaning surface 45 of the brush 18 and the peripheral region 13 on the surface of the wafer W and the peripheral surface thereof as shown in FIG. Pressed against the end face 15. Thereby, the peripheral region 13 and the peripheral end surface 15 on the surface of the wafer W are cleaned.

  When a predetermined time elapses after the first cleaning surface 45 of the brush 18 contacts the wafer W, the controller 48 controls the lifting drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20 so that the brush 18 is retracted to the standby position. (Step S7). Further, while the brush 18 is returned to the standby position, the brush rotation mechanism 26 is stopped and the rotation of the brush 18 is stopped. Further, the processing liquid valve 12 is closed by the control unit 48, and the supply of the processing liquid from the front surface nozzle 4 and the back surface nozzle 5 is stopped (step S8).

Thereafter, the control unit 48 controls the spin motor 9 to rotate the wafer W at a high speed (eg, 3000 rpm) (step S9). Thereby, the processing liquid adhering to the wafer W can be shaken off and the wafer W can be dried.
When the high-speed rotation of the wafer W is continued for a predetermined time, the spin motor 9 is stopped and the rotation of the wafer W by the spin chuck 3 is stopped (step S10). Then, after the wafer W is stopped, the processed wafer W is unloaded from the processing chamber 2 (step S11).

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration related to the standby pod 21.
The standby pod 21 is a bottomed cylindrical container. The upper surface of the standby pod 21 is open, and an inlet for receiving the brush 18 is formed. The brush 18 enters the standby pod 21 from this entrance. The standby pod 21 includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 50 and a bottom 51 coupled to the lower end of the peripheral wall 50. The drainage pipe 23 is connected to a position near the outside of the bottom 51. A fitting hole 52 is formed at the center of the bottom 51. A brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 that forms a part of the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is disposed at the center of the bottom 51.

The brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 includes a brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 disposed at the bottom 51 of the standby pod 21, the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 connected to the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54, and the first cleaning liquid supply pipe. And a first cleaning liquid valve 24 interposed between the first cleaning liquid valve 22 and the first cleaning liquid valve 24.
The brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 includes a cylindrical small diameter portion 55 that constitutes the lower end portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54, a cylindrical large diameter portion 56 that constitutes the upper end portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54, and a small diameter portion. 55 and an annular stepped portion 57 formed at the connecting portion of the large-diameter portion 56.

  The large diameter portion 56 has an outer diameter substantially equal to the plate portion 39 of the pipe member 34. The upper surface of the large-diameter portion 56 is a substantially flat surface, and a cleaning liquid supply port 58 through which the brush cleaning liquid is discharged is formed at the center. An annular groove 59 surrounding the cleaning liquid supply port 58 is formed on the upper surface of the large diameter portion 56. In this annular groove 59, an O-ring 60 as a sealing means is arranged.

Further, the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 55 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the fitting hole 52. The small diameter portion 55 is fitted in the fitting hole 52 in a liquid-tight manner. Further, the stepped portion 57 is liquid-tightly engaged with the upper surface of the bottom portion 51. This prevents or prevents liquid such as brush cleaning liquid from entering between the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 and the bottom 51.
The brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 is formed with a brush cleaning liquid flow path 61 that penetrates the small diameter portion 55 and the large diameter portion 56 in the vertical direction. One end of the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 is connected to the lower end of the brush cleaning liquid channel 61. In addition, the upper end of the brush cleaning liquid channel 61 communicates with the cleaning liquid supply port 58. The brush cleaning liquid supplied to the brush cleaning liquid channel 61 from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 is discharged upward from the cleaning liquid supply port 58.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 18 in the standby pod 21.
In a state where the brush 18 is disposed at the standby position, the large diameter portion 56 of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 is abutted against the plate portion 39 of the pipe member 34. Specifically, the control unit 48 controls the swing drive mechanism 20 to move the brush 18 above the standby pod 21. Further, the control unit 48 controls the lifting drive mechanism 19 to lower the brush 18 and move it into the standby pod 21. Thereby, the large diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39. In this way, the large diameter portion 56 functions as a butting portion that is butted against the plate portion 39.

  The opening 38 formed on the lower surface of the pipe member 34 and the cleaning liquid supply port 58 formed on the upper surface of the large diameter portion 56 face each other in a state where the large diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39. Further, the O-ring 60 is pushed by the plate portion 39 and is elastically bent while the large-diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39. Thereby, the space between the large diameter portion 56 and the plate portion 39 is sealed by the O-ring 60.

  The controller 48 opens the first cleaning liquid valve 24 in a state where the large diameter section 56 is abutted against the plate section 39, and supplies the brush cleaning liquid from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 to the brush cleaning liquid flow path 61. The brush cleaning liquid supplied from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 to the brush cleaning liquid flow path 61 is discharged from the cleaning liquid supply port 58 toward the opening 38 of the pipe member 34 disposed above. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the internal space of the pipe member 34. The brush cleaning liquid supplied into the pipe member 34 is discharged from the plurality of discharge ports 42 through the plurality of through holes 41 formed in the peripheral wall 40 by the supply pressure of the brush cleaning liquid. That is, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47, and this brush cleaning liquid is supplied into the brush 18.

  As described above, since the gap between the large diameter portion 56 and the plate portion 39 is sealed by the O-ring 60, the brush cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning liquid supply port 58 is between the large diameter portion 56 and the plate portion 39. The pipe member 34 is reliably supplied without leaking from the pipe. And since sufficient pressure can be given to the brush washing | cleaning liquid in the pipe member 34, the brush washing | cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge outlet 42 can be infiltrated into the inside of the brush 18, and it can reach to the outer surface. .

  Further, since the large diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39 outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47, it is not necessary to position the brush 18 with high accuracy when the large diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39. That is, if the large-diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39 so that at least a part of the cleaning liquid supply port 58 faces the opening 38 of the pipe member 34, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port 58 into the pipe member 34. Can be supplied. Therefore, when the large diameter portion 56 is abutted against the plate portion 39, it is not necessary to align the large diameter portion 56 and the plate portion 39 with high accuracy.

  The brush cleaning liquid supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 moves to the inside of the brush 18 through the inner surface of the brush 18 that defines the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47, and further toward the outer surface of the brush 18. Move. Then, the brush cleaning liquid is pushed out from the outer surface of the brush 18 including the first cleaning surface 45 and the second cleaning surface 46. Therefore, even if foreign matter such as particles has penetrated into the brush 18, the foreign matter is pushed out from the outer surface of the brush 18 together with the brush cleaning liquid. Further, the brush cleaning liquid pushed out from the outer surface of the brush 18 flows down along the outer surface. Therefore, even if foreign matter adheres to the outer surface of the brush 18, the foreign matter is washed away by the brush cleaning liquid flowing down along the outer surface. Thereby, the foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush 18.

  That is, foreign matter on the wafer W is transferred and accumulated on the brush 18 used for cleaning the wafer W. Therefore, the brush 18 used for cleaning the wafer W may have foreign matters attached to the outer surface thereof, or foreign matters may have penetrated into the brush 18. Therefore, by supplying the brush cleaning liquid from the inside of the brush 18 toward the outer surface thereof, it is possible to reliably remove foreign matter that has penetrated into the brush 18 and foreign matter that has adhered to the outer surface of the brush 18. it can.

In the present embodiment, since the foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush 18 by the brush cleaning process, the foreign matter is transferred from the brush 18 to the wafer W when the wafer W is cleaned by the brush 18 subjected to the brush cleaning process. Thus, it is possible to perform a good cleaning process on the peripheral edge of the wafer W.
In this embodiment, since the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is provided at the standby position, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is suppressed from being complicated, and the brush cleaning liquid is applied to the brush 18 with a simple structure. It can be supplied.

  That is, for example, when the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is arranged in a space that is remarkably restricted as in the swing arm 16 (see FIG. 2), the structure in the swing arm 16 is reduced. It becomes complicated. Therefore, the cost of the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be increased. Further, when the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is disposed in the swing arm 16, the swing arm 16 includes electrical components such as the motor 29. Therefore, when the brush cleaning liquid leaks, There is a risk of failure of electrical components.

  Therefore, by providing the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 at the standby position, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be simplified as compared with the case where the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 is provided in the swing arm 16. In addition, by providing the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 at the standby position, the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 can be disposed at a large distance from the electrical components such as the motor 29 and the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53. Even if the liquid is spilled, it is possible to suppress or prevent the brush cleaning liquid from entering the electrical component and causing the electrical component to fail.

  FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the brush 18, the brush holder 232, and the standby pod 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 18 in the standby pod 21. 11 and 12, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 10, and the description thereof is omitted.

The main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the lower end portion 234b of the pipe member 234 as a discharge pipe is located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47, and the brush cleaning liquid supply head In other words, the protruding portion 62 provided as an abutting portion provided at the upper end portion of H.254 is abutted against the lower end portion 234 b of the pipe member 234 in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47.
The pipe member 234 has a circular tube shape and is fitted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47. A male screw portion 36 provided at the upper end portion of the tube member 234 protrudes from the upper surface of the brush 18 and is screwed to the female screw portion 37 of the brush holder 232. An opening 38 communicating with the internal space of the pipe member 234 is formed on the lower surface of the pipe member 234. A lower end 234 b of the tube member 234 is located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47. A plurality of through holes 41 are formed in the peripheral wall 40 of the tube member 234, and a plurality of discharge ports 42 communicating with the internal space of the tube member 234 are formed in the outer peripheral surface 234a.

  On the other hand, the large diameter portion 256 of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 254 is integrally formed with a protruding portion 62 that protrudes from the upper surface of the large diameter portion 256. The protruding portion 62 is located at the center of the upper surface of the large diameter portion 256 and has an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the tube member 234. The brush cleaning liquid channel 61 through which the brush cleaning liquid flows is extended to the inside of the protrusion 62. A cleaning liquid supply port 58 for discharging the brush cleaning liquid is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 62. Further, an annular groove 259 in which the O-ring 60 is accommodated is formed on the upper surface of the protruding portion 62 so as to surround the cleaning liquid supply port 58.

  When the controller 48 controls the elevating drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20 to place the brush 18 in the standby position, the protrusion 62 is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 from below the brush 18. The upper surface is abutted against the lower end 234b of the pipe member 234. As a result, the opening 38 formed on the lower surface of the tube member 234 and the cleaning liquid supply port 58 face each other. Further, the space between the lower end portion 234 b of the tube member 234 and the upper surface of the protruding portion 62 is sealed by the O-ring 60.

  The control unit 48 opens the first cleaning liquid valve 24 in a state where the protrusion 62 is abutted against the lower end 234b of the pipe member 234, and supplies the brush cleaning liquid from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 to the brush cleaning liquid flow path 61. . Thereby, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied into the pipe member 234, and the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port 42 formed on the outer peripheral surface 234a of the pipe member 234. Further, the brush cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port 42 is supplied into the brush 18. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the inside of the brush 18 toward the outer surface of the brush 18, and foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush 18.

  In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 62 as the butting portion is abutted against the lower end portion 234b of the tube member 234 in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47, so that the lower end portion 234b of the tube member 234 and the upper surface of the protruding portion 62 are Even if the brush cleaning liquid leaks from the gap, the leaked brush cleaning liquid can be reliably supplied to the brush 18. Further, since the protruding portion 62 is guided by the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47 and is abutted against the lower end portion 234b of the pipe member 234, the alignment of the protruding portion 62 and the lower end portion 234b can be reliably performed.

  FIGS. 13 and 14 are longitudinal sectional views of the brush 18, the brush holder 32, and the standby pod 321 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in which the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 18 in the standby pod 321. Show. 13 and 14, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 10, and the description thereof is omitted.

The main difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the outer brush cleaning liquid as the outer brush cleaning liquid supply means for supplying the brush cleaning liquid from the outside to the outer surface of the brush 18 at the standby position. The supply mechanism 63 is provided.
The outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63 includes a pair of cleaning nozzles 64 and 64 that discharge the brush cleaning liquid, and a second cleaning liquid supply pipe 65 connected to each cleaning nozzle 64. In this embodiment, the pair of cleaning nozzles 64, 64 are provided at positions facing each other with the brush 18 at the standby position interposed therebetween.

Each second cleaning liquid supply pipe 65 is supplied with brush cleaning liquid from a brush cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) via a second cleaning liquid valve 66. Opening and closing of the second cleaning liquid valve 66 is controlled by the control unit 48 (see FIG. 5).
Each cleaning nozzle 64 is connected to the peripheral wall 350 of the standby pod 321. The brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port 64 a of each cleaning nozzle 64 toward the inside of the standby pod 321. More specifically, the position of the discharge port 64 a is set so that the brush cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port 64 a of each cleaning nozzle 64 is supplied to the outer surface of the brush 18 accommodated in the standby pod 321. Has been.

  When the controller 48 controls the elevating drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20 so that the brush 18 is disposed at the standby position, the large-diameter portion 56 of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54 is placed on the plate portion 39 of the tube member 34. Faced. Then, the control unit 48 opens the first cleaning liquid valve 24 in a state where the large-diameter part 56 is abutted against the plate part 39 and supplies the brush cleaning liquid to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 47. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the inside of the brush 18 toward the outer surface of the brush 18, and foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush 18.

  On the other hand, the control unit 48 causes the brush 18 to perform brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63. That is, the control section 48 controls the large-diameter section 56 and the plate section by controlling the elevating drive mechanism 19 as shown in FIG. The second cleaning liquid valve 66 is opened in a state where a gap is generated between the cleaning nozzle 39 and the brush cleaning liquid is discharged from the discharge port 64a of each cleaning nozzle 64. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the outer surface of the brush 18 from the outside, and the foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the brush 18 is washed away.

  In the present embodiment, since the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to both the brush 18 from both the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 and the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63, the foreign matter adhering to the outer surface of the brush 18 is more reliably detected. It is supposed to be removed. Further, the foreign matter discharged from the inside of the brush 18 to the outer surface by the supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 can be quickly washed away by the supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63. Further, the processing liquid supplied from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63 and scattered from the outer surface of the brush 18 is received by the inner peripheral surface of the standby pod 321. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the member disposed in the vicinity of the standby position from being contaminated by the liquid such as the brush cleaning liquid scattered from the brush 18. Further, the liquid splashed from the brush 18 is reliably collected by the standby pod 321.

  When the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 18 from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63, the rotation of the brush 18 may be stopped as shown in FIG. 13 or may be rotated as shown in FIG. Good. That is, the brush cleaning liquid may be supplied to the brush 18 from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63 while rotating the brush 18 around the central axis thereof by the brush rotation mechanism 26 (see FIG. 2). By supplying the brush cleaning liquid to the rotating brush 18 from the outside, the brush cleaning liquid can be uniformly supplied to the outer surface of the brush 18. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to the outer surface of the brush 18 is removed uniformly. However, when the brush 18 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 14, the plate portion 39 of the pipe member 34 is kept away from the brush cleaning liquid supply head 54.

  Further, the supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63 to the brush 18 may be performed simultaneously with the supply from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 (see FIGS. 13 and 14), or may be performed separately. Good. That is, the supply of the brush cleaning liquid from the outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 63 to the brush 18 may be performed after the brush cleaning liquid is supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 to the brush 18, or the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53. May be carried out before the supply of the brush cleaning liquid to the brush 18.

  FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of a brush 418 and a brush holder 432 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a side view showing the state of the brush 418 during the processing of the wafer W. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 418 in the standby pod 21. 15 to 17, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 12 and the description thereof is omitted.

The main difference between the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment described above is that a main surface cleaning brush for cleaning the main surface of the wafer W is used as the brush 418. The main surface of the wafer W is an outer surface other than the peripheral end surface of the wafer W, that is, the front surface is one main surface, and the back surface is the other main surface.
The brush 418 is made of a sponge material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). As shown in FIG. 15, for example, the brush 418 is integrally formed with a substantially disc-shaped base portion 67 and a substantially cylindrical body portion 68 provided on one surface of the base portion 67 and having a smaller diameter than the base portion 67. In preparation. The base part 67 and the body part 68 have the same center axis, and the brush 418 has a rotationally symmetric shape around the center axis. The trunk | drum 68 is made into the convex curved surface shape in which a lower surface protrudes below. The lower surface of the body portion 68 is a third cleaning surface 69 that is pressed against the main surface of the wafer W.

  The brush 418 has a brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447 into which the brush cleaning liquid is introduced. The brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447 extends along the central axis of the brush 418 and penetrates the brush 418. A tube member 234 is fitted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447. A male screw portion 36 provided at the upper end portion of the tube member 234 protrudes from the upper surface of the brush 418 and is screwed to the female screw portion 37 of the brush holder 432. A lower end 234 b of the tube member 234 is located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447 of the brush 418.

The brush holder 432 includes a substantially cylindrical resin block 433 and a fixing member 70 for fixing the brush 418 to the resin block 433.
A fitting groove 71 having a substantially rectangular cross section is formed on the entire peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the resin block 433. Further, a cut groove 72 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is formed in the lower end portion of the resin block 433 in the circumferential direction at a position spaced apart from the fitting groove 71 radially inward. A portion between the fitting groove 71 and the cut groove 72 is an elastic piece 73 to which elasticity due to the flexibility of the resin is given. A plurality of hemispherical engagement protrusions 74 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece 73.

Further, a flat cylindrical male screw portion 435 is integrally formed at the upper end portion of the resin block 433. A screw that can be screwed into the holder mounting portion 31 is cut on the peripheral surface of the male screw portion 435.
The fixing member 70 is integrally provided with a disc portion 75 having a substantially circular outer shape and a substantially cylindrical cylindrical portion 76 extending upward from the periphery of the disc portion 75. An insertion hole 77 through which the body portion 68 of the brush 418 can be inserted is formed in the center portion of the disc portion 75. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 76 substantially coincides with the outer diameter of the base 67 of the brush 418, and is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the elastic piece 73 when no external force is applied to the elastic piece 73. . Furthermore, a plurality of engaging recesses 78 that can be engaged with the engaging protrusions 74 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 76.

  When attaching the brush 418 to the holder attachment portion 31, the brush 418 is attached to the fixing member 70 so that the body portion 68 is inserted into the insertion hole 77 and the base portion 67 is accommodated in the cylindrical portion 76. Thereafter, the cylindrical portion 76 of the fixing member 70 is fitted into the fitting groove 71 of the resin block 433, and the engagement protrusions 74 and the engagement recesses 78 are engaged. As a result, the brush 418 is held by the brush holder 432. Then, by attaching the male screw portion 435 of the brush holder 432 to the holder attachment portion 31, attachment of the brush 418 to the holder attachment portion 31 is achieved.

  Further, when the front or back surface of the wafer W is cleaned by the brush 418, the control unit 48 controls the elevating drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20, and is held by the spin chuck 3 with the front surface facing up, for example. The brush 418 is moved above the wafer W. Then, the controller 48 supplies the processing liquid to the surface of the wafer W from the surface nozzle 4 while rotating the wafer W by the spin chuck 3 and controls the elevating drive mechanism 19, as shown in FIG. The third cleaning surface 69 is pressed against the surface of the wafer W. Further, the control unit 48 controls the swing driving mechanism 20 in a state where the third cleaning surface 69 is pressed against the surface of the wafer W, and moves the brush 418 along the horizontal direction. More specifically, the third cleaning surface 69 of the brush 418 is moved in the range from the rotation center of the wafer W to the peripheral end. As a result, the entire surface of the wafer W is scanned and scrubbed.

  In addition, when supplying the brush cleaning liquid from the brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism 53 to the brush 418 in the standby pod 21, the control unit 48 controls the elevating drive mechanism 19 and the swing driving mechanism 20 so that the brush 418 is moved to the standby pod 21. The protrusion 62 provided on the brush cleaning liquid supply head 254 is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447 from below the brush 418. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the control unit 48 abuts the projecting portion 62 against the lower end portion 234 b of the tube member 234 in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447. Then, the control unit 48 opens the first cleaning liquid valve 24 in a state where the protrusion 62 is abutted against the lower end 234 b of the pipe member 234, and supplies the brush cleaning liquid from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 to the brush cleaning liquid channel 61. Supply. As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the brush cleaning liquid supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447 moves from the inner surface of the brush 418 to the inside of the brush 418 and is pushed out from the peripheral surface and the lower surface of the body portion 68. Therefore, even if foreign matter has penetrated into the brush 418, the foreign matter is pushed out from the peripheral surface and the lower surface of the barrel portion 68 together with the brush cleaning liquid. Further, even if foreign matter adheres to the peripheral surface and the lower surface of the body portion 68, the foreign matter flows down together with the brush cleaning liquid pushed out from the peripheral surface and the lower surface. This ensures that foreign matter is removed from the brush 418.

  In the present embodiment, the projecting portion 62 as the butting portion is butted against the lower end portion 234b of the tube member 234 in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 447, so that the lower end portion 234b of the tube member 234 and the upper surface of the projecting portion 62 are Even if the brush cleaning liquid leaks from the gap, the leaked brush cleaning liquid can be reliably supplied to the brush 418. Further, since the protruding portion 62 can be guided by the brush cleaning liquid introducing hole 447, the protruding portion 62 and the lower end portion 234b of the pipe member 234 can be reliably aligned and abutted. Since the foreign matter is surely removed from the brush 418 that has been subjected to the brush cleaning process, when the main surface of the wafer W is cleaned, the foreign matter is prevented from transferring from the brush 418 to the main surface of the wafer W. A good cleaning process can be performed on the main surface.

  FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the brush 518, the brush holder 432, and the standby pod 21 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 554. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 518 in the standby pod 21. 18 to 20, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 17 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 17, and the description thereof is omitted.

The main difference between the fifth embodiment and the above-described fourth embodiment is that the discharge pipe portion 79 that can be inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 of the brush 518 as the main surface cleaning brush has a brush cleaning liquid supply head. 554 is provided.
The discharge pipe portion 79 extends from the large diameter portion 556 of the brush cleaning liquid supply head 554 along the vertical direction. The discharge pipe portion 79 is located at the center of the upper surface of the large diameter portion 556. For example, the discharge pipe portion 79 is tapered toward the tip (upper end) thereof. The internal space of the discharge pipe portion 79 and the brush cleaning liquid channel 61 are in communication.

  As shown in FIG. 19, a plurality of through holes 81 are formed in the peripheral wall 80 of the discharge pipe portion 79. A plurality of discharge ports 82 communicating with the internal space of the discharge pipe portion 79 are formed on the outer peripheral surface 79 a of the discharge pipe portion 79. The brush cleaning liquid supplied to the internal space of the discharge pipe portion 79 through the brush cleaning liquid flow path 61 is discharged from the plurality of discharge ports 82. Further, the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 formed in the brush 518 penetrates the brush 518 in the vertical direction, and is sized so that the discharge pipe portion 79 can enter. That is, the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 is sized such that at least the tip of the discharge pipe portion 79 can enter, for example.

  When the controller 48 controls the elevating drive mechanism 19 and the swing drive mechanism 20 and the brush 518 is disposed at the standby position, the discharge pipe portion 79 is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 from below the brush 518. Is done. At this time, if the inner diameter of the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 is smaller than the outer diameter of the discharge pipe section 79, the brush 518 is pushed by the discharge pipe section 79 and elastically deforms, and the inner diameter of the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 is expanded. As a result, the discharge pipe portion 79 is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547.

  When the discharge pipe section 79 is inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547, the control section 48 opens the first cleaning liquid valve 24 and supplies the brush cleaning liquid from the first cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 to the brush cleaning liquid flow path 61. Let As a result, the brush cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547. As shown in FIG. 20, the brush cleaning liquid supplied to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 moves from the inner surface of the brush 518 to the inside of the brush 518 and is pushed out from the peripheral surface and the lower surface of the body portion 68. Thereby, the foreign matter is reliably removed from the brush 518.

  In the present embodiment, the size of the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547 can be reduced compared to the fourth embodiment described above. Therefore, the area of the third cleaning surface 69 pressed against the main surface of the wafer W can be increased. Thereby, good cleaning can be performed on the main surface of the wafer W. Further, since there is no need to provide a discharge pipe in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 547, the configuration of the brush 518 can be simplified.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the first to fifth embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. is there. For example, in the first embodiment described above, the example in which the O-ring 60 as the sealing means is disposed in the annular groove 59 formed on the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 56 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, an annular groove 159 surrounding the opening 38 may be provided on the lower surface of the plate portion 39, and the O-ring 60 may be held in the annular groove 159, for example, by press-fitting or bonding. .

  In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the wafer W is taken up as a substrate to be processed. Other types of substrates such as magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, and photomask substrates may be processed.

1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inside of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a brush and a brush holder. It is a cross-sectional view of the brush and brush holder along the IV-IV line in FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the electrical structure of a substrate processing apparatus. It is process drawing for demonstrating the process of the wafer in a substrate processing apparatus. It is a side view which shows the state of the brush in the process of a wafer. It is a side view which shows the state of the brush in the process of a wafer. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure relevant to a standby pod. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state in which the brush washing | cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush within the standby pod. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush, brush holder, and standby pod which concern on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state in which the brush washing | cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush within the standby pod. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush, brush holder, and standby pod which concern on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a brush, a brush holder, and a standby pod showing another operation state of the third embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush and brush holder which concern on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the state of the brush in the process of a wafer. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state in which the brush washing | cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush within the standby pod. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush, brush holder, and standby pod which concern on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of a brush cleaning liquid supply head. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state in which the brush washing | cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush within the standby pod. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pipe member and brush cleaning liquid supply head which concern on the modification of 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing apparatus 13 Perimeter area | region (periphery part of a board | substrate)
14 Peripheral area (peripheral edge of substrate)
15 Perimeter end face (peripheral edge of substrate)
18 Brush (Rim edge cleaning brush)
19 Elevating drive mechanism (brush moving means)
20 Oscillating drive mechanism (brush moving means)
21 Standby pod (housing member)
26 Brush rotation mechanism (brush rotation means)
34 Pipe member (discharge pipe)
34a Peripheral surface 38 Opening 39 Plate part (end part of discharge pipe)
42 Discharge port 45 First cleaning surface (contact surface)
46 Second cleaning surface (contact surface)
47 Brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 53 Brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism (brush cleaning liquid supply means)
54 Brush cleaning liquid supply head 56 Large diameter part (butting part)
58 Cleaning liquid supply port 60 O-ring (sealing means)
62 Protruding part (butting part)
63 Outer brush cleaning liquid supply mechanism (outer brush cleaning liquid supply means)
69 Third cleaning surface (contact surface)
79 Discharge pipe part 82 Discharge port 234 Pipe member (discharge pipe)
234a peripheral surface 234b lower end (end of discharge pipe)
254 Brush cleaning liquid supply head 418 Brush (main surface cleaning brush)
447 Brush cleaning liquid introduction hole 518 Brush (main surface cleaning brush)
547 Brush cleaning liquid introduction hole W Wafer (substrate)

Claims (10)

A contact surface that contacts the substrate is provided on the outer surface, and a brush cleaning liquid introduction hole for supplying brush cleaning liquid from the inside toward the contact surface is formed, and the contact surface contacts the substrate at a predetermined substrate processing position. A brush for cleaning the substrate,
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a brush cleaning liquid supply unit that is provided at a standby position when the brush retracts from the substrate processing position and stands by, and supplies brush cleaning liquid to the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. Further including a discharge pipe inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole, and a discharge port for discharging the brush cleaning liquid formed on the peripheral surface thereof;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush cleaning liquid supply unit includes a brush cleaning liquid supply head that supplies a brush cleaning liquid to the discharge pipe. The brush cleaning liquid supply head includes a cleaning liquid supply port through which the brush cleaning liquid is discharged, and a butting portion that surrounds the cleaning liquid supply port and is butted against the end of the discharge pipe,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising sealing means for sealing between an end portion of the discharge pipe and the butting portion. The end of the discharge pipe is located outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the butting portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head is butted against an end of the discharge pipe outside the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole. An end of the discharge pipe is located in the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the butting portion of the brush cleaning liquid supply head includes a protrusion inserted into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole.   2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush cleaning liquid supply means includes a discharge pipe portion that is insertable into the brush cleaning liquid introduction hole and has a discharge port for discharging the brush cleaning liquid on a peripheral surface thereof. . Outer brush cleaning liquid supply means for supplying brush cleaning liquid from the outside to the outer surface of the brush at the standby position;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an accommodating member that is provided at the standby position and accommodates the brush and receives a treatment liquid scattered from the brush.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising brush moving means for moving the brush between the substrate processing position and the standby position.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush includes a peripheral edge cleaning brush for cleaning the peripheral edge of the substrate.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brush includes a main surface cleaning brush for cleaning the main surface of the substrate.

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