JPH08318226A - Scrubber cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To automatically replace a brush without stopping operation of a device by replacing and driving an arm or the brush, so that the brush attached to the arm is detached and held to a brush holding frame and also the other brush held to the holding frame is fitted to the arm. CONSTITUTION: A brush 5 is freely detachably attached to the tip of an arm 1 movably provided so as to scrubber-clean a wafer in the cleaning position. A brush holding frame 25 holding a plurality of brushes 5 is provided in the position in which the arm 1 is retreated from the cleaning position. The arm 1 or the brushes 5 are replaced and driven, so that the brushes 5 attached to the arm 1 are detached and held to the brush-holding frame 25 and also the other brushes 5 held to the brush holding frame 25 are fitted to the arm 1. Thereby, the brushes 5 are automatically replaced without stopping operation of a device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scrubber cleaning device for cleaning wafers and other objects to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing with a brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a wafer is washed in various steps of semiconductor manufacturing. As such a washing device, a rotating brush is pressed against a washing surface while a washing liquid is applied to the wafer, so that adhered matter on the surface of the wafer is washed. A scrubber cleaning device that removes is used. Brushes used for scrubber cleaning such as those mentioned above are various brushes and sponge brushes such as nylon, micro cloth, Berkulin (trade name), mohair, etc. depending on the condition of the object to be cleaned and the cleaning stage such as rough cleaning and finish cleaning. It is used.

When the brush is used for cleaning as described above, since the adhered matter removed from the object to be processed is reattached to the brush and the brush itself is contaminated, the brush itself is also cleaned. However, if the contamination progresses, the brush must be replaced. In addition, the brush must be worn out, or the brush must be replaced in order to use the optimum brush according to the condition of the object to be processed. And in the conventional cleaning device, such a replacement work has to be performed after stopping the operation of the device, so the workability is not good,
Further, in order to avoid such a situation, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of cleaning devices, which is not economically possible.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a scrubber cleaning apparatus for cleaning an object to be processed by using the brush as described above, and the brush is automatically replaced without stopping the operation of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a scrubber cleaning device that can be used.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a brush is detachably attached to the end of an arm, and the brush holds a plurality of brushes at a position retracted from the position where the arm scrubbers the object to be treated. A holding frame is provided, and means for driving the arm or brush exchanged so that the brush attached to the arm is held by the holding frame, the brush is removed, and another brush is mounted on the arm. The scrubber cleaning device provided is provided to achieve the above object.

[0006]

The arm with the brush attached to the tip moves to the cleaning position and the retracted position, and the scrubber cleaning is performed by bringing the brush into sliding contact with the object to be processed at the cleaning position. When replacing the brush, the arm is moved to the retracted position so that the brush is held by the holding frame and removed from the arm, and another brush held by the holding frame is automatically moved by the arm. -It is attached to the frame.

[0007]

EXAMPLE An example of cleaning a wafer as an object to be processed will be described below. 1 and 2, the arm (1) is swung at a cleaning position for cleaning the wafer (2) and driven by a motor (3) so as to move from the cleaning position to a retracted position. The brush (5) supported by the column (4) and attached to the tip of the arm is inserted into the wafer over the cup (6) surrounding the wafer (2). A fluid pressure cylinder such as a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder or other lifting means (7) is provided so as to be capable of sliding up and down.

A brush (5) removably attached to the tip of the arm (1) is rotated by a motor (8), and a pneumatic cylinder or the like is used for finely adjusting the contact pressure of the wafer. The fluid pressure cylinder (9) is configured to be movable up and down, but the fluid pressure cylinder (9) or the elevation means (7) can be omitted by also using the fluid pressure cylinder (9). . The brush (5) is
The material and shape can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and the drive mechanism, the mechanism for attaching and detaching the arm, and the like can be appropriately configured as described later.

One embodiment of the brush is shown in FIGS. The brush (5) shown is a cylindrical brush body (1
A lower flange (11) is formed at the lower end of (0) and a sponge brush such as Berklin (trade name) or other brush body (1
2) is provided, and the upper flange (14) is placed above it through the neck (13).
A plurality of cutouts (15) are formed on the upper flange (14) and a drainage hole (16) is also provided on the tubular part, and the tubular part is provided with a brush shaft (17) described later. Engagement holes (19) ... for locking the stopper projections (18) are formed.

The brush shaft (17) is fixed to the brush head (20) by screwing or the like so as to be rotated by the motor (8) as shown in FIG. Taper
In addition, the slit (21) is provided in the axial direction so as to have flexibility, and the arc-shaped locking projection (1
8) is projected. Then, while bending the locking protrusion (18) inward, the cylindrical portion of the brush (5) is moved to the brush shaft.
Insert it at the tip of (17) and engage the locking projection (18) with the engagement hole (19) to rotate the brush shaft (17) and brush (5) as shown in FIG. 4 (B). If the brush (5) is held and the brush shaft (17) is raised, the locking protrusion (18) portion is bent inward and the brush (5) is fixed to the brush (5). It can be disengaged from the shaft (17). Contrary to the illustration, a cylindrical shaft may be provided on the brush head (20) side and a shaft such as the brush shaft (17) may be provided on the brush (5) side for detachable attachment.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the brush. The brush (5) shown in FIG. 5 (A) is an arm (1).
Screw shaft (22) for screwing onto the brush head (20) provided on the
A neck (13) having a brush body (10) formed with an upper flange (14) below the screw shaft (22) and a rotation-preventing angular shaft formed under the upper flange (14). Is provided and a lower flange (11) is provided below it to form a brush body (12). If the brush head (20) is rotated while holding the brush (5), the brush can be attached to or removed from the brush head (20) depending on the rotation direction. In addition,
As shown in Fig. 5 (B), screw shaft on the brush head (20) side.
(23) are provided, and the screw hole (2
Even if 4) is formed, the brush can be detachably attached to the arm in the same manner as described above. The attachment / detachment mechanism can be configured by applying a lever mechanism, a cam mechanism, a spring mechanism, a magnet or an electromagnet mechanism, or any other appropriate mechanism other than the above-described embodiment.

The arm (1) is swung at the cleaning position by the action of the motor (3) and moved from the cleaning position to the retracted position. At the retracted position, a plurality of brushes are provided. A brush holding frame (25) is provided to hold the. The brush holding frame (25) has a flat plate shape as shown in FIG. 1 or a long plate shape as shown in FIG. 6, and has an opening (2
A holding groove (27) for 6) is formed. As shown in FIG.
The holding groove (27) has an insertion portion (28) which is greatly expanded on the opening (26) side so that the brush (5) can be inserted from above, and the inside of the insertion portion (28). Above brush (5)
Locking part formed with a small diameter so that only the neck part (13) of the
(29), and a stepped portion (30) for mounting the upper flange (14) is formed around the locking portion (29) as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in the figure, corresponding to the holding groove (27), if an identification symbol is provided with numbers, alpha beds, etc.,
Easy to manage brushes.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brush holding frame (25) is moved by a moving means in the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction so that the brush to be replaced can be fixed at a predetermined position. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the motor (31) is used as the moving means for rotating the holding frame in the circumferential direction, but in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a motor cylinder (not shown), a rack, A means for moving in the longitudinal direction such as a pinion mechanism can be used,
In addition, each brush (5) or holding groove (27) is moved to a position corresponding to the brush head (20) in the retracted position by using an appropriate means corresponding to the holding frame.

The brush holding frame (25) is preferably formed in a cassette type so that the entire brush holding frame (25) can be conveyed to the retracted position as a holding frame cassette. As such a conveying means, for example, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
A table (32) is swingably provided by an actuator (not shown) so that a holding frame cassette holding a used brush can be collected at a position shown by a chain line and a brush holding a new brush. The holding frame cassette (25) is attached to the table (32), and the holding frame cassette (25) is conveyed to the position shown by the solid line to replace the brush. In this embodiment, the entire cassette is replaced, but only the brush may be replaced at the position shown by the chain line.

The brush may be replaced every time an object to be processed such as a wafer is cleaned, or a known brush cleaning section may be provided at a position distant from the object to be brush-cleaned. The object to be processed may be washed a plurality of times and replaced when the contamination progresses. As the brush cleaning unit (33),
An ultrasonic jet, a megasonic ultrasonic jet, shower cleaning, or any other appropriate cleaning method according to the type of brush can be employed. The brush cleaning unit (33) is
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is provided between the cleaning position and the retracted position, but the brush holding frame (2
You may make it wash the brush hold | maintained at 5). By doing so, the brush used previously can be washed while the arm is moved to the washing position and the wafer is being scrubbed.

The brush (5) attached to the arm (1) is removed and held in the holding groove (27) of the brush holding frame (25) and held in the holding frame (25). Means are provided for interchangeably driving the arm to mount another brush on the arm. The driving means is variously configured depending on the mechanism for removably attaching the brush to the arm. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the arm (1) is used as described later.
The elevating means (7) such as the motor (3) for rotating the motor and the fluid pressure cylinder which moves up and down are also used as means for the exchange driving.

That is, the arm (1) is swung by the motor (3), and the brush (5) is inserted into the holding groove (27) of the holding frame (25). The arm (1) is lowered by the elevating means (7) at that position to insert the brush (5) into the insertion portion (28), and the neck portion (13) of the brush (5) is placed. The holding part (29) of the holding groove (27) is made to face. Then, further by the motor (3),
The brush (1) is moved to fit the neck portion (13) of the brush (5) into the locking portion (29). Then, when the arm (1) is lifted by the lifting means (7), the lower flange (11) of the brush (5) hits the groove edge of the engaging portion (29) and is prevented from rising. Therefore, the brush shaft (17) is disengaged from the brush (5) by being locked in the holding groove (27). To install another brush on the brush shaft, the reverse operation to the above may be performed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the motor (8) for rotating the brush (5) is also used as the driving means. That is, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment, after the neck portion (13) of the square shaft of the brush (5) is fitted into the locking portion (29) of the holding groove (27) to prevent rotation, the motor (8) is rotated. ), Screw shaft
The brushes (5) and the brush head (20) are removed by rotating the (22) and (23) in a loosening direction. When mounting, the motor (8) may be rotated in the direction in which the screw shafts (22) and (23) are screwed onto the brush head.

The driving means shown in each of the above-mentioned embodiments uses the motor (3), the elevating means (7), the motor (8), etc. provided on the arm (1) side. , These modes
It is also possible to provide a motor, a fluid pressure cylinder or the like having the same effect as that of the motor (3) or the like on the brush holding frame (25) side to directly drive the brush for replacement.

[0020]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the arm (1) is moved to the cleaning position and the brush (5) is slid on the object to be processed such as the wafer (2). Can be contacted and scrubber cleaned as is known, and if the arm is moved to the retracted position, it can be replaced with another brush (5) held by the brush holding frame (25). It is possible to use a clean brush at all times. Moreover, if several types of brushes according to the application are held in the holding frame, it can be automatically used according to the cleaning process such as rough cleaning and finish cleaning. The brush can be replaced with an optimum brush for cleaning, and scrubber cleaning can be performed efficiently and economically with one cleaning device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a brush.

FIG. 4 shows a brush and a brush shaft, FIG. 4A is a front view showing a part of the brush shaft in a separated state, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the brush is attached to the brush shaft.

5A and 5B show another embodiment of the brush, FIG. 5A is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment in which the brush is provided with a screw shaft, and FIG. 5B is a front view of the embodiment in which the brush is provided with a screw hole.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the brush holding frame.

FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged plan view showing a holding groove of a brush holding frame.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state where a brush is held by a brush holding frame.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 arm 3 motor 5 brush 7 lifting means 17 brush shaft 20 brush head 25 brush holding frame

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A brush is detachably attached to a tip of an arm provided so as to be movable for scrubbing an object to be cleaned at a cleaning position, and a plurality of brushes are retracted from the cleaning position. A brush holding frame for holding the brush is attached to the brush holding frame by removing the brush attached to the arm and the other brush held by the holding frame is attached to the arm. A scrubber cleaning device, characterized in that it comprises means for exchanging the brush or brush. 2. The scrubber cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising means for moving the brush holding frame so as to set the brush to be replaced corresponding to the arm at a predetermined position.