KR100257280B1 - Cleaning apparatus using electrolytic ionized water - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrolyte solution EW stored in the anode side buffer tank 1 and the anode side buffer tank 2 is electrolyzed in the cathode chamber 3N and the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3, respectively. NW) is sprayed on the cleaning unit 4 from the single tube nozzle 41, and then sequentially transported from the substrate W to the lower portion thereof, and is cleaned in a continuous sheet method to recover NW after use of the cleaning process. 44 is returned to the positive electrode buffer tank 1 for reuse.

Description

Electrolytic Ion Water Washer

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figure which shows the structure of the electrolytic ionized water washing | cleaning apparatus of 1st Embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the nozzle portions of the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the nozzle portion of the electrolytic ion water washing device of the first embodiment.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the spray nozzle of the first comparative technique.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the slit nozzles of the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the second embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the slit nozzle of the electrolytic nion water cleaning device of the second embodiment.

The figure which shows the arrangement | sequence of the single pipe nozzle of the electrolytic ionized water washing | cleaning apparatus of 3rd Embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the slit nozzles of the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the fourth embodiment.

9 is a view showing the configuration of a conventional apparatus.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1: cathode buffer tank 2: anode buffer tank

3, 101: electrolyzer 3N, 101N: cathode chamber

3P, 101P: anode chamber 4: cleaning unit

5a, 5b: pump 5c: supply control unit

6a to 6f: Piping 7: Electric conductivity meter

10,20 tank 11: temperature control unit

12: temperature sensor 13: heater

31, 102: DC power supply 32, 103: positive electrode

33,104: cathode 40: box

40h, 40i, 41ho, 44h: Opening 41: Single nozzle

42a to 42e: nozzle 43: conveying roller

44: recovery tank 110, W: substrate

EW: electrolyte NW: anion water

PW: Cationic Water

The present invention electrolyzes pure water (hereinafter referred to as an "electrolyte") containing a small amount of electrolyte to generate cationic and anionic water, wherein one of the cationic and the anionic water is used as a washing liquid, and the other It is related with the apparatus which carries out the cleaning process of the to-be-processed power using the said washing | cleaning liquid, making into a non-cleaning liquid.

Also in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device or a semiconductor element, it is necessary to remove the particle etc. which adhered to the surface of a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a semiconductor wafer, etc. (henceforth "substrate"). As one of the methods of cleaning a substrate, there is a method of cleaning a substrate by electrolytic ion water. During the cleaning with the electrolytic ion water, for example, in the cleaning of the glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, the substrate is cleaned by immersing the substrate in anion (OH ⁻ ) water generated by electrolysis of the electrolytic solution. As a substrate cleaning apparatus which wash | cleans such a board | substrate, what is shown in FIG. 9 is typical.

That is, the electrolytic cell 101 is provided with the positive electrode 103 and the negative electrode 104 connected to the direct current power source 102, and the ion separation membrane 105 is provided so as to be sandwiched between both poles. ) Is divided into an anode chamber 101P and a cathode chamber 101N. The electrolyte is injected into the electrolytic cell 101, and the electrolyte is electrolyzed by applying an appropriate voltage to the stored electrolyte by the anode 103 and the cathode 104.

By performing such electrolysis, H ₂ is generated on the side of the negative electrode 104, whereby anion water (NW) RK containing a large amount of negative ions is generated in the negative electrode chamber 101N in the electrolytic cell 101.

Subsequently, the substrates are cleaned by a batch (BATCH) method in which the plurality of substrates 110 are accommodated in a carrier or the like in the anion water NW generated in the cathode chamber 101N and immersed at once.

However, in the cleaning of the substrate by the electrolytic ion water as described above, the plurality of substrates 110 are accommodated in a cassette or the like in the anion water NW generated in the cathode chamber 101N of the electrolytic cell 101 to immerse at once. At the time of performing, a large electrolytic cell 101 is required, and accordingly, the whole apparatus becomes large.

In addition, a large amount of electrolyte solution for cleaning the substrate 110 is required.

In addition, in the anion water NW near the cathode 104 and the anion water NW at a position away from the cathode 104 when the substrate 110 is immersed, the concentration of anions is high in the vicinity of the cathode 104. On the contrary, in the position away from the cathode 104, the concentration of anion becomes low, and thus, a difference in concentration of anion water (NW) tends to occur, and accordingly, a difference in the degree of cleaning of the substrate occurs, so that the cleaning irregularity easily occurs, and the cathode 104 As the concentration of anions in the vicinity increases, there arises a problem that the efficiency of generating anions decreases.

In addition, since the substrate 110 is immersed in the cathode chamber 101N, the anion water NW immediately after the electrolysis in the vicinity of the cathode 104 cannot be supplied to the entire substrate 110 and is separated from the cathode 104. In anion water (NW), anion decreases over time and the anion water (NW) deteriorates.

In addition, it is preferable that the temperature of the electrolyte solution and the anion water NW generated therefrom is higher than room temperature, but conventionally, the cleaning efficiency was poor because it was room temperature.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for successively cleaning substrates one by one.

According to the present invention, the apparatus comprises: (a) a buffer tank for storing an electrolyte solution, (b) an electrolyzer for removing the electrolyte solution from the buffer tank and producing cationic and anion water, respectively, by electrolysis, and (c) the Washing processing means for supplying either one of the cationic water or the anion water as the washing water to the substrate, and continuously washing the substrate one by one; (d) piping for reaching the washing water from the electrolytic cell to the washing processing means; (e) a washing water outlet path for recovering the washing water used for the washing and returning it to the buffer tank; and (f) non-clean water not used for the washing in the cationic water or the anion water from the electrolytic cell. A non-clean water inlet path for return to the tank is provided.

Since the cleaning liquid immediately after the production of the cationic water and the anion water by electrolysis in the electrolytic cell can be sprayed onto the processing target substrate, the cleaning liquid having a small deterioration can be used for cleaning the processing target substrate. In addition, since the electrolytic cell does not have to be large enough to immerse a large number of substrates to be processed, the entire apparatus can be miniaturized, and accordingly, a cleaning process can be performed even with a small amount of electrolyte.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer tank is separated into a first buffer tank for storing the washing water generation electrolyte and a second buffer tank for storing the non-clean water generation electrolyte, The washing water used for the washing is returned to the first buffer tank, and the non-cleaning water returning environment is returned to the second buffer tank from the electrolytic cell.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning treatment means includes a water flow forming nozzle for injecting the cleaning water onto the substrate to form a water flow of the cleaning water on the substrate.

Since the area in contact with the air of the cleaning liquid is small, the deterioration of the cleaning liquid is small, and since the cleaning liquid of the same concentration can be supplied onto the substrate to be processed at the same time, the variation in the concentration of the cleaning liquid is small, and therefore, the cleaning nonuniformity of the substrate to be processed is reduced. It is difficult to occur.

The present invention also relates to a method of successively cleaning substrates one by one.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic ion water washing apparatus in which the entire apparatus is small and the substrate is cleaned with a small amount of electrolyte.

Moreover, it aims at providing the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus with few generation | occurrence | production of a washing nonuniformity, and also a deterioration of washing liquid.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic ion water washing apparatus having good washing efficiency.

[One. Mechanical Configuration and Arrangement of Device in First Embodiment]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. In Fig. 1, a three-dimensional coordinate system X-Y-Z is defined in which the horizontal plane parallel to the bottom surface is the X-Y plane and the vertical direction is the Z direction.

This electrolytic ion water washing apparatus uses anion water generated by an electrolytic cell in the manufacturing process of a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter referred to as "substrate" in the description of this embodiment) as an example of a substrate to be treated as a cleaning liquid. The substrate is cleaned by a continuous sheet method, and is mainly formed of the cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode layer buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3, and the cleaning unit 4.

The cathode side buffer tank 1 is provided with the tank 10 which stores the electrolyte solution EW which is a very low concentration ammonium chloride aqueous solution inside. The heater 13 and the temperature sensor 12 are disposed on the inner wall of the tank 10, and the temperature control unit 11 connected to each of the heater 13 and the temperature sensor 12 is located outside the tank 10. ) Is provided, and a pipe 6a is provided inside the tank 10.

The pipe 6a is connected to the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 via the pump 5a.

The anode layer buffer tank 20 also has a tank 20 for storing the electrolyte EW and a pipe 6b provided therein, similarly to the cathode side buffer tank 1, and the pipe 6b is a pump. It is connected to the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3 through 5b. The pumps 5a and 5b are controlled by the supply control part 5c.

The electrolytic cell 3 is divided into an anode chamber 3P and a cathode chamber 3N by an ion separation membrane 34. In addition, each of the positive electrode 32 and the negative electrode 33 connected to both positive and negative output terminals of the DC power supply 31 has an anode chamber 3P and a cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3. It is arranged inside each.

One end of the pipe 6c is provided in the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3, and the pipe 6c is connected to the pipe 6d in the cleaning unit 4 through the electric conductivity meter 7 have.

In addition, the cleaning unit 4 has boxes provided with openings 40h and 40i on both sides in the X-direction, respectively, and a plurality of single pipe nozzles 41 are connected to the pipe 6d therein. The provided nozzle parts 42a-42e (refer FIG. 2) are provided.

A plurality of conveying rollers 43 are provided below the nozzles 42a to 42e, and a collecting tank 44 for recovering anion water NW below the plurality of conveying rollers 43. Is installed.

In addition, one end of the pipe 6e is connected to the recovery tank 44, and the pipe 6e extends outside the cleaning unit 4 through the box 40. The other end of the pipe 6e is supported near the upper side of the buffer tank 1 on the cathode side.

The main part will be described in more detail.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment, an electrolytic bath is provided with a cathode side buffer tank 1 and an anode side buffer tank 2 for storing an electrolyte EW that is the basis of anion water NW generated by electrolysis. It is provided separately from (3). The cathode side buffer tank 2 is smaller in size than the former, and the electrolytic cell 3 is a small-capacity box as long as it can store a small amount of the electrolytic solution EW essential for electrolysis.

In the center of the electrolytic cell 3, an ion separation membrane 34 is provided so as to divide the electrolytic cell 3 almost equally, whereby the electrolytic cell 3 is divided into an anode chamber 3P and a cathode chamber 3N.

The positive electrode chamber 3P and the negative electrode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 are sealed except that the pipes 6b and 6f and the pipes 6a and 6b are connected, respectively, and the electrolyte solution stored in each inside ( The anode 32 and the cathode 33 are arrange | positioned at the height which is immersed completely in EW, respectively. The positive electrode 32 and the negative electrode 33 are connected to the positive and negative output terminals of the DC power supply 31 provided outside the electrolytic cell 3, respectively. Then, the anode 32 and the cathode 33 are immersed in the electrolyte EW supplied from the anode side buffer tank 2 and the cathode side buffer tank 1, respectively, and the anode 32 and Since a direct current flows between the cathodes 33, the electrolyte EW is electrolyzed as follows.

That is, H ₂ is generated on the negative electrode 33 side, and anion (OH ⁻ ) is generated in the electrolyte solution EW in the negative electrode chamber 3N. However, since the generated anions do not reach the anode chamber 3P because of the ion separation membrane 34, anion water NW having high concentration of anions is generated in the cathode chamber 3N.

In addition, the pipes 6f and 6c are also disposed in the anode chamber 3P and the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 at the height at which one end thereof is immersed in the electrolytic solution EW stored in the electrolytic cell 3. At the same time, the pipe 6c is provided such that the opening at the other end side is located near the cathode.

The cleaning unit 4 covers the outer circumference of the box 40 in which the dogs 40h and 40i are installed on both sides in the X direction, and the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 is disposed above the box 40. The pipe part 6d which conveys the anion water NW from the nozzle part is arrange | positioned so that the longitudinal direction may correspond to the positive and negative direction of an X-axis, and the nozzle part which becomes a piping whose longitudinal direction is Y direction with respect to the piping 6d ( 42a to 42e are connected to each other, and are provided on the inner upper surface of the box 40. The nozzle portions 42a to 42e are provided with a plurality of single pipe nozzles 41 on the lower surface of the pipe, and a plurality of conveying rollers 43 having the rotational axis in the positive and negative directions of the y-axis at the lower side thereof. Rotation is arranged freely about. In addition, under the conveying roller 43, a support plate-shaped recovery tank 44 having a larger area than the range of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e and the upper surface is released is provided, and the recovery tank 44 is provided. The pipe 6e which is connected through the opening 44h and extended downward and penetrates the box 40 is provided.

Then, the cleaning unit 4 is carried out from the opening 40h after being transported from the opening 40h by the substrate w conveyed from another processing unit, and is returned to the X direction by the rotation of the plurality of conveying rollers 43. The substrate W is subjected to the processing of being conveyed to another processing unit.

2 is a view showing the arrangement of the nozzle portions 52a to 42e, and is a view of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e seen from below. In this FIG. 2, the board | substrate w is conveyed in the direction of arrow 3, ie, the positive direction of X. As shown in FIG.

The arrangement in the cleaning unit 4 of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e is as follows.

The nozzle portions 42a to 42e are connected to the pipe 6d whose longitudinal direction corresponds to the positive and negative directions of the X axis at different intervals vertically in the XY plane, and the nozzle portions 42a to 42e are connected to the Y axis. It extends in the positive and negative directions.

In more detail, the space | intervals D1-D4 which adjoin each other of the nozzle parts 42a-42e become D2 larger than D1, D3 larger than D2, and D4 larger than D3 in order in both directions of an X-axis. That is, the space | interval D1-D4 of the nozzle parts 42a-42e becomes larger downstream than the upstream layer of the conveyance direction of the board | substrate W. As shown in FIG. Moreover, many single pipe nozzles 4 are provided in the lower surface of each nozzle part 42a-42e downward. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e and the single gonanozzle 4 provided therein. The single pipe nozzle 41 is a water flow generation nozzle for generating water flow, each cylindrical and its end portion is located near the substrate surface. Here, water flow is the flow of water in which the spray form is a child, and is a term of the concept containing what is called laminar flow.

The anion water NW supplied from the pipe 6d is distributed to the nozzle portions 42a to 42e and is injected downward from the opening 41ho of each single pipe nozzle 41. At this time, the anion water NW injected from the single pipe nozzle 41 forms a laminar flow (water flow) on the upper surface of the substrate W to be conveyed downward, so that the surface area of the anion water NW on the substrate W is as much as possible. The inner diameter of the opening 41ho and the distance FD between the lower end of the single tube line 41 and the upper surface of the substrate w are adjusted so that the contact area between the anion water NW and the air is as small as possible. It is.

With such a configuration, the anion water NW supplied from the pipe 6d is distributed to the nozzle portions 42a to 42e, and is injected downward from the opening 41ho of each single pipe nozzle 41, The board | substrate W conveyed by the some conveyance roller 43 is wash | cleaned from the lower side.

[2. Processing and Features in First Embodiment]

Hereinafter, the procedure of the substrate cleaning process by the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated.

First, the electrolyte EW stored in the cathode side buffer tank 1 is supplied to the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 by the pump 5a through the pipe 6a.

On the other hand, the electrolytic zone EW of the cathode side buffer tank 1 has a temperature control part 11 provided with a signal indicating the temperature by the temperature sensor 12 provided on the inner wall of the tank 10 outside the tank 10. Is sent, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the electrolyte EW is lower than the preset temperature. When the temperature of the electrolyte solution EW is lower than the set temperature, the temperature control unit 11 operates the heater 13 to heat the electrolyte solution EW, and performs temperature control such that the heating is stopped when the temperature reaches the set temperature. The electrolyte EW is maintained at a predetermined temperature suitable for the cleaning process of the substrate W. As shown in FIG.

Next, in the negative electrode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3, a suitable voltage by the DC power supply 31 is applied to the electrolytic solution EW supplied by the pipe 6a. As a result, the electrolytic solution EW is electrolyzed to generate H ₂ on the negative electrode 33 side. As a result, negative ions (OH ⁻ ) are generated in the negative electrode chamber 3N, whereby negative ions are generated in the negative electrode chamber 3N. Anion water (NW) containing a large amount of is produced.

The anion water NW thus generated reaches the cleaning unit 4 through the electric conductivity meter 7.

The board | substrate W is carried in to the washing | cleaning unit 4 in the opening 40h from one side along the arrow A1 one by one. Subsequently, the substrate W carried into the cleaning unit 4 is translated and conveyed in the X direction by the rotation of the conveying roller 43, and anion water is upward from the upper portion by the single pipe nozzle 41 of the nozzles 42a to 42e. Spray (NW). As a result, the positively charged particles adhering to the upper surface of the substrate W are neutralized and recovered in the lower recovery tank 44 together with the anion water NW. In addition, the anion water NW used for cleaning the substrate W is also recovered in the recovery tank 44 below the inside of the cleaning unit 4 as it is.

And the board | substrate W in which the said washing process was complete | finished is carried out like the arrow A2 by opening 40iP, and is conveyed to another process part.

On the other hand, while one board | substrate is wash | cleaned and conveyed, the next board | substrate W is carried in opening 40h and performs the same washing process, and similarly, the board | substrate W which becomes several process targets is similarly opened 40h. After the cleaning process is performed by the washing unit 4, the washing unit 4 is carried out to the outside from the washing unit 4 through the opening 40i and is conveyed to another processing unit.

Thus, this electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus wash | cleans the board | substrate W by a continuous sheet system.

In addition, the anion water NW recovered from the recovery tank 44 in the cleaning unit 4 is returned to the negative electrode buffer tank 91 through the pipe 6e at the opening 44h, and mixed with the electrolyte EW. do. Then, the pump 5a is again transferred to the cathode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 through the pipe 6a and electrolyzed again. The electrolyte EW in the negative electrode buffer tank 1 is returned to the negative electrode buffer tank 1 through electrolysis in the negative electrode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3 or the cleaning treatment in the cleaning unit 4. The circulation is used as in the circulation CN described in FIG.

In addition, the electrolyte EW stored in the anode side buffer tank 2 is transferred to the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3 via the pipe 6b by the pump 5b.

In the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3, a suitable voltage by the DC power supply 31 is applied to the electrolytic solution EW supplied by the pipe 6b. As a result, the electrolytic solution EW is electrolyzed to generate cationic water PW in the anode chamber 3.

In addition, the cationic water PW generated in the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3 is returned to the anode side buffer tank 2 through the pipe 6f without being used for cleaning the substrate W or the like. And mix with electrolyte (E2). Then, the pump 5b is transferred to the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3 via the pipe 6b and EKL is electrolyzed.

In this way, the electrolyte EW in the anode side buffer tank 2 is converted into cationic water PW by electrolysis in the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3, and is not used for cleaning the substrate W. The circulation CP shown in FIG. 1, which returns to the anode side buffer tank 2 without being repeated, is repeated.

As described above, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning method of the substrate W sequentially carried out from another processing unit is performed by the cleaning unit 4, and the substrate cleaning method of the sheet type is carried out to another processing unit. The process is performed.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment, since the anion water (NW) is supplied from the nozzles 42a to 42e in the washing unit 4 to wash the sheet, the electrolytic cell 3 has a large number. Since the substrate W does not have to be large enough to immerse the substrate W, the entire apparatus can be downsized, and therefore, a washing process can be performed with a small amount of electrolyte.

In addition, since the anion water NW is supplied from the single tube nozzle 41 in the cleaning unit 4 to clean the substrate W, the concentration unevenness of the anion water NW on the substrate W is also provided. There is little, and the cleaning nonuniformity of the board | substrate W hardly arises by it.

Further, the electrolyte EW is taken out of the negative electrode buffer tank 1 and electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell 3 smaller than the negative electrode buffer tank 1 to thereby produce anion water NW, which is then cleaned by the washing unit 4. Since the generated anion water NW does not stagnate near the cathode 33 in the electrolytic cell 3, the production efficiency of the anion water NW is good.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment, the electrolytic cell 3 is supplied from the positive electrode buffer tank 2 to the electrolytic solution EW from the negative electrode buffer tank 1 to the negative electrode chamber 3N of the electrolytic cell 3. Since the supply amount of the electrolytic solution EW as the anode chamber EP of the () is reduced, the positive electrode buffer tank (2) becomes less than the anion water (NW) because the cationic water (PW) not used for cleaning the substrate (W) is reduced. The amount of the electrolyte (EW) in the cell can be reduced, so that the cost associated with the electrolyte (EW) can be suppressed. Further, accordingly, since the anode side buffer tank 2 can be made smaller than the cathode side buffer tank 1, the whole apparatus can be miniaturized.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment, the electrolytic cell 30 is divided into the negative side buffer tank 1 and the positive side buffer tank 2, and the anion water from the electrolytic cell 3 to the washing unit 4 is further divided. Since the conductivity meter 7 is provided in the pipe 6c for supplying the (NW), it is possible to accurately control the concentration of the anion water (NW) by measuring the concentration of the anion water (NW) immediately before being used for the cleaning process. At the same time, it is possible to manage the amount of electrolyte required for electrolysis.

However, the following apparatus can also be considered as a comparative technique with respect to the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus of 1st Embodiment.

The electrolytic ion water cleaning device of the first comparative technology is a substrate supplied with anion water to a cleaning unit by a pump from a cathode chamber of an electrolytic cell having a storage tank capable of storing an electrolyte and sequentially conveyed in the cleaning unit. The anion water, which has not been used for or after washing, is recovered and returned to the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell for circulation.

In addition, the cleaning unit has substantially the same configuration as the apparatus of the first embodiment and performs the substrate cleaning process of the continuous sheet method, but the nozzle parts are arranged at the same interval, and as shown in FIG. The same spray nozzle 141 is provided differently, and the temperature adjustment of the electrolyte solution in the electrolytic cell is performed by the temperature adjusting means provided in the electrolytic cell.

However, in the first comparative procedure, since the electrolytic cell also serves as a tank for storing the electrolytic solution, the negative electrode chamber of the electrolytic cell also becomes large, so that the electrolytic solution generated near the negative electrode cannot be supplied to the direct cleaning unit and diffused into the negative electrode chamber. Since the supplied anion water is supplied to the washing unit, it is conceivable that nonuniformity occurs in the concentration of the anion or the anion water deteriorates.

On the other hand, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment, the positive electrode by electrolysis in the electrolytic cell 3 by dividing the electrolytic cell 3 into the negative side buffer tank 1 and the positive side buffer tank 2 and Since negative hot water (NW), which has little deterioration immediately after generation of negative ions, can be sprayed onto the substrate subjected to the cleaning treatment, anion water (NW) having less degradation can be used for the cleaning treatment of the substrate (W). have.

In the apparatus of the first comparison technique, the temperature adjustment means provided in the electrolytic cell is used to adjust the temperature of the entire electrolyte solution stored in the anode chamber and the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell. A heater 13 and a temperature sensor 12 are disposed on an inner wall of the tank 10 of (1), and furthermore, a temperature control unit (3) connected to each of the heater 13 and the temperature sensor 12 outside the tank 1 ( 11) is provided so that only the electrolytic solution EW in the cathode-side buffer tank 1 is kept at a predetermined temperature of room temperature or higher, so that the cleaning efficiency of the substrate W is good. At the same time, the temperature adjustment of the cationic water PW not used for cleaning the substrate W is not performed, so that the wasteless temperature adjustment can be performed.

In the apparatus of the first comparative technique, the plurality of nozzle portions in the cleaning unit are provided at equal intervals. However, the first time that the surface of the substrate is brought into the cleaning unit is dry, and the anion water sprayed on the surface of the substrate for the first time in the substrate cleaning process is easy to bounce off. The anion water is familiar with the substrate, making it difficult to bounce. However, in the apparatus of the first comparative technique, the plurality of nozzles in the cleaning unit are provided at equal intervals, and the anion water supplied during the substrate cleaning process becomes equal in quantity on the upstream side and the downstream side. The supplied ionized water is in an oversupply state, resulting in a lot of waste. On the other hand, in the apparatus of the first embodiment, the spaces D1 to D4 adjacent to each other of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e are D2 more than D1, D3 more than D2, and D4 more than D3 in the positive direction of the X axis. It is large. That is, the space | interval D1-D4 of the nozzle parts 42a-42e becomes larger downstream than the upstream of the conveyance direction of the board | substrate W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the anion water supplied during the substrate cleaning process is less downstream than the upstream side of the substrate transporting direction, which tends to bounce off the substrate, so that the anion water supplied to the substrate surface is also downstream of the substrate transporting direction. It is possible to clean the board with high efficiency due to low waste.

In addition, in the apparatus of the first comparative technique, the anion water is sprayed into the surface of the substrate by a spray nozzle provided on the lower surface of the nozzle unit in the cleaning unit, so that the mist-shaped anion water has a large surface area in contact with air, In the apparatus of the first embodiment, a plurality of single pipe nozzles 41 are provided downward on each lower surface of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e in the apparatus of the first embodiment. In the single tube nozzle 41, the ionized water supplied to the surface of the substrate W forms a water flow, and therefore, anion water with a small deterioration can be used for substrate cleaning treatment because the surface area exposed to air is smaller than that of the fog.

On the other hand, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention, the cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode side buffer tank 2, the electrolyzer 3, the pipes 6a to 6f, the pumps 5a to 5c, The inner surfaces of the conductivity meter 7 and the recovery tank 44 are both formed by teflon (trade name of DuPont's tetrafluoroethylene polymer). This is to prevent such undesirable effects on the cleaning of the substrate such as corrosion of the surface where the electrolyte (EW), anion water (NW), etc. of the device come into contact with each other, resulting in melting of bad substances in the liquid. I'm using. The above-mentioned effect by using such a material shows a remarkable effect more than the circulation use of electrolyte EW in the sheet-type electrolytic ion water washing apparatus.

In order to explain this, as a second comparative technique, a cathode buffer tank, an anode buffer tank, and an electrolytic cell are provided, the substrate is immersed in the cathode chamber of the electrolytic cell to clean the substrate, and a predetermined amount of electrolyte solution per unit time (EW) is provided in the cathode chamber. Consider an electrolytic ion water washing apparatus for circulating use of the electrolyte returning the back to the cathode buffer tank.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the second comparative technique, since the substrate cleaning process is performed by the dipping method, the circulation rate of the electrolyte per unit time of the electrolyte solution, i.e., the circulation rate of the electrolyte solution, is not required to be too large. Therefore, since the inner surface of the whole electrolyte contacted with the apparatus does not corrode much, even if these surfaces are formed of a material which is relatively easy to corrode and has a high resistance to the fluid on the surface, practical problems rarely arise.

However, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention, since the substrate cleaning process of the continuous sheet method is performed, the circulation rate of the electrolyte is fast, and therefore, the inner surface of the entire apparatus in contact with the electrolyte is easily corroded. Therefore, in the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus of the 1st and 2nd-4th embodiment of this invention mentioned later, the inner surface which electrolyte solution contacts as mentioned above is formed with Teflon.

[3. Mechanical configuration and features of the second embodiment]

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e in the washing unit 4 of the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention. 6 is sectional drawing (for example, cross section A-A) which looked at the nozzle parts 42a-42e provided with the slit nozzle 45 from both directions of the Y-axis.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the nozzles 42a to 42e are seen from the lower side. In the apparatus of the second embodiment, as in the apparatus of the first embodiment, the substrate W is in the direction of the arrow A4, that is, X. FIG. The nozzles 42a to 42e are conveyed in the positive direction of the axis, and the nozzles 42a to 42e extend in the positive direction of the Y axis in the pipe 6d whose longitudinal direction coincides with the positive and negative direction of the X axis. have.

In more detail, the space | intervals D1-D4 which adjoin each other of nozzle parts 42a-42e become D2 larger than D1, D3 larger than D2, and D4 larger than D3 in the positive direction of an X-axis. That is, the space | interval D1-D4 of the nozzle parts 42a-42e becomes larger downstream than the upstream of the conveyance direction of the board | substrate W. As shown in FIG.

On the lower surface of each of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e, a plurality of single pipe nozzles 41 are provided in the apparatus of the first embodiment, but in the apparatus of the second embodiment, the nozzle portions 42a to 42e are provided. On each lower surface, a slit nozzle 45 having a long rectangular opening 45h along its longitudinal direction is provided.

The anion water NW supplied from the pipe 6d is divided into nozzles 42a to 42e, sprayed downward from each slit nozzle 45, and conveyed by a plurality of conveying rollers 43 from below. The substrate W is cleaned.

This slit nozzle 45 is also a water flow generation nozzle for generating water flow, and as shown in Fig. 6, the end thereof is located near the upper surface of the substrate. The anion water NW injected at the opening 45h of the slit nozzle 45 forms a laminar flow (water flow) on the upper surface of the substrate W conveyed from the lower side, and the anion water NW on the surface of the substrate W. The distance SD between the width of the opening 45h and the upper surface of the substrate W is adjusted so that the surface area is as small as possible.

The other cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode side buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3 and the like are the same as those of the apparatus of the first embodiment, and the electrolysis of the electrolyte EW and the negative hot water ( NW) is also used in the same manner.

Since the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the second embodiment is constituted as described above, anion water NW can be sprayed on the upper surface of the substrate W without unevenness, and the substrate cleaning process with less uneven cleaning is performed. .

[4. Mechanical configuration and features of the third embodiment]

Fig. 7 shows the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein the single pipe nozzles 41a to the nozzle unit 42 of the washing unit of the spin scrubber SPIN SCRUBBER which performs the rotation cleaning process of the substrate W. Figs. 41h) shows the arrangement.

Fig. 7 shows a state where the nozzle portion 42 is seen from the lower side, and in the apparatus of the third embodiment, instead of the conveying roller 43 of the apparatus of the first embodiment, in the lower portion of the nozzle portion 42 of the cleaning unit. The point where the spin chuck SP is provided is different. Then, the substrate W carried into the cleaning unit is supported on the upper surface of the spin chuck SP, and in the XY plane with the center NC as the axis A5 as the arrow A5 in accordance with the rotation of the spin chuck SP. It is washed while rotating.

As shown in the drawing, the plurality of single pipe nozzles 41a to 41h are provided downward on the lower surface of the nozzle portion 42, and each of them is positioned so as to gradually widen each other toward the center NC.

That is, the intervals TD1 to TD7 of the single and nozzles 41a to 41h adjacent to each other are TD6 than TD7, TD5 to TD6,... … , TD1 becomes larger toward the center NC than TD2.

Then, while rotating the substrate W by the spin chuck, the substrate (below) from the single pipe nozzles 41a to 41h provided as described above is provided with the anion water NW supplied to the nozzle portion 42 in a pipe (not shown). The substrate cleaning process is performed by facing the upper surface of W).

Also in the apparatus of this third embodiment, the lower ends of the single pipe nozzles 41a to 41h are located near the substrate surface, and the anion water NW discharged therefrom forms a laminar flow (water flow) on the upper surface of the lower substrate W. The inner diameter of the opening 41ho and the distance between the lower end of the single tube nozzles 41a to 41h and the upper surface of the substrate W are adjusted so that the surface area of the anion water NW on the surface of the substrate W is as small as possible. have.

The other cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode side buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3 and the like are the same as those of the apparatus of the first embodiment, and the electrolysis of the electrolyte EW and the anion water (NW) are performed. ) And the like.

Since the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the third embodiment has the structure as described above, anion water can be sprayed on the upper surface of the substrate W without being uniform, and the substrate cleaning treatment with less washing nonuniformity is performed. As the outer side of the nozzles 41a to 41h has a smaller adjacent distance, the inner side having a smaller moving area per unit time with respect to the rotation of the constant angular velocity of the substrate W has a smaller amount of supply of anion water NW. It can wash little and uniformly.

In addition, the structure of other electrolyte solution EW circulation, electrolysis, etc. is the same as that of 1st Embodiment.

[5. Mechanical configuration and features in the fourth embodiment]

Fig. 8 is an electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which shows the arrangement of the slits nozzle 45 in the nozzle portion 42 of the washing unit of the spin scrubber which performs the rotation cleaning treatment of the substrate W. Drawing.

8 has shown the state which looked at the nozzle part 42 below.

As shown, the apparatus of the fourth embodiment is different from the apparatus of the third embodiment, and the slitting nozzle 45 is provided downward on the lower surface of the nozzle portion 42. In addition, a spin chuck SP is provided below the nozzle portion 4 2. Then, the substrate W carried into the cleaning unit is supported on the upper surface of the spin chuck SP, and in the XY plane with the center NC as the axis A6 as the arrow A6 in accordance with the rotation of the spin chuck SP. It is washed while rotating.

In addition, the slitting nozzle 45 of the apparatus of this fourth embodiment is the same water flow generating nozzle as the slitting nozzle of the second embodiment, and the aperture 45h of the tension square is formed along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle portion 42. It is provided, and the lower end part is located in the vicinity of a substrate upper surface. The negative hot water NW sprayed from the opening 45h of the slit nozzle 45 forms a laminar flow (water flow) on the upper surface of the substrate W conveyed from the lower side, and the anion water (on the surface of the substrate W) The width of the opening 45h and the distance between the upper surface of the substrate W are adjusted so that the surface area of the NW is as small as possible.

The other cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode side buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3, and the like are the same as those of the device of the second embodiment, and the electrolysis of the electrolyte EW and the anion water (NW) are performed. ) And the like.

Since it is comprised as mentioned above, even in the electrolytic ion water washing | cleaning apparatus of this 4th Embodiment, anion water NW can be sprayed on the upper surface of the board | substrate W without a nonuniformity, and a board | substrate cleaning process with few washing nonuniformity is performed.

[6. Modification]

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the glass substrate for the liquid crystal display device is to be washed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in particular, anion water is not used for the washing treatment. It is also possible to subject the semiconductor wafer or the like to be cleaned with cationic water, in which case the cleaning unit 4 is supplied with particularly cationic water obtained from the anode chamber 3P of the electrolytic cell 3, and the recovery tank ( The cation water recovered by 44 is returned to the anode buffer tank 2 for reuse. That is, it is set as the structure which substituted the cathode side and anode side in 1st Embodiment.

In addition, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the temperature management of the anion water NW is controlled by the electric conductivity meter 7, but the concentration control of the washing liquid is limited to this. It may be a means such as a densitometer.

In addition, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first and second embodiments, the interval between the nozzle portions 42a to 42e is larger as the downstream side of the substrate transfer, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 42e) may be provided at equal intervals.

In addition, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first and third embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the substrate by the cylindrical single pipe nozzles 41a to 41h, but the single pipe nozzle 41 ) Is not limited to a cylinder, and may be a tube having a rectangular cross section, or a configuration in which openings are provided directly in the nozzle portions 42a to 42e.

In addition, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the slits nozzle in the spin scrubber has a configuration in which a long rectangular opening 45h is provided along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle portions 42a to 42e. 45h is not limited to this shape, For example, it is possible to make it the structure which enlarges the opening 45h so that it is an outer side, and increases the supply amount of a washing | cleaning liquid so that it is an outer side.

In addition, in the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the cathode side buffer tank 1, the anode side buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3, the pipes 6a to 6f, and the pumps 5a to 5c), the inner surfaces of the conductivity meter (7) and the recovery tank (44) were made of Teflon as a material for chemical resistance to the electrolyte (EW), but other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and poly It is also possible to form with a resin called propylene (poly propylene) and poly phenylene sulfide (PPS).

EXAMPLE

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the electrolytic solution (EW) was made of low concentration ammonium chloride. In the apparatus, an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride is replenished by supply means (not shown) to each of the cathode-side buffer tank 1 and the anode-side buffer tank 2 for evaporation into the atmosphere, thereby maintaining the concentration at around 500 ppm.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the translation conveyance speed of the substrate is 0.8 m / min. On the other hand, in each of the five nozzle portions 42a to 42e, the anion water (NW) is used. ) Is supplied at the rate of 6-8 liter / min.

In the electrolytic ion water washing apparatus of the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, the electrolytic solution EW in the cathode-side buffer tank 1 is kept at a predetermined temperature of room temperature or more. It can set to the temperature within the range of, and it is kept at 40-50 degreeC as a more preferable temperature actually. It is preferable that the temperature of the electrolyte solution EW be higher than 50 ° C. for the cleaning efficiency of the substrate. However, if the temperature of the electrolyte EW is too high, the cathode buffer tank 1, the anode buffer tank 2, the electrolytic cell 3, etc. The temperature is set at such a temperature because an undesirable effect such as corrosion of the inner surface of the melt and melting of a defective substance in the electrolyte (EW) or the like occurs.

Claims (17)

An apparatus for continuously cleaning substrates one by one, comprising: (a) a buffer tank for storing an electrolyte solution, (b) an electrolyzer for removing the electrolyte solution from the buffer tank and generating cationic and anionic water by electrolysis, respectively; (c) cleaning processing means for supplying either one of the cationic water or the anion water as washing water to the substrate to continuously clean the substrate one by one, and (d) applying the washing water to the cleaning treatment means in the electrolytic cell. Pipes to be reached, (e) a washing water return path for recovering the washing water used for the washing and returning it to the buffer tank, and (f) non-clean water not used for the washing in the cationic water or the anion water. And a non-clean water return environment for returning the buffer tank from the electrolytic cell. The washing tank of claim 1, wherein the buffer tank is separated into a first buffer tank for storing a first electrolyte and a second buffer tank for storing the second electrolyte for generating non-clean water. And the path returns the washing water used for the cleaning to the first buffer tank, and the non-cleaning water returning the non-clean water to the second buffer tank in the non-cleaning return environment. The electrolytic ion water washing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: (g) temperature adjusting means which is provided in the first buffer tank and maintains the first electrolyte at a predetermined temperature. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: first supply means for supplying a first electrolyte from the first buffer tank to the electrolytic cell, second supply means for supplying a second electrolyte from the second buffer tank to the electrolytic cell, and the second buffer; And controlling means for controlling the first and second supply means so that the supply amount of the second electrolyte solution from the tank to the electrolytic cell is less than the supply amount from the first buffer tank to the electrolytic cell. Electrolytic ion water cleaning device characterized in that. The inner surface of the first and second buffer tanks, the inner surface of the electrolytic cell, the inner surface of the washing water supply path from the first buffer tank to the cleaning treatment means through the electrolytic cell and the second buffer tank. And an inner surface of the non-clean water circulation path from the electrolytic cell to the second buffer tank is formed of a resin. 6. The electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pipe has a pipe end disposed in the vicinity of an electrode provided in the electrolytic cell. The electrolytic ion water washing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising (h) an electrical conductivity meter for measuring the electrical conductivity of the washing water in the pipe. The electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning treatment means comprises a water flow forming nozzle for injecting the cleaning water onto the substrate to form a flow of the cleaning water on the substrate. The electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the water flow forming nozzle forms a laminar flow of the washing water on the substrate. 9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said cleaning processing means performs cleaning of said substrate while translating said substrate, said cleaning processing means having an arrangement of a plurality of said water flow forming nozzles, And an arrayed pitch of the water flow forming nozzles is made larger on the downstream side than on the upstream side in the translation transfer direction. The electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of water flow forming nozzles has a plurality of circular injection holes. The electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of water flow forming nozzles has a rectangular window. The electrolytic cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning treatment means performs cleaning of the substrate while rotating the substrate, and the water flow forming nozzle is provided against the main surface of the substrate and has a rectangular window. Ionized Water Washing Device. 9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning treatment means performs cleaning of the substrate while rotating the substrate, and the water flow forming nozzle is provided to face the main surface of the substrate, and has a straight line arrangement formed of a circular injection port. And an arrayed pitch of the linear array formed by the circular injection holes is increased toward the center of rotation of the rotation. A method of continuously cleaning a substrate one by one, comprising the steps of: (a) supplying an electrolyte solution from a buffer tank to an electrolytic cell, and (b) electrolyzing the electrolyte solution in the electrolytic cell to generate cationic and anionic water, respectively And (c) supplying either the cationic water or the anion water to the substrate as washing water to continuously wash the substrate one by one, and (d) recovering the washing water used for the washing to recover the buffer. And (e) returning the non-clean water not used for the cleaning of the cationic water or the anion water from the electrolytic cell to the buffer tank. The method of claim 15, wherein the buffer tank is separated into a first buffer tank for storing the first electrolyte for washing water generation, and a second buffer tank for storing the second electrolyte for generating non-clean water. ), (D-1) comprises the step of returning the washing water used for the cleaning to the first buffer tank, the step (e) (e-1) the non-clean water in the electrolytic cell Electrolytic ion water washing method comprising the step of returning to the second buffer tank. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: (f) maintaining the first electrolyte in the first buffer tank at a predetermined temperature.

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