Supporting mechanism of roller type cleaning component and cleaning device

Abstract

A support mechanism for a roller-type cleaning member is provided with: a nozzle body having a pipe connection port to which a cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected, and a discharge port from which cleaning liquid is discharged; a cover that engages with the roller-type cleaning member and rotates together with the roller-type cleaning member; and a bearing accommodated between the nozzle body and the cover. At least one of the nozzle body and the cover is provided with a backflow prevention wall extending in the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis of the roller-type cleaning member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a supporting mechanism and a cleaning device for a roller type cleaning component. Background Art

[0002] It is conventionally known to supply a cleaning liquid into a roller cleaning member for cleaning a substrate or self-cleaning of the roller cleaning member, and a supporting mechanism of the roller cleaning member for this purpose is disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3853130

[0004] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-96087

[0005] In order to improve the cleaning performance of the substrate and the self-cleaning performance of the roller cleaning component, it is required to increase the supply flow rate of the cleaning liquid. However, at this time, there is a problem that part of the cleaning liquid discharged from the supporting mechanism of the roller cleaning component is not supplied to the inside of the roller cleaning component, resulting in leakage on the mechanism side. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points. An object of the present invention is to provide a support mechanism for a roller type cleaning member and a cleaning device that can reduce the cleaning liquid leaking out of the mechanism side.

[0007] A supporting mechanism for a roller cleaning member according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0008] a nozzle body having a pipe connection port to which a cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected and a discharge port to discharge the cleaning liquid;

[0009] a cover that engages with the roller-type cleaning member and rotates together with the roller-type cleaning member; and

[0010] a bearing housed between the nozzle body and the cover,

[0011] A backflow prevention wall extending in a radial direction with respect to a rotation axis of the roller cleaning member is provided on at least one of the nozzle body and the cover.

[0012] According to this method, the backflow prevention wall exists in the direction of flow (backflow) of the cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port and pushed back by the back pressure inside the roller cleaning component, thereby blocking the flow, thereby reducing the cleaning liquid leaking from the mechanism side. In addition, the backflow prevention wall blocks particles generated in the bearing, thereby preventing particles from mixing into the roller cleaning component.

[0013] A roller cleaning member support mechanism according to a second aspect of the present invention is based on the roller cleaning member support mechanism according to the first aspect.

[0014] The above-mentioned cover has an extension portion that extends toward the roll cleaning member side from the discharge port of the above-mentioned nozzle body.

[0015] The above-mentioned backflow prevention wall is provided to extend from the above-mentioned extension portion toward the radially inner side.

[0016] In this way, the rigidity of the cover can be improved.

[0017] The support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to the third aspect of the present invention is based on the support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to the second aspect.

[0018] When viewed in a cross-section including the above-mentioned rotation axis, the radial gap between the inner circumference of the above-mentioned discharge port and the front end of the above-mentioned backflow prevention wall is smaller than the axial gap in the rotation axis direction between the end face of the above-mentioned nozzle body where the above-mentioned discharge port is formed and the side face of the above-mentioned backflow prevention wall.

[0019] In this way, since the radial gap between the inner circumference of the discharge port and the front end of the backflow prevention wall is narrow, the cleaning liquid leaking to the mechanism side through this gap can be further reduced.

[0020] The support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is based on the support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to the first aspect.

[0021] The above-mentioned nozzle body has an extension portion that extends toward the roll cleaning member side from the above-mentioned cover, and the above-mentioned discharge port is formed at the front end of the above-mentioned extension portion.

[0022] The above-mentioned backflow prevention wall is provided to extend from the above-mentioned extension portion toward the radially outer side.

[0023] The support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is based on the support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0024] The above-mentioned nozzle body further has a second pipe connection port to which a second cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected.

[0025] In this way, the supply flow rate of the cleaning liquid to the inside of the roll cleaning member can be increased without increasing the pipe diameter of the cleaning liquid supply pipe or making the bearing large.

[0026] The cleaning device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention includes:

[0027] A roll cleaning member, and

[0028] The support mechanism for the roll cleaning member according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

[0029] According to the present invention, in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member, the cleaning liquid leaking from the mechanism side can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a cleaning device according to an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member in the cleaning device shown, viewed from the side opposite to the roller cleaning member. Figure 1 FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a longitudinal section of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown, viewed from the side opposite to the roller cleaning member.

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a longitudinal section of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown, viewed from the side of the roller cleaning member. Figure 2 FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a longitudinal section of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown, viewed from the side of the roller cleaning member.

[0033] Figure 4 FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown. Figure 2 FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown.

[0034] Figure 5 FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing Figure 2 FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown.

[0035] Figure 6 FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing Figure 2 FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the structure of the nozzle body of the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown.

[0036] Figure 7 FIG. 17 is a view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end portion of the nozzle body in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown. Figure 2 FIG. 18 is a view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end portion of the nozzle body in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member shown.

[0037] Figure 8 FIG. 19 is a view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end portion of the nozzle body in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member according to the first modification.

[0038] Figure 9 FIG. 20 is a view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end portion of the nozzle body in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member according to the second modification.

[0039] Figure 10 FIG. 21 is a view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end portion of the nozzle body in the support mechanism of the roller cleaning member according to the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description and the drawings used in the following description, for parts that can be configured in the same manner, the same reference numerals are used, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0041] Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a cleaning apparatus 40 according to an embodiment.

[0042] As Figure 1 shown, the cleaning apparatus 40 includes: a plurality of (four in the figure) main shafts 140 that horizontally rotate a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer while supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate W with the surface facing up; an upper roller arm 142 that is vertically movably disposed above the substrate W; and a lower roller arm 144 that is vertically movably disposed below the substrate W.

[0043] Among them, as Figure 1 indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3, the main shaft 140 can move in the horizontal direction. In addition, a roller 80 is provided on an upper portion of the main shaft 140. A fitting groove 80a is formed on an outer peripheral side surface of the roller 80. The peripheral portion of the substrate W is positioned in the fitting groove 80a, and the roller 80 is pressed against the substrate W and rotated. Thereby, the substrate W rotates horizontally as Figure 1 indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 4. In the embodiment illustrated herein, all four rollers 80 are connected to a drive mechanism (not shown), and a rotational force is imparted to the substrate W. In addition, two of the four rollers 80 may impart a rotational force to the substrate W (drive mechanism not shown), and the other two rollers 80 function as bearings that receive the rotation of the substrate W.

[0044] An upper roller type cleaning member (roller sponge) 41 that is horizontally extended and cylindrical is rotatably supported by the upper roller arm 142. The upper roller type cleaning member 41 is made of, for example, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and rotates as Figure 1 indicated by the arrow F1 in FIG. 5 by a drive mechanism (not shown). A lower roller type cleaning member (roller sponge) 148 that is horizontally extended and cylindrical is rotatably supported by the lower roller arm 144. The lower roller type cleaning member 148 is made of, for example, PVA and rotates as Figure 1 indicated by the arrow F2 in FIG. 6 by a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0045] Above the substrate W that rotates while being supported by the main shaft 140, two upper supply nozzles 150 that supply a chemical solution and pure water (rinsing liquid) to the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W are disposed. One of the two upper supply nozzles 150 supplies the chemical solution, and the other supplies pure water. In addition, below the substrate W that rotates while being supported by the main shaft 40, two lower supply nozzles 152 that supply a chemical solution and pure water (rinsing liquid) to the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W are disposed. One of the two lower supply nozzles 152 supplies the chemical solution, and the other supplies pure water. In addition, a liquid supply mechanism (described later) (in Figure 1Pure water (internal rinsing liquid) is supplied to the interiors of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 (not shown in the figure) respectively. The pure water supplied to the interiors of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 is discharged from the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148.

[0046] The cleaning of the substrate W is performed as follows. While the substrate W is horizontally rotated, a chemical solution is supplied from the upper-side supply nozzle 150 to the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W, and the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 is rotated and lowered while being brought into contact with the surface of the rotating substrate W with a predetermined pressing load. Thus, in the presence of the chemical solution, the surface of the substrate W is scrubbed by the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41. The length of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 is set to be slightly longer than the diameter of the substrate W, and the entire surface of the substrate W is cleaned at the same time.

[0047] While cleaning the surface of the substrate W, a chemical solution is supplied from the lower-side supply nozzle 152 to the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate W, and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 is rotated and raised while being brought into contact with the back surface of the rotating substrate W with a predetermined pressing load. Thus, in the presence of the chemical solution, the back surface of the substrate W is scrubbed by the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148. The length of the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 is set to be slightly longer than the diameter of the substrate W, and the entire back surface of the substrate W is cleaned at the same time. After cleaning the surface and the back surface of the substrate W, pure water is supplied from the upper-side supply nozzle 150 and the lower-side supply nozzle 152 to the surface and the back surface of the substrate W, and pure water is supplied to the interiors of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 respectively, and the substrate W, the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41, and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 are rinsed with the pure water.

[0048] Next, the structure for supplying pure water (internal rinsing liquid) to the interiors of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 and the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 will be described in detail. In addition, the structure of the lower-side roll-type cleaning member 148 is the same as that of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41. Hereinafter, the structure of the upper-side roll-type cleaning member 41 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the roll-type cleaning member 41) will be described as a representative.

[0049] Figure 2 FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the support mechanism 10 of the roll-type cleaning member as viewed from the side opposite to the roll-type cleaning member 41. Figure 3 FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a longitudinal section of the support mechanism 10 of the roll-type cleaning member as viewed from the side opposite to the roll-type cleaning member 41. Figure 4 FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a longitudinal section of the support mechanism 10 of the roll-type cleaning member as viewed from the side of the roll-type cleaning member 41. Figure 5 FIG. 16 is a view showing a longitudinal section of the support mechanism 10 of the roll-type cleaning member. Figure 6 FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the structure of the nozzle body 11.

[0050] As Figures 2 to 6 shown, the support mechanism 10 of the roller cleaning member has: a housing 14, a nozzle body 11 disposed within the housing 14, a cover 12 that engages with the roller cleaning member 41 and rotates together with the roller cleaning member 41, and a bearing 13 housed between the nozzle body 11 and the cover 12.

[0051] Among them, the nozzle body 11 has a pipe connection port 22a to which the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 is connected, and a discharge port 21 for discharging the cleaning liquid. In the illustrated example, the nozzle body 11 has a substantially cubic base end portion and a laterally cylindrical front end portion. The pipe connection port 22a is formed on the upper surface of the base end portion of the nozzle body 11, and the discharge port 21 is formed on the end surface of the front end portion of the nozzle body 11. The front end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 is inserted downward into the pipe connection port 22a via an O-ring 23a and is positioned inside the nozzle body 11 without protruding outward from the discharge port 21. The portion of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 that extends outward from the pipe connection port 22a is clamped by an upper clamp 15 with respect to the housing 14. The cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 is discharged from the discharge port 21 through the pipe connection port 22a.

[0052] As Figure 2 and Figure 6 shown, the nozzle body 11 may further have a second pipe connection port 22b to which the second cleaning liquid supply pipe 18 is connected. In the illustrated example, the second pipe connection port 22b is formed on the side surface of the base end portion of the nozzle body 11. The front end of the second cleaning liquid supply pipe 18 is inserted laterally from the pipe connection port 22b via an O-ring 23b and is positioned inside the nozzle body 11 without protruding outward from the discharge port 21. The portion of the second cleaning liquid supply pipe 18 that extends outward from the second pipe connection port 22b is clamped by a side clamp 16 with respect to the housing 14. The cleaning liquid supplied from the second cleaning liquid supply pipe 18 merges with the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 and is discharged from the discharge port 21. In this case, it is possible to increase the supply flow rate of the cleaning liquid into the roller cleaning member 41 without increasing the pipe diameter of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 17 or making the bearing 13 larger.

[0053] As Figures 3 to 5 shown, the cover 12 is coaxially disposed outside the front end portion of the nozzle body 11. The bearing 13 is coaxially inserted between the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the nozzle body 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the cover 12, thereby holding the cover 12 so as to be rotatable relative to the nozzle body 11. The front end of the bearing lubricating coolant supply pipe 19 is inserted and positioned in the portion of the housing 14 that faces the bearing 11. By supplying a liquid (such as pure water) from the bearing lubricating coolant supply pipe 19, it is possible to lubricate and / or cool the bearing 13.

[0054] Figure 7 FIG. is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the front end of the nozzle body 11 in the support mechanism 10 of the roll cleaning member. As Figures 3 to 5 and Figure 6 shown, a backflow prevention wall 26 extending in the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis of the roll cleaning member 41 is provided on the cover 12.

[0055] In the illustrated example, the cover 12 has an extension portion 25 extending toward the roll cleaning member 41 side from the discharge port 21 of the nozzle body 11, and the backflow prevention wall 26 is provided to extend radially inward from the extension portion 25.

[0056] Here, as a comparative example, referring to Figure 10 , consider the following structure: the end of the cover 112 and the front end of the nozzle body 111 are aligned at the same position in the rotation axis direction (i.e., the cover 112 does not have the extension portion 25), and the backflow prevention wall 26 is not provided on the cover 112. In this structure, as Figure 10 shown, if the supply flow rate of the cleaning liquid is increased, a part of the cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port 21 is not supplied to the inside of the roll cleaning member 41, but is pushed back by the back pressure inside the roll cleaning member 41 and leaks out on the mechanism side through the gap D0 between the nozzle body 111 and the cover 112.

[0057] In the structure of the above comparative example, as a case for reducing the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side, consider reducing the gap D0 between the nozzle body 111 and the cover 112. However, if the gap D0 is reduced, there is a concern that the cover 112 and the nozzle body 111 may interfere during the rotation of the roll cleaning member 41. Therefore, the gap D0 needs to be 0.5 mm or more and cannot be smaller than that.

[0058] In addition, in the structure of the above comparative example, as another case for reducing the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side, consider arranging a contact seal (for example, a mechanical seal, an oil seal, etc.) in the gap D0 between the nozzle body 111 and the cover 112. However, in the contact seal, there is a problem such as an increase in torque. In addition, although the roll cleaning member 41 usually rotates at a speed of 100 rpm or more, there is also a problem that there is no contact seal that can be applied to such a high speed. In addition, there is also a problem of an increase in the size of the device.

[0059] In the structure of the above comparative example, as yet another case for reducing the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side, consider arranging a non-contact seal (for example, an air inflow type seal, a magnetic fluid seal, etc.) in the gap D0 between the nozzle body 111 and the cover 112. However, in this case, there is a problem of an increase in the introduction cost. In addition, there is also a problem of an increase in the size of the device.

[0060] Therefore, in the structure of the above comparative example, it is impossible to reduce the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side.

[0061] In contrast, in the present embodiment, as Figure 7 shown, a backflow prevention wall 26 is provided so as to extend radially inward from the extension portion 25 of the cover 12. The backflow prevention wall 26 exists in the traveling direction of the flow (backflow) of the cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port 21 and pushed back by the back pressure inside the roll cleaning member 41, thereby obstructing the flow. Therefore, the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side can be reduced. In addition, the particles generated in the bearing 13 are obstructed by the backflow prevention wall 26, so that the particles can be prevented from mixing into the inside of the roll cleaning member 41. In addition, the backflow prevention wall 26 is provided so as to extend radially inward from the extension portion 25 of the cover 12, thereby improving the rigidity of the cover 12.

[0062] Referring to Figure 7 , when observed in a cross section including the rotation axis, the radial gap D1 (hereinafter, also referred to as the first gap) between the inner periphery of the discharge port 21 and the front end of the backflow prevention wall 26 may also be smaller than the axial gap D2 (hereinafter, also referred to as the second gap) in the rotation axis direction between the end surface of the nozzle body 11 where the discharge port 21 is formed and the side surface of the backflow prevention wall 26. In order for the cover 12 and the nozzle body 11 not to interfere during the rotation of the roll cleaning member 41, the second gap D2 needs to be 0.5 mm or more, but the first gap D1 is not restricted by the interference between the cover 12 and the nozzle body 11, so it can be arbitrarily reduced. The first gap D1 may also be smaller than the second gap D2. For example, it may be 0.4 mm or less, may be 0.3 mm or less, or may be 0.2 mm or less. By making the first gap D1 smaller than the second gap D2, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first gap D1 can be reduced, and thus, the cleaning liquid leaking out on the mechanism side can be further reduced.

[0063] As a specific example of the present embodiment, for the structure (example) having the backflow prevention wall 26 (refer to Figure 7 ), and the structure without the backflow prevention wall (comparative example) (refer to Figure 10 ), the inventors of the present application measured the leakage to the mechanism side at each supply flow rate while changing the setting of the supply flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied to the nozzle body, and confirmed that in the structure of the example having the backflow prevention wall 26, compared with the structure of the comparative example without the backflow prevention wall, in any flow rate range that can be set, the leakage flow rate to the mechanism side was approximately reduced by half. In addition, it was confirmed that in the structure of the comparative example without the backflow prevention wall, there was a maximum leakage of 13% in this flow rate range. In contrast, in the structure of the example having the backflow prevention wall 26, the leakage could be suppressed to a maximum of 8%.

[0064] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the anti-backflow wall 26 is provided in the cover 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As a modified example, as Figure 8 shown, an anti-backflow wall 36 extending radially with respect to the rotation axis of the roll cleaning member 41 may be provided in the nozzle body 11. In the illustrated example, the nozzle body 11 has an extension portion 35 extending toward the roll cleaning member 41 side from the cover 12, and the discharge port 21 is formed at the front end of the extension portion 35. The anti-backflow wall 36 is provided to extend radially outward from the extension portion 35 of the nozzle body 11. In this case, as Figure 8 shown, the anti-backflow wall 36 exists in the traveling direction of the flow (backflow) of the cleaning liquid discharged from the discharge port 21 and pushed back by the back pressure inside the roll cleaning member 41, thereby obstructing the flow. Therefore, the leakage of the cleaning liquid to the mechanism side can be reduced. In addition, the particles generated at the bearing 13 are obstructed by the anti-backflow wall 36, so that the particles can be prevented from mixing into the inside of the roll cleaning member 41.

[0065] In addition, in Figure 8 the illustrated example, the anti-backflow wall 36 is formed integrally with the extension portion 36 of the nozzle body 11. However, as a second modified example, as Figure 9 shown, the anti-backflow wall 36 may also be formed by fitting an annular member into a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the extension portion 36 of the nozzle body 11.

[0066] As described above, the embodiments and modified examples of the present invention have been described by way of illustration. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and can be changed and modified according to the purpose within the scope described in the claims. In addition, each embodiment and modified example can be appropriately combined within the range where the processing contents do not conflict.

Claims

1. A supporting mechanism for a roller type cleaning component, characterized in that: have: a nozzle body having a pipe connection port to which a cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected and a discharge port to discharge the cleaning liquid; a cover that engages with the roller cleaning member and rotates together with the roller cleaning member; and a bearing, the bearing being received between the nozzle body and the cover, A backflow prevention wall extending in a radial direction with respect to a rotation axis of the roller cleaning member is provided on at least one of the nozzle body and the cover.

2. The supporting mechanism of the roller type cleaning member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover has an extension portion extending toward the roller cleaning member from the discharge port of the nozzle body. The backflow prevention wall is configured to extend from the extending portion toward the radial inner side.

3. The supporting mechanism of the roller type cleaning member according to claim 2, characterized in that: When observed in a cross section including the rotation axis, the radial gap between the inner periphery of the discharge port and the front end of the anti-backflow wall is smaller than the gap in the rotation axis direction between the end surface of the nozzle body where the discharge port is formed and the side surface of the anti-backflow wall.

4. The supporting mechanism of the roller type cleaning member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nozzle body has an extension portion extending toward the roller cleaning member from the cover, and the discharge port is formed at a front end of the extension portion. The backflow prevention wall is configured to extend from the extending portion toward the radially outer side.

5. The supporting mechanism for a roller type cleaning member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The nozzle body further includes a second pipe connection port to which a second cleaning liquid supply pipe is connected.

6. A cleaning device, characterized in that: have: Roller cleaning parts, and A supporting mechanism for a roller cleaning member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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