Brush unit and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A brush unit of the present invention includes a brush and a brush holder holding the brush. The brush includes: a sponge-shaped cleaning part that comes into contact with the substrate when cleaning the substrate; and a cleaning support part that supports the cleaning part, has higher hardness than the cleaning part, and is provided so as to be in contact with the cleaning part. The brush holder is configured so as to be able to hold the cleaning support part and press the cleaning part against the substrate by means of the cleaning support part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a brush unit and a substrate processing apparatus used for cleaning a substrate. Background Art

[0002] Substrate processing equipment is used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates. Substrate cleaning equipment is also used to clean substrates.

[0003] In a substrate cleaning device, for example, one side or the other side of a substrate is cleaned using a brush. An example of a substrate cleaning brush is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-94543. The substrate cleaning brush is formed of a sponge-like porous material (hereinafter referred to as a sponge-like member). Summary of the Invention

[0004] The cleaning brush described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-94543 has a brush body held on a brush holder. When the brush body is held in the brush holder, the lower end face of the brush body is positioned below the lower end face of the brush holder. When using the cleaning brush to clean a substrate, for example, the lower end face of the brush body held by the brush holder is pressed against one side of a substrate rotating horizontally. Furthermore, the cleaning brush is swept across one side of the rotating substrate, thereby cleaning one side of the substrate.

[0005] The sponge-like component that forms the brush body is prone to uneven hardness between products. Therefore, if the sponge-like component (brush body) with a lower hardness is directly pressed against the substrate by the brush holder, the sponge-like component may be excessively deformed due to the pressing force acting on the sponge-like component. In addition, in the case where the pressing force applied to the cleaning brush is changed, the sponge-like component may be excessively deformed if excessive pressing force is applied. In these cases, the brush holder may come into contact with the substrate during the cleaning process. Alternatively, the brush holder may come into contact with peripheral components such as the chuck pins that hold the substrate during the cleaning process. If the brush holder comes into contact with the substrate, the substrate will be damaged. If the brush holder comes into contact with peripheral components of the substrate, particles will be generated.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a brush unit capable of suppressing damage to a substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of a sponge-like member and differences in pressing force applied to a cleaning brush, and a substrate processing apparatus including the brush unit.

[0007] The brush unit of one aspect of the present invention also includes a brush and a brush holder for holding the brush, the brush including: a sponge-shaped cleaning portion that contacts the substrate when cleaning the substrate; and a cleaning support portion that supports the cleaning portion, which has a higher hardness than the cleaning portion and is arranged in contact with the cleaning portion, the brush holder being configured to hold the cleaning support portion and to press the cleaning portion against the substrate with the aid of the cleaning support portion.

[0008] A substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes: a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; and the above-mentioned brush unit configured to clean one side of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by variations in hardness of the sponge-like member and differences in pressing force applied to the cleaning brush. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of the brush unit according to the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the brush unit after assembly.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a side view of the brush and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a side view of the brush and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit according to the second embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a side view of the brush and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit according to the third embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a side view of the brush and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit according to the fourth embodiment.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment.

[0017] Figure 8 Is used to illustrate Figure 7 A diagram illustrating basic operations for cleaning a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus.

[0018] Figure 9 It shows Figure 7 A block diagram of the structure of a control system of a substrate processing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following describes a brush unit and substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a substrate refers to a substrate for an FPD (flat panel display), a semiconductor substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, a ceramic substrate, or a solar cell substrate, for example, as used in liquid crystal displays or organic EL (electroluminescence) displays.

[0020] The brush unit is used to clean one surface (top or bottom) of a substrate held in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position by a holding device. It primarily consists of a brush and a brush holder. The brush is held by the brush holder. The brush is pressed against one surface of the substrate from above or below, sliding relative to the substrate surface to clean it.

[0021] 1. First Implementation

[0022] <1> Brush unit structure

[0023] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of the brush unit of the first embodiment. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The appearance of the brush unit 100 after assembly is shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the brush unit 100 includes a brush 200, a lower support member 300 and an upper support member 400. The lower support member 300 and the upper support member 400 are assembled to form a brush support 500 ( Figure 2 ).

[0024] The brush 200 of this embodiment is formed of a single sponge-like member made of a relatively soft resin material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). Figure 1 As shown, the brush 200 includes a cleaning portion 210 and a cleaning support portion 220. The cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 have flat cylindrical shapes of different sizes. The outer diameter of the cleaning portion 210 is smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220. The cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 are arranged so that their central axes lie on a common straight line and the cleaning portion 210 is located below the cleaning support portion 220. The cleaning portion 210 is the portion that contacts one surface of the substrate during cleaning, and the cleaning support portion 220 is the portion that supports the cleaning portion 210.

[0025] The lower support member 300 is formed of a resin material having higher rigidity than the brush 200 and includes a cylindrical member 310. The inner diameter of the cylindrical member 310 in this embodiment is larger than the outer diameter of the cleaning portion 210 and smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220. On the inner circumferential surface of the lower support member 300, a circular annular fixing plate 320 is provided at a position slightly above the lower end portion so as to extend a certain distance from the entire circumference of the inner circumference toward the center of the cylindrical member 310. A circular opening portion 321 is formed on the inner side of the annular fixing plate 320. The inner diameter of the opening portion 321 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cleaning portion 210 of the brush 200 and smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200.

[0026] A pair of recesses 330 corresponding to a pair of protrusions 429 of the upper holder member 400 described below are formed in two portions of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 310 that face each other across the central axis of the cylindrical member 310 .

[0027] The upper support member 400 is mounted on the upper end of the lower support member 300, thereby Figure 2 ) is formed in a storage space described later for holding a portion of the brush 200 (cleaning support portion 220).

[0028] The upper support member 400 is formed of a resin material having high rigidity for the brush 200 and includes a cover 410, an insert 420, and a connected portion 430. The connected portion 430, the cover 410, and the insert 420 each have a flat cylindrical shape, with their central axes lying on a common straight line, and are arranged in this order from top to bottom.

[0029] The outer diameter of the cover portion 410 is larger than the outer diameters of the insertion portion 420 and the connected portion 430, and is equal to the outer diameter of the tubular member 310 of the lower support member 300. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 420 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular member 310 of the lower support member 300. Protrusions 429 corresponding to the pair of recesses 330 of the lower support member 300 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 420 at two locations across the central axis of the insertion portion 420.

[0030] When assembling the brush unit 100, Figure 1 As shown by the thick single-dot dashed arrow a1 in the figure, the brush 200 is pressed into the barrel part 310 of the lower bracket part 300. At this time, the cleaning part 210 is aligned in a manner overlapping with the opening part 321 of the lower bracket part 300. As a result, the cleaning part 210 of the brush 200 extends to a position below the barrel part 310 through the opening part 321. That is, the front end of the cleaning part 210 is exposed at a position below the lower bracket part 300. The front end of the cleaning part 210 serves as the cleaning surface 211 ( Figure 3On the other hand, the annular step portion between the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 abuts against and is fixed to the annular fixing plate 320 .

[0031] Next, if Figure 1 As shown by the thick single-dot dashed arrow a2 in the figure, the upper bracket component 400 is pressed from above the cleaning support part 220 toward the upper end of the lower bracket component 300. Here, in this embodiment, the outer diameter of the cleaning support part 220 of the brush 200 is larger than the inner diameter of the barrel component 310. In addition, the length (height) of the cleaning support part 220 in the up and down directions is larger than the length (height) of the lower bracket component 300 from the annular fixing plate 320 to the upper end. Thus, when the upper bracket component 400 is pressed in, the cleaning support part 220 is compressed, and the insertion part 420 of the upper bracket component 400 is inserted into the upper end opening of the barrel component 310. In this state, the pair of protrusions 429 of the upper bracket component 400 are embedded in the pair of recesses 330 of the lower bracket component 300. Thus, the upper bracket component 400 is fixed to the lower bracket component 300, and the brush unit 100 is completed.

[0032] The connected portion 430 of the upper support member 400 is provided for mounting the brush unit 100 on a substrate processing apparatus 1 ( Figure 7 ) of the brush holding portion 42 ( Figure 7 A brush holding portion 42 ( Figure 7 ) has a shaft insertion hole 431 into which a shaft member for connection is inserted. In addition, the outer peripheral portion of the connected portion 430 is threaded.

[0033] Figure 3 1 is a side view of the brush 200 and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 , the upper portion shows a side view of the brush 200 , and the lower portion shows a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 . Figure 3 The longitudinal section view of the lower part and the section with the imaginary plane VS Figure 2 1 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 .

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown in the lower portion of the drawing, by assembling the brush unit 100, a storage space SS for the brush 200 is formed within the brush holder 500, with a portion (the opening 321 of the annular fixing plate 320) being opened. Specifically, the storage space SS is formed by the lower end surface of the insertion portion 420 of the upper holder member 400, the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder member 310, and the upper surface of the annular fixing plate 320.

[0035] Comparing the upper brush 200 with the lower storage space SS, it can be seen that the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 is larger than the storage space SS within the brush holder 500. Therefore, the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 is maintained in a compressed state by the lower end surface of the insertion portion 420 of the upper holder member 400, the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder member 310, and the upper surface of the annular fixing plate 320.

[0036] <2>Effect

[0037] (a) When cleaning a substrate using the brush unit 100, the cleaning portion 210 of the brush 200 is pressed against the substrate by the upper holder member 400 of the brush holder 500 via the cleaning support member 220. In this case, the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support member 220 are arranged to overlap between the upper holder member 400 and the substrate.

[0038] Here, the cleaning support portion 220 is compressed within the housing space SS of the brush holder 500, resulting in a higher hardness than the cleaning portion 210. This limits the overall deformation tolerance of the brush 200 to a certain level, compared to a case where the entire brush 200 is directly pressed against the substrate by the upper holder member 400 without prior compression. Specifically, the overall deformation tolerance of the brush 200, including the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220, is limited to a certain level in the vertical direction.

[0039] As a result, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member constituting the brush 200 can be suppressed.

[0040] (b) In the brush unit 100 of this embodiment, the brush holder 500 has higher rigidity than the brush 200. Therefore, the brush holder 500 is less likely to deform than the brush 200. Therefore, a high load can be accurately applied to the cleaning portion 210 when cleaning a substrate.

[0041] (c) In the brush 200 described above, the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 for reducing uneven hardness are formed from a single sponge-like component. This improves the handleability of the brush 200 because the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 do not need to be handled separately. Here, handleability refers to the ease of assembly of the brush unit 100. Since the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220 are formed from a single sponge, the number of components required to assemble the brush unit 100 is reduced. Furthermore, assembly of the brush unit 100 can be simplified.

[0042] (d) The cleaning surface 211 of the brush 200 has a diameter of, for example, approximately 20 mm. It is anticipated that a load of 800 mN to 2500 mN will be applied to the brush 200 from the upper support member 400 during substrate cleaning. In this case, the cleaning support portion 220 is preferably compressed from the uncompressed state to the compressed state to reduce its volume by approximately 60%, more preferably by approximately 50%. This configuration allows for appropriate cleaning of substrates.

[0043] 2. Second Implementation

[0044] Regarding the brush unit of the second embodiment, differences from the brush unit 100 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 4 : is a side view of the brush 200 and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 4 , the upper portion shows a side view of the brush 200 , and the lower portion shows a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 . Figure 4 The longitudinal section view of the lower part of Figure 3 The lower part of the figure is similar to the section with the imaginary plane VS Figure 2 1 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 .

[0045] The brush 200 of this embodiment is similar to the brush 200 of the first embodiment, and is formed of a single sponge-like member formed of a relatively soft resin material, and has a cleaning portion 210 and a cleaning support portion 220. Here, the size of the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 of this embodiment is different from that of the brush 200 of the first embodiment. Specifically, Figure 4 As shown in the upper and lower parts of , the size and shape of the cleaning support portion 220 of this example are equal to the size and shape of the storage space SS in the brush holder 500.

[0046] On the other hand, in the brush unit 100 of the present embodiment, a force-applying member 280 is provided on the lower end surface of the insertion portion 420 of the upper bracket component 400. In this example, a spring is used as the force-applying member 280. It should be noted that, as the force-applying member 280, other elastic bodies such as rubber can also be used instead of the spring. In addition, within the accommodation space SS, a movable plate 290 configured to be movable in the up and down directions is provided at the front end portion (lower end portion) of the force-applying member 280. When the cleaning support portion 220 is accommodated in the accommodation space SS and the upper bracket component 400 is mounted on the lower bracket component 300, the force-applying member 280 applies force to the movable plate 290 downward. As a result, the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 is maintained in a state compressed by the movable plate 290, the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical component 310 and the upper surface of the annular fixed plate 320.

[0047] In this embodiment, the cleaning support portion 220 is also compressed within the housing space SS of the brush holder 500, resulting in a higher hardness than the cleaning portion 210. This limits the overall deformation of the brush 200 to a certain level, compared to a case where the brush 200 is directly pressed against the substrate by the upper holder member 400 without prior compression. Specifically, the overall deformation of the brush 200, including the cleaning portion 210 and the cleaning support portion 220, is limited to a certain level in the vertical direction.

[0048] As a result, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member constituting the brush 200 can be suppressed.

[0049] 3. Third Implementation Method

[0050] Regarding the brush unit of the third embodiment, differences from the brush unit 100 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 5 : is a side view of the brush 200 and a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 according to the third embodiment. Figure 5 , the upper portion shows a side view of the brush 200 , and the lower portion shows a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 . Figure 5 The longitudinal section view of the lower part of Figure 3 The lower part of the figure is similar to the section with the imaginary plane VS Figure 2 1 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 .

[0051] The brush 200 of this embodiment has a structure in which a cleaning portion 210 and a bag member 230 are bonded together using an adhesive or the like. The cleaning portion 210 of this example is constructed from a sponge-like member, similar to the first embodiment. Meanwhile, the bag member 230 is formed, for example, from rubber and can expand and contract by supplying gas into the bag member 230. A gas pipe 231 is provided on the bag member 230, which can supply gas (such as nitrogen) into the bag member 230 and exhaust gas from the bag member 230.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown in the lower part of FIG, in the brush unit 100, the bag member 230 is accommodated in the accommodation space SS. In this state, the gas piping 231 provided in the bag member 230 is led out to the outside of the lower holder member 300 through the through hole formed in a part of the cylinder member 310.

[0053] like Figure 5As indicated by the thick solid arrow in the lower portion, when a large amount of gas is supplied to the bag member 230, the various portions of the bag member 230 that expand within the storage space SS are subjected to a reaction force from the various portions of the brush holder 500 that define the storage space SS. This increases the hardness of the portion of the bag member 230 that contacts the cleaning unit 210. Therefore, in this embodiment, the hardness of the bag member 230 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of gas within the bag member 230.

[0054] Therefore, the hardness of the bag member 230 is appropriately adjusted. In this case, compared to a case where the entire brush 200 is composed of a sponge-like member and the brush 200 is directly pressed against the substrate by the upper support member 400, the deformation tolerance of the entire brush 200 can be limited to a certain value or less. Specifically, the deformation tolerance of the entire brush 200, including the cleaning portion 210 and the bag member 230, is limited to a certain value or less in the vertical direction.

[0055] As a result, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member constituting the brush 200 can be suppressed.

[0056] 4. Fourth Implementation Method

[0057] Regarding the brush unit of the fourth embodiment, differences from the brush unit 100 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 6 It is a side view of the brush 200 and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment. Figure 6 , the upper portion shows a side view of the brush 200 , and the lower portion shows a longitudinal sectional view of the brush unit 100 . Figure 6 The longitudinal section view of the lower part of Figure 3 The lower part of the figure is similar to the section with the imaginary plane VS Figure 2 1 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the brush unit 100 .

[0058] The brush 200 of this embodiment has a structure in which the cleaning portion 210 and the high-hardness member 240 are bonded together using an adhesive or the like. The cleaning portion 210 of this embodiment is constructed from a sponge-like member, similar to the first embodiment. Meanwhile, the high-hardness member 240 is constructed from a material (e.g., rubber or resin) having a higher hardness than the cleaning portion 210. The size and shape of the high-hardness member 240 of this embodiment, similar to the cleaning support portion 220 of the second embodiment, are identical to the size and shape of the storage space SS of the brush holder 500.

[0059] In this embodiment, a high-hardness member 240, which has a higher hardness than the cleaning section 210, is provided on the cleaning section 210. This effectively limits the overall deformation tolerance of the brush 200 to a certain level, compared to a case where the brush 200 is entirely composed of a sponge-like member and is directly pressed against the substrate by the upper support member 400. Specifically, the overall deformation tolerance of the brush 200, including the cleaning section 210 and the high-hardness member 240, is limited to a certain level in the vertical direction.

[0060] As a result, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member constituting the brush 200 can be suppressed.

[0061] 5. Fifth Implementation Method

[0062] As a fifth embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus including the brush unit 100 of any one of the first to fourth embodiments will be described. The substrate processing apparatus described below is a substrate cleaning apparatus that cleans the upper surface of a substrate using the brush unit 100 described above.

[0063] <1> Configuration of substrate processing apparatus

[0064] Figure 7 : is a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. Figure 7 and the following Figure 8 In order to clarify the positional relationship, arrows indicating the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are marked. The X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the up-down direction (vertical direction).

[0065] like Figure 7 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a structure in which a plurality of components are housed in a chamber CH, including a substrate holding device 10, a cup device 20, a nozzle device 30, a brush arm device 40, a brush unit 100, a standby box 49, and a control unit 900. As described above, the brush unit 100 of this embodiment has the same structure as the brush unit 100 of any of the first to fourth embodiments.

[0066] The chamber CH has four side surfaces, a ceiling surface, and a floor surface (bottom surface) CHB. A transfer opening (not shown) for transferring a substrate between the inside and outside of the chamber CH is formed on one side surface of the chamber CH.

[0067] A substrate holding device 10 is provided at the approximate center of the floor surface CHB of the chamber CH. The substrate holding device 10 includes a rotating base 11, a plurality of chuck pins 12, and a substrate holding drive unit 13 ( Figure 9 ) and substrate rotation drive unit 14 ( Figure 9The substrate rotation drive unit 14 includes, for example, a motor and is fixed to the floor CHB of the chamber CH with the rotation shaft of the motor facing upward. A disk-shaped rotation base 11 is attached to the upper end of the rotation shaft.

[0068] The rotating base 11 has an outer diameter larger than that of the substrate W to be processed. A plurality of chuck pins 12 are provided on the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the rotating base 11. The plurality of chuck pins 12 respectively have an abutting portion that abuts against the substrate W. Each chuck pin 12 is configured to be able to switch between a holding state in which the abutting portion abuts against the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and a release state in which the abutting portion is separated from the substrate W when the substrate W is arranged on the rotating base 11. The substrate holding drive unit 13 includes, for example, a magnet, and uses the magnetic force of the magnet to switch each chuck pin 12 between a holding state and a release state. The abutting portions of the plurality of chuck pins 12 in the holding state abut against a plurality of portions of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W, whereby the substrate W is held on the rotating base 11. Figure 7 In FIG, the outer shape of the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 10 is shown by a dashed line.

[0069] The cup device 20 includes a cup body 21 and a cup lifting drive unit 22. The cup body 21 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is provided to surround the rotating base 11 in a plan view and extend in the Z direction. In addition, the cup body 21 is provided to be movable in the Z direction.

[0070] The cup lift drive unit 22 includes an actuator such as a motor or a cylinder, which moves the cup body 21 between a predetermined cup-up position and a cup-down position. The cup-up position is the height position (upper and lower direction position) of the cup body 21 when the upper end of the cup body 21 is located above the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 10. The cup-down position is the height position of the cup body 21 when the upper end of the cup body 21 is located below the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 10.

[0071] The nozzle device 30 includes a fluid nozzle 31 and a fluid supply system 32. The fluid nozzle 31 is provided at a predetermined position above the substrate holding device 10 and the cup device 20. The fluid nozzle 31 is fixed so that its discharge port faces the rotation center SC of the rotating base 11 in the substrate holding device 10. The fluid supply system 32 supplies cleaning liquid to the fluid nozzle 31 when the substrate W is cleaned. Thus, cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 10. The cleaning liquid is, for example, pure water (deionized water). It should be noted that the cleaning liquid may be replaced by carbonated water, ozone water, hydrogen water, electrolytic ion water, SC1 (a mixed solution of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide water) or TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide), etc. In addition, the nozzle device 30 may also be configured to be able to spray gases such as inert gases from the fluid nozzle 31. In addition, the nozzle device 30 may also have a plurality of fluid nozzles 31 that can discharge or spray different fluids from each other.

[0072] The brush arm device 40 includes a brush arm 41, a guide rail 43, an arm support unit 44, an arm horizontal drive unit 45, an arm lift drive unit 46, a brush rotation drive unit 47, and a pressing actuator 48. The guide rail 43 is provided within the chamber CH adjacent to the substrate holding device 10 in the Y direction. The guide rail 43 extends in the X direction.

[0073] The arm support 44 is configured to be movable in the X direction along the guide rail 43. The arm horizontal drive 45 in this example includes a motor and moves the arm support 44 in the X direction under the control of the control unit 900, which will be described later. The brush arm 41 is supported by the arm support 44 so that it can move in the Z direction (can be raised or lowered). The arm lift drive 46 in this example includes a motor and moves the brush arm 41 in the Z direction under the control of the control unit 900, which will be described later.

[0074] The brush arm 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends in the Y direction from the arm support portion 44 toward the substrate holding device 10. The front end portion of the brush arm 41 is configured to serve as a brush holding portion 42 that can hold the brush unit 100 used in the process of cleaning the substrate W. Specifically, the brush holding portion 42 has a shaft member extending downward for connection. The shaft member is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 431 ( Figure 1 ). In addition, the shaft member and the connected portion 430 of the brush unit 100 are connected by a fastening member (not shown). Thus, the brush unit 100 is held by the brush holding portion 42.

[0075] exist Figure 7 In the substrate processing apparatus 1 , the brush holding portion 42 is located on a virtual straight line L1 passing through the rotation center SC of the spin base 11 and extending in the X direction in a plan view.

[0076] The brush rotation drive unit 47 and the pressing actuator 48 are built into the brush arm 41. The brush rotation drive unit 47 includes, for example, a motor, and rotates the shaft member of the brush holding unit 42. As a result, the brush unit 100 connected to the shaft member rotates.

[0077] The pressing actuator 48 includes, for example, an air cylinder, and presses the shaft member downward to press the cleaning portion 210 of the brush unit 100 against the substrate W while the brush unit 100 is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0078] The degree of cleaning force applied to the upper surface of the substrate W varies depending on the pressing force (pressing force) applied to the upper surface of the substrate W by the cleaning unit 210. Therefore, when cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, the pressing actuator 48 presses the shaft member downward with a predetermined force (e.g., 800 mN to 2500 mN).

[0079] In addition, when the pressing actuator 48 includes an air cylinder, the above-mentioned pressing force can be adjusted with high precision by adjusting the amount of gas supplied to the air cylinder using, for example, an electropneumatic regulator.

[0080] In a plan view, the standby box 49 and the substrate holding device 10 are arranged on the above-mentioned imaginary straight line L1. The standby box 49 is configured to accommodate and clean the brush unit 100 held by the brush holding portion 42 in a clean state. Figure 7 As shown in the thick dashed box in FIG, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the standby position SP is set at a position overlapping the standby box 49 in a plan view. The control unit 900 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The details of the control unit 900 will be described later.

[0081] <2> Basic cleaning operations in substrate processing equipment

[0082] Figure 8 Is used to illustrate Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic operation of cleaning a substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Figure 8 , the upper portion shows a schematic top view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 , and the lower portion shows a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 .

[0083] In the initial state of the cleaning process for the substrate W, the brush holding portion 42 holding the brush unit 100 is located at the standby position SP. The brush unit 100 is housed in the standby box 49. The cup body 21 is located at the cup down position, and the fluid nozzle 31 stops ejecting the cleaning liquid.

[0084] When cleaning of the substrate W begins, the substrate W loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 1 is held by the substrate holding device 10 and rotated at a predetermined rotational speed. The cup body 21 is held in the cup upper position. Cleaning liquid is discharged from the fluid nozzle 31 toward the rotating substrate W.

[0085] In this state, by Figure 7 The arm horizontal driving unit 45 and the arm lifting driving unit 46 are operated, so that the brush arm 41 moves in the Z direction and the X direction. As a result, the brush device 50 held by the brush holding unit 42 is lifted from the standby box 49 and pressed against the upper surface of the rotating substrate W. At this time, the brush unit 100 is moved by Figure 7 The brush rotation driving unit 47 rotates, and the pressing force of the brush unit 100 on the substrate W is Figure 7 The pressing force is adjusted by actuator 48.

[0086] In this state, if Figure 8 As indicated by the bold double-dashed arrows a11 and a12 in FIG, the brush device 50 moves in the X-direction along the imaginary straight line L1 when viewed from above. In this manner, the upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned. In this case, the brush 200 may be configured so that when the overall deformation of the brush 200 is at its maximum, the lower support member 300 and the chuck pin 12 are not in contact. The brush 200 may also be configured so that, when the brush 200 of the first embodiment is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the deformation reaches a predetermined maximum value based on the hardness of the cleaning support member 220. The brush 200 of the second embodiment may also be configured so that, when the brush 200 of the third embodiment is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the deformation reaches a predetermined maximum value based on the material of the bag member 230 and the amount of gas supplied to the bag member 230. The brush 200 may also be configured so that, when the brush 200 of the fourth embodiment is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the high-hardness member 240 achieves a predetermined maximum deformation amount. By configuring the brush 200 in this manner, the substrate W can be cleaned without the lower holder member 300 contacting the chuck pins 12 even under the maximum pressing force of the pressing actuator 48.

[0087] When the upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned, the brush unit 100 returns to its initial position. Furthermore, the rotation of the brush unit 100 stops, and the adjustment of the pressing force of the brush unit 100 stops. Furthermore, the fluid nozzle 31 stops discharging the cleaning liquid, and the substrate holding device 10 stops rotating the substrate W. Furthermore, the cup body 21 moves from the cup-up position to the cup-down position. Thus, the cleaning process of the substrate W is completed.

[0088] It should be noted that in Figure 8 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the brush unit 100 reciprocates between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the rotation center SC of the spin base 11, or moves along the imaginary straight line L1 from one end to the other end of the substrate W to clean the substrate W. Alternatively, the brush unit 100 may clean the substrate W by moving only once between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the rotation center SC of the spin base 11.

[0089] <3> Control system of substrate processing apparatus 1

[0090] The control system of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is connected to Figure 7 The structure of the control unit 900 will be described together. Figure 9 It shows Figure 7 A block diagram of the structure of the control system of the substrate processing device 1. Figure 9 As shown, the control unit 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 902, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 903, and a storage device 904. The RAM 902 is used as a work area for the CPU 901. The ROM 903 stores a system program. The storage device 904 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, and stores a substrate cleaning program for performing a cleaning process on the substrate W and cleaning conditions set in connection with the cleaning process of the substrate W. In addition to pressure information indicating the pressing force when the brush unit 100 is pressed against the substrate W, the cleaning conditions also include rotational speed information related to the rotational speed of the substrate W, and path information indicating the movement path and movement speed of the brush device 50 during the cleaning process on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0091] It should be noted that the substrate cleaning program may be provided in a state stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM 909 and installed in the ROM 903 or the storage device 904. Alternatively, the substrate cleaning program may be transmitted from a server external to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via a communication network and installed in the ROM 903 or the storage device 904.

[0092] The CPU 901 executes the substrate cleaning program, thereby controlling the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Specifically, the control unit 900 controls the substrate holding drive unit 13. Thus, the control unit 900 holds the substrate W brought into the substrate processing apparatus 1 on the substrate holding device 10 by switching the state of the plurality of chuck pins 12 from the open state to the holding state. In addition, the control unit 900 switches the state of the plurality of chuck pins 12 from the holding state to the released state in order to unload the substrate W from the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the substrate rotation drive unit 14 based on the cleaning conditions (rotation speed information) stored in the storage device 904. Thus, when the substrate W is being cleaned, the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 10 rotates at a predetermined speed.

[0093] In addition, the control unit 900 controls the cup lifting drive unit 22. Thus, when the substrate W is cleaned, Figure 1 The cup body 21 moves between the cup upper position and the cup lower position. In addition, the control unit 900 controls the fluid supply system 32. Thus, when the substrate W is cleaned, the cleaning liquid is supplied from Figure 1 The fluid nozzle 31 discharges the fluid toward the substrate W.

[0094] The control unit 900 controls the arm horizontal driving unit 45 and the arm lifting driving unit 46 based on the cleaning conditions (path information) stored in the storage device 904. Thus, when the substrate W is cleaned, the brush arm 41 moves within the chamber CH.

[0095] The control unit 900 also controls the brush rotation drive unit 47. Thus, when performing a cleaning process on the substrate W, the control unit 900 operates the motor of the brush rotation drive unit 47 to rotate the brush unit 100 at a predetermined rotation speed.

[0096] Furthermore, when cleaning the substrate W, the control unit 900 controls the pressing actuator 48 based on the positional relationship between the substrate W and the brush arm 41 and the cleaning conditions (pressure information) stored in the storage device 904. Consequently, the cleaning unit 210 of the brush unit 100 presses against various portions of the upper surface of the substrate W with a predetermined pressing force.

[0097] like Figure 9 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an operating unit 990. Operating unit 990 includes a keyboard and a pointing device and is configured to be user-operable. By operating operating unit 990, the user can input various information such as the pressure information, rotation speed information, and path information described above as cleaning conditions. When various information is input, the control unit 900 stores the input information as cleaning conditions in the storage device 904.

[0098] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment uses one of the brush units 100 of the first to fourth embodiments. This brush unit can suppress substrate damage and particle generation caused by variations in the hardness of the sponge-like member. This improves the reliability of the cleaning process for the substrate W.

[0099] Here, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 using any one of the brush units 100 of the first to fourth embodiments of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the pressing force applied to the substrate W by the pressing actuator 48 is changed. The timing of the change in pressing force may be when processing of a new substrate W is started in the chamber CH, or it may be changed in the middle of processing one substrate W. According to the configuration of the brush unit 100 described above, when the pressing force applied to the substrate W increases, the overall deformation allowance of the brush 200 is also limited to a certain value or less. Therefore, damage to the substrate and the generation of particles caused by the difference in the pressing force applied to the cleaning brush can be suppressed. In addition, when a large pressing force is applied, the substrate W can be properly processed. Therefore, the reliability of the cleaning process of the substrate W is improved.

[0100] 6. Other Implementation Methods

[0101] (a) In the brush unit 100 of the first to fourth embodiments, the cleaning portion 210 of the brush 200 has a circular shape when viewed from above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The cleaning portion 210 may have an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape when viewed from above. In other words, the cleaning portion 210 may have a flat elliptical cylinder shape or a flat polygonal prism shape.

[0102] (b) In the brush unit 100 of the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 is larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 310. Furthermore, the vertical length (height) of the cleaning support portion 220 is greater than the length (height) from the annular fixing plate 320 to the upper end of the lower holder member 300. However, the present invention is not limited to this. At least a portion of the cleaning support portion 220 may be compressed within the storage space SS of the brush holder 500.

[0103] Therefore, when the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220 is larger than the inner diameter of the tubular member 310, the length (height) of the cleaning support portion 220 in the vertical direction can be substantially the same as the length (height) from the annular fixing plate 320 to the upper end of the lower support member 300. Furthermore, when the length (height) of the cleaning support portion 220 in the vertical direction is larger than the length (height) from the annular fixing plate 320 to the upper end of the lower support member 300, the outer diameter of the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 can also be substantially the same as the inner diameter of the tubular member 310.

[0104] (c) In the brush unit 100 of the second embodiment, the cleaning support portion 220 of the brush 200 is compressed within the storage space SS by the force-applying member 280 and the movable plate 290, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this brush unit 100, as a means for compressing the cleaning support portion 220 within the storage space SS, a spacer that limits the space occupied by the cleaning support portion 220 within the storage space SS may be provided in place of the force-applying member 280 and the movable plate 290. In this case, the spacer may be formed of a flat cylindrical member, for example, disposed so as to occupy a predetermined distance from the lower end surface of the insertion portion 420.

[0105] (d) In the brush unit 100 of the third embodiment, the brush 200 may have a configuration in which the cleaning support portion 220 of the first or second embodiment is provided between the cleaning portion 210 and the bag member 230 .

[0106] 7. Correspondence between the various parts of the implementation plan and the various components of the technical solution

[0107] The following describes an example of correspondence between the components of the claims and the components of the embodiments. As the components of the claims, various other components having the configurations or functions described in the claims can also be used.

[0108] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the brush 200 is an example of a brush, the brush holder is an example of a brush holder, the cleaning portion 210 of the brush 200 is an example of a cleaning portion, the cleaning support portion 220, the bag part 230 and the high-hardness part 240 of the brush 200 are examples of a cleaning support portion, and the brush unit 100 is an example of a brush unit.

[0109] in addition, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cleaning portion 210 is an example of the first portion of the brush, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cleaning support portion 220 is an example of the second portion of the brush, which is constituted Figure 3 and Figure 4 The single sponge-like member of the brush 200 is an example of a single sponge-like member, the storage space SS is an example of a storage space, and the opening 321 of the annular fixing plate 320 is an example of an open portion in the storage space.

[0110] In addition, the force-applying component 280 is an example of a force-applying component, the annular fixing plate 320 is an example of a fixing plate, the bag component 230 is an example of a bag component, the gas distribution pipe 231 provided in the bag component 230 is an example of a gas adjustment unit, the substrate holding device 10 is an example of a substrate holding unit, and the substrate processing device 1 is an example of a substrate processing device.

[0111] 8. Summary of Implementation Methods

[0112] (Item 1) The brush unit of item 1 comprises:

[0113] brush;

[0114] and a brush holder for holding the brush,

[0115] The brush comprises:

[0116] a sponge-shaped cleaning portion that contacts the substrate when cleaning the substrate; and

[0117] a cleaning support portion having a higher hardness than the cleaning portion and being provided in contact with the cleaning portion, supporting the cleaning portion;

[0118] The brush holder is configured to hold the cleaning support portion and to press the cleaning portion against the substrate via the cleaning support portion.

[0119] When using this brush unit to clean a substrate, the cleaning section is pressed against the substrate by the brush holder via the cleaning support section. In this case, the cleaning section and the cleaning support section are arranged overlappingly between the brush holder and the substrate. The cleaning support section has a higher hardness than the cleaning section. Consequently, compared to a case where the brush holder directly presses the brush against the substrate, deformation of the structure between the substrate and the brush holder—specifically, the entire structure including the cleaning section and the cleaning support section—is limited to below the deformation tolerance.

[0120] As a result, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member can be suppressed.

[0121] (Item 2) In the brush unit described in Item 1, it may be that:

[0122] The brush holder has higher rigidity than the cleaning portion and the cleaning support portion.

[0123] In this case, the brush holder is less likely to deform than the cleaning portion and the cleaning support portion. Therefore, when cleaning the substrate, a high load can be accurately applied to the cleaning portion via the cleaning support portion.

[0124] (Item 3) In the brush unit described in Item 1 or Item 2, it may be that:

[0125] The brush is a single sponge-like member comprising a first portion and a second portion adjacent to each other.

[0126] The cleaning part is composed of the first part.

[0127] The brush holder has a receiving space that is smaller than the second portion and partially open.

[0128] The cleaning support portion is composed of the second portion compressed and accommodated in the accommodation space of the brush holder.

[0129] The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

[0130] In this case, since the cleaning unit and cleaning support unit are composed of a single sponge-like member, the handling efficiency of the cleaning unit and cleaning support unit is improved. Furthermore, the cleaning support unit is formed by compressing the second portion of the sponge-like member and accommodating it within the accommodating space of the brush holder. This simple structure can suppress damage to the substrate and the generation of particles caused by uneven shape and hardness of the sponge-like member.

[0131] (Item 4) In the brush unit described in Item 1 or Item 2, it may be that:

[0132] The brush is a single sponge-like member comprising a first portion and a second portion adjacent to each other.

[0133] The cleaning part is composed of the first part.

[0134] The brush holder has a receiving space for receiving the second part and a portion of the receiving space is open.

[0135] The brush unit further includes a biasing member configured to compress the second portion contained in the containing space by biasing the second portion toward the first portion and its surrounding portion in the containing space, thereby compressing the second portion in the containing space.

[0136] The cleaning support portion is composed of the second portion compressed in the accommodation space of the brush holder.

[0137] The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

[0138] In this case, since the cleaning unit and cleaning support unit are composed of a single sponge-like member, the handling efficiency of the cleaning unit and cleaning support unit is improved. Furthermore, the cleaning support unit is formed by the second portion of the sponge-like member being compressed by a force-applying member within the storage space of the brush holder. This simple structure can suppress damage to the substrate and the generation of particles caused by uneven shape and hardness of the sponge-like member.

[0139] (Item 5) In the brush unit described in Item 4, it may also be that

[0140] The brush holder includes a fixing plate that forms the receiving space and has an opening portion that serves as the portion of the receiving space.

[0141] The urging member urges the second portion toward the fixing plate.

[0142] In this case, in the accommodation space of the brush holder, a portion of the second portion of the sponge-like member that is mainly located between the urging member and the fixing plate is compressed.

[0143] (Item 6) In the brush unit described in Item 1 or Item 2, it may be that:

[0144] The cleaning support portion is configured to include a bag member configured to be expandable and contractible by supplying gas therein, and the larger the bag member is, the higher the hardness of the cleaning support portion is, as gas is supplied therein.

[0145] The brush holder has a partially open receiving space for receiving the bag component.

[0146] The brush unit further includes a gas adjustment portion capable of supplying gas to the bag member accommodated in the accommodation space and discharging gas from the bag member accommodated in the accommodation space.

[0147] The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

[0148] In this case, the hardness of the cleaning support portion can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of gas supplied to the bag member. Therefore, when cleaning a substrate, the hardness of the cleaning support portion can be adjusted according to the pressure to be applied from the cleaning portion to the substrate.

[0149] (Item 7) The substrate processing apparatus of Item 7 includes:

[0150] a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; and

[0151] The brush unit according to any one of items 1 to 6 is provided to clean one surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion.

[0152] According to the brush unit described above, damage to the substrate and generation of particles caused by uneven hardness of the sponge-like member can be suppressed, thereby improving the reliability of the substrate cleaning process.

Claims

1. A brush unit, characterized in that: include: Brush; and a brush holder to hold the brush, The brush comprises: a sponge-shaped cleaning portion that contacts the substrate when cleaning the substrate; and a cleaning support portion supporting the cleaning portion, having a higher hardness than the cleaning portion and being provided in contact with the cleaning portion; The brush holder is configured to hold the cleaning support portion and to press the cleaning portion against the substrate via the cleaning support portion.

2. The brush unit according to claim 1, characterized in that The brush holder has higher rigidity than the cleaning portion and the cleaning support portion.

3. The brush unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The brush is a single sponge-like member including a first portion and a second portion adjacent to each other. The cleaning part is composed of the first part. The brush holder has a receiving space that is smaller than the second portion and partially open. The cleaning support portion is composed of the second portion which is compressed and accommodated in the accommodation space of the brush holder. The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

4. The brush unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The brush is a single sponge-like member including a first portion and a second portion adjacent to each other. The cleaning part is composed of the first part. The brush holder has a receiving space for receiving the second part and a portion of the receiving space is open. The brush unit further includes a biasing member configured to compress the second portion contained in the housing space by biasing the second portion toward the first portion and a peripheral portion of the first portion in the housing space. The cleaning support portion is composed of the second portion compressed in the accommodation space of the brush holder. The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

5. The brush unit according to claim 4, characterized in that The brush holder includes a fixing plate, the fixing plate forming the accommodation space and having an opening portion as the portion of the accommodation space. The urging member urges the second portion toward the fixing plate.

6. The brush unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cleaning support portion is configured to include a bag member configured to be expandable and contractible by supplying gas therein, and the supply of gas therein to make the bag member larger increases the hardness of the cleaning support portion. The brush holder has a partially open receiving space for receiving the bag component. The brush unit further includes a gas adjustment portion capable of supplying gas to the bag member accommodated in the accommodation space and discharging gas from the bag member accommodated in the accommodation space. The cleaning portion is exposed from the housing space through the portion.

7. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: include: a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; as well as The brush unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is provided to clean one surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion.

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