Substrate cleaning device, substrate processing device, substrate cleaning method, and program

Abstract

To provide a cleaner substrate that is cleaned by adjusting a cleaning condition.SOLUTION: A substrate cleaning device includes cleaning module that includes a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, and performs cleaning by bringing a cleaning member rotating around a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction into contact with the substrate being transported in the first direction, and a control device that changes a cleaning condition including at least one of the direction of the rotation axis, the rotation speed of the cleaning member, and the conveyance speed of the substrate, on the basis of information regarding at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate cleaning method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In processing substrates for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like, cleaning of the substrates is carried out by bringing a cleaning member such as a cleaning brush into contact with the surface of the substrate.

[0003] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the substrate is cleaned using a brush that is tilted relative to the direction perpendicular to the substrate movement. In the substrate cleaning method of Patent Document 3, the wafer is moved back and forth horizontally by a feed roller, and both sides of the wafer are cleaned while immersed in a cleaning solution. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4287551 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-128910 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 06-091986 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described substrate cleaning method, there is a possibility that the substrate may not be cleaned sufficiently, for reasons such as the fact that the direction in which the brush surface moves relative to the substrate is constant.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a cleaner substrate by cleaning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate cleaning apparatus includes a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, and a cleaning module that cleans the substrate by contacting a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction with the substrate being transported in the first direction, and a control device that changes cleaning conditions including at least one of the direction of the rotation axis, the rotation speed of the cleaning member, and the transport speed of the substrate based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.

[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate cleaning method includes transporting a substrate in a first direction; cleaning the substrate by contacting a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction with the substrate being transported in the first direction; and changing cleaning conditions including at least one of a direction of the rotation axis, a rotation speed of the cleaning member, and a transport speed of the substrate based on information related to at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a program is provided for a processing device of a substrate cleaning apparatus including a cleaning module including a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, the cleaning module cleaning the substrate by bringing a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction into contact with the substrate being transported in the first direction, the cleaning member being rotated around a rotation axis that extends in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction, the program executing a change process for changing cleaning conditions including at least one of a direction of the rotation axis, a rotation speed of the cleaning member, and a transport speed of the substrate, based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module. It is a program to make it happen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a transport mechanism of the load module according to the embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a square substrate according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the transfer module according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the polishing module according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the cleaning module according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the scrubbing mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the rotation axis angle. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of the sponge surface on the substrate. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the substrate processing method according to the above embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of sensors according to the first modification. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the substrate processing method according to the first modification. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the substrate processing method according to the second modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of sensors according to the third modification. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substrate processing method according to the third modification. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram of a cleaning member according to the fourth modification, viewed in the axial direction. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram showing a scrubbing mechanism according to the fifth modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 1 includes a load module 100, transfer modules 200A and 200B, polishing modules 300A and 300B, a cleaning module 400, a drying module 500, an unload module 600, and a controller 900. Each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is controlled by the controller 900. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to this embodiment is a substrate polishing apparatus that polishes substrates. However, the type of processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is not particularly limited as long as it includes a cleaning module.

[0013] <Load module> The load module 100 introduces the substrate WF before processing such as polishing into the substrate processing apparatus 1000. The load module 100 is preferably configured to comply with the SMEMA (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association) Mechanical Device Interface Standard (IPC-SMEMA-9851). Note that the configuration of the load module 100 is not particularly limited as long as it can be cleaned by the cleaning module 400 described below.

[0014] 2 is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of the substrate transport mechanism 101 in the load module 100. The load module 100 has a housing (not shown) that has an entrance opening through which the substrate WF passes when being loaded, and the substrate transport mechanism 101 is disposed inside the housing. The substrate transport mechanism 101 has a plurality of transport rollers 202 and a plurality of rollers to which the transport rollers 202 are attached. The load module 100 has a roller shaft 204. In the illustrated embodiment, three transport rollers 202 are attached to each roller shaft 204. The substrate WF (schematically indicated by a two-dot chain line) is placed on the transport rollers 202, and the substrate WF is transported by the rotation of the transport rollers 202. The transport rollers 202 may be attached at any position on the roller shaft 204 as long as they can transport the substrate WF stably. However, since the transport rollers 202 come into contact with the substrate WF, they should be positioned so that they contact an area of ​​the substrate WF to be processed where contact is not a problem. The transport rollers 202 of the load module 100 may be made of a conductive polymer. The transport rollers 202 may be electrically grounded via the roller shaft 204 or the like. This is to prevent the substrate WF from becoming charged and damaging the substrate WF. The load module 100 may also be provided with an ionizer (not shown) to prevent the substrate WF from becoming charged.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically illustrating a substrate WF, which is a processing target. In the illustrated example, the substrate WF is a thin, plate-like, rectangular substrate having a substantially rectangular shape (including a square shape). The substrate WF has a patterned region 10 and a non-patterned region 20 on its processing surface 11. A "patterned region" is a region equipped with wiring, functional chips, etc., and is used as a device formed on the substrate. It is equipped with wiring, functional chips, etc. that are important for the device function. A "non-patterned region" is a region on the substrate that is not used as a device. In the illustrated example, the substrate WF has two patterned regions 10, each surrounded by a non-patterned region 20. The non-patterned region 20 of the substrate WF may contain ID information of the substrate WF, such as an ID tag 12. The ID of the substrate WF may be readable by an ID reader (not shown) disposed in the load module 100. The surface behind the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF may be of a different shape.

[0016] The load module 100 receives and transports the substrate WF so that the surface of the substrate WF on which the patterned region 10 shown in FIG. 3 is formed faces downward. Therefore, the transport rollers 202 are positioned so as to contact only the non-patterned region 20 of the substrate WF. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the transport rollers 202 are provided at positions that contact the non-patterned region 20 at the edge of the substrate WF and at positions that contact the non-patterned region 20 at the center of the substrate WF. The position of the transport rollers 202 can be changed depending on the substrate WF to be processed. Therefore, according to the illustrated embodiment, by changing the attachment position of the transport rollers 202 to the roller shaft 204, the substrate WF can be used to transport substrates WF with different dimensions or different patterns. Because rectangular substrates do not have standardized dimensions like circular semiconductor substrates, the substrate transport mechanism 101 is advantageous because it can transport substrates of various dimensions with slight modifications.

[0017] 2, the roller shaft 204 is driven to rotate by a motor 208 via a gear 206. The motor 208 can be a servo motor. By using a servo motor, the rotation speed of the roller shaft 204 and the transport roller 202, that is, the transport speed of the substrate WF, can be controlled. The gear 206 can be a magnetic gear. Because the magnetic gear is a non-contact power transmission mechanism, it does not generate fine particles due to wear as with contact-type gears, and also does not require maintenance such as lubrication.

[0018] The substrate transport mechanism 101 is provided with a plurality of guide rollers 212 for supporting the substrate WF in the width direction of the substrate WF being transported. Here, the width direction is perpendicular to the direction in which the substrate WF is transported and is parallel to the surface of the substrate WF. The guide rollers 212 are configured to support the sides of the substrate WF during transport. The positions of the guide rollers 212 can be changed depending on the dimensions of the substrate WF being transported. The illustrated guide rollers 212 are not connected to a power source and are configured to be freely rotatable. The guide rollers 212 are configured to support the width of the substrate WF being transported. The position may be changed depending on the width.

[0019] The load module 100 is provided with auxiliary rollers 214 on the entrance and exit sides. The auxiliary rollers 214 are disposed at approximately the same height as the transport rollers 202. The position of the auxiliary rollers 214 can be changed depending on the dimensions of the substrate WF being transported. The auxiliary rollers 214 support the substrate WF so that it does not fall between one module and another during transport. The auxiliary rollers 214 are not connected to a power source and are configured to be freely rotatable. The load module 100 also has a sensor (not shown) for detecting whether the substrate WF is present at a predetermined position on the transport rollers 202. Transport of the substrate WF is controlled based on the position of the substrate WF detected by the sensor.

[0020] The type, size, and shape of the substrate WF are not particularly limited. The substrate WF can be a semiconductor substrate, particularly a disk-shaped substrate or a rectangular substrate. The substrate WF is preferably a rectangular substrate. Due to increasing demands for precision in rectangular substrates such as copper clad laminate (CCL) substrates, printed circuit board (PCB) substrates, photomask substrates, and display panels, clean substrates are required. However, rectangular substrates are typically cleaned without rotation during transport, resulting in scrubbing with a cleaning member only from one direction, which can result in insufficient cleaning. The substrate cleaning method of this embodiment can provide a clean substrate by scrubbing a rectangular substrate from multiple directions with a cleaning member. Therefore, rectangular substrates are preferably applied to this embodiment. The following embodiment will be described using a rectangular substrate as an example.

[0021] <Transport module> 1 includes two transfer modules 200A and 200B. The two transfer modules 200A and 200B can have the same configuration, and therefore, hereinafter, they will be collectively referred to as the transfer module 200. Furthermore, when referring to the polishing modules 300A and 300B without distinguishing between them, they will be referred to as the polishing modules 300. The number of transfer modules 200 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is not particularly limited, and one or more transfer modules 200, whether identical or different, can be installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1000.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the transfer module 200. The transfer module 200 transfers the substrate WF to and from the polishing module 300 as needed while transferring the substrate WF. The transfer module 200 is disposed in a housing 201 and includes a plurality of transfer rollers 202 for transferring the substrate WF. The transfer module 200 can transfer the substrate WF on the transfer rollers 202 in a predetermined direction by rotating the transfer rollers 202. The transfer rollers 202 of the transfer module 200 may be formed from a conductive polymer or a non-conductive polymer. The transfer rollers 202 are attached to roller shafts 204 and are driven by a motor 208 via a gear 206. The motor 208 may be a servo motor to control the transfer speed. The gear 206 may be a magnetic gear. In the illustrated example, the transfer module 200 includes a sensor 216 for detecting whether the substrate WF is present at a predetermined position on the transfer rollers 202. The sensor 216 may be of any type, such as an optical sensor. In the illustrated example, seven sensors 216 (216a to 216g) are provided in the transfer module 200, but the type and number of sensors 216 are not particularly limited. The control device 900 (FIG. 1) can control the operation of the transfer module 200 in response to detection of the substrate WF by these sensors 216a to 216g. The transfer module 200 has an entrance shutter 218 that can be opened and closed to receive the substrate WF into the transfer module 200. The transfer module 200 has an exit shutter 286 that can be opened and closed to unload the substrate WF from the transfer module 200.

[0023] The transport module 200 has a stopper 220. The stopper 220 is connected to a stopper moving mechanism 222, and the stopper 220 can enter the transport path of the substrate WF moving on the transport rollers 202. When the stopper 220 is located within the transport path of the substrate WF, the side of the substrate WF moving on the transport rollers 202 comes into contact with the stopper 220, and the moving substrate WF can be stopped at the position of the stopper 220. Furthermore, when the stopper 220 is at a position retracted from the transport path of the substrate WF, the substrate WF can move on the transport rollers 202 without being obstructed by the stopper 220. The position at which the stopper 220 stops the substrate WF is a position at which a pusher 230, described below, can receive the substrate WF on the transport rollers 202.

[0024] The transport module 200 has a pusher 230. The pusher 230 is configured to lift the substrate WF on the plurality of transport rollers 202 so that the substrate WF is separated from the plurality of transport rollers 202. The pusher 230 is also configured to transfer the substrate WF that it holds to the top ring 302 of the polishing module 300.

[0025] The pusher 230 includes a first stage 232 and a second stage 270. The first stage 232 is a stage for supporting a retainer member (not shown) of the top ring 302 when transferring the substrate WF from the pusher 230 to the top ring 302. The first stage 232 includes a plurality of support columns 234 for supporting the retainer member of the top ring 302. The second stage 270 is a stage for receiving the substrate WF on the transport rollers 202. The second stage 270 includes a plurality of support columns 272 for receiving the substrate WF on the transport rollers 202. The first stage 232 and the second stage 270 are movable in a height direction perpendicular to the substrate WF by a first lifting mechanism. The second stage 270 is further movable in a height direction relative to the first stage 232 by a second lifting mechanism. When the first stage 232 and the second stage 270 are raised by the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism, parts of the support columns 234 of the first stage 232 and the support columns 272 of the second stage 270 pass between the transport rollers 202 and the roller shafts 204 and reach a position higher than the transport rollers 202. The substrate WF transported on the transport rollers 202 is stopped at a stopping position by the stopper 220. Thereafter, the first lifting mechanism lifts the first stage 232 and the second stage 270, and the substrate WF on the transport rollers 202 is lifted by the support columns 272 of the second stage 270. Thereafter, while the retainer member of the top ring 302 is supported by the support columns 234 of the first stage 232, the second lifting mechanism lifts the second stage 270 holding the substrate WF. The top ring 302 receives and holds the substrate WF on the second stage 270 by vacuum suction.

[0026] The transfer module 200 has a cleaning unit. This cleaning unit has cleaning nozzles 284. The cleaning nozzles 284 have an upper cleaning nozzle 284a arranged above the transfer rollers 202 and a lower cleaning nozzle 284b arranged below the transfer rollers 202. The upper cleaning nozzle 284a and the lower cleaning nozzle 284b are connected to a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown). The upper cleaning nozzle 284a is configured to supply cleaning liquid to the upper surface of the substrate WF transferred on the transfer rollers 202. The lower cleaning nozzle 284b is configured to supply cleaning liquid to the lower surface of the substrate WF transferred on the transfer rollers 202. The upper cleaning nozzle 284a and the lower cleaning nozzle 284b have a width that is approximately the same as or greater than the width of the substrate WF transferred on the transfer rollers 202, and are configured so that the entire surface of the substrate WF is cleaned as the substrate WF is transferred on the transfer rollers 202. The cleaning unit is located downstream of the stop position of the substrate WF, which is the substrate transfer location of the pusher 230.

[0027] The transfer module 200 receives the substrate WF polished in the polishing module 300 from the top ring 302, cleans it appropriately, and then transfers it to another transfer module 200 or a cleaning module 1, the transfer module 200A transfers the substrate WF carried in from the load module 100 to the polishing module 300A, and transfers the substrate WF polished in the polishing module 300A to the transfer module 200B. The transfer module 200B transfers the substrate WF carried in from the transfer module 200A to the polishing module 300B, and transfers the substrate WF polished in the polishing module 300B to the cleaning module 400. The configuration of the transfer module 200 is not particularly limited as long as the transfer module 200 can transfer the substrate WF to and from the polishing module 300 and can transfer the substrate WF to another transfer module 200 or the cleaning module 400.

[0028] <Polishing module> 1 includes two polishing modules 300A and 300B. The two polishing modules 300A and 300B may have the same configuration, and therefore will be collectively referred to below as the polishing module 300. The number of polishing modules 300 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is not particularly limited, and one or more polishing modules 300, whether identical or different, may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1000.

[0029] 5, the polishing module 300 includes a polishing table 350 and a top ring 302. The polishing table 350 is supported by a table shaft 351. The polishing table 350 is rotated around the axis of the table shaft 351 as indicated by arrow AC by a driving unit (not shown). A polishing pad 352 is attached to the polishing table 350. The top ring 302 holds the substrate WF and presses it against the polishing pad 352.

[0030] The polishing module 300 includes a polishing liquid supply nozzle 354 for supplying a polishing liquid or a dressing liquid to the polishing pad 352. The polishing liquid is, for example, a slurry. The dressing liquid is, for example, pure water. The polishing table 350 and the table shaft 351 are provided with a passage 353 for supplying the polishing liquid. The passage 353 is connected to an opening 355 in the surface of the polishing table 350. The polishing pad 352 has a through-hole 357 formed in a position corresponding to the opening 355 in the polishing table 350. The polishing liquid passing through the passage 353 is supplied to the surface of the polishing pad 352 through the opening 355 in the polishing table 350 and the through-hole 357 in the polishing pad 352. The polishing module 300 also includes a dresser 356 for conditioning the polishing pad 352. The polishing module 300 also includes an atomizer 358 for spraying a liquid or a mixture of a liquid and a gas toward the polishing pad 352. The liquid sprayed from the atomizer 358 is, for example, pure water, and the gas is, for example, nitrogen gas.

[0031] The top ring 302 is supported by a top ring shaft 304. The top ring 302 is rotated around the axis of the top ring shaft 304 as indicated by arrow AB by a drive unit (not shown). The top ring shaft 304 can also be moved up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0032] The substrate WF is held by vacuum suction on the surface of the top ring 302 facing the polishing pad 352. During polishing, a polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 352 from a polishing liquid supply nozzle 354 and / or through holes 357 in the polishing pad 352. During polishing, the polishing table 350 and the top ring 302 are rotated. The substrate WF is polished by being pressed against the polishing surface of the polishing pad 352 by the top ring 302.

[0033] 5, the top ring shaft 304 is connected to an arm 360, and the arm 360 is capable of swinging about a rotation axis 362. The arm 360 may be fixed or swingable so that the top ring 302 passes through the center of the polishing pad 352. Furthermore, the arm 360 may be fixed or swingable so that the substrate WF covers the through-hole 357 of the polishing pad 352 while the substrate WF is being polished. As shown in FIG. 1 , the swingable arm 360 allows the top ring 302 to move toward the transfer module 200. When the top ring 302 moves to the substrate transfer location of the transfer module 200, the top ring 302 can receive the substrate WF from the pusher 230. Furthermore, after the substrate WF has been polished in the polishing module 300, the top ring 302 can transfer the substrate WF from the top ring 302 to the pusher 230.

[0034] The configuration of the polishing module 300 is not particularly limited as long as it can polish or grind the substrate WF. For example, polishing or grinding may be performed using a polishing tape or a fixed abrasive plate. Furthermore, although the above example shows face-down polishing in which the substrate WF faces downward in the vertical direction, face-up polishing in which the substrate WF faces upward in the vertical direction may also be performed.

[0035] <Cleaning module> The substrate processing apparatus 1000 of this embodiment includes a cleaning module 400 for removing residues such as slurry from the substrate WF that cannot be completely cleaned by the cleaning mechanism (upper cleaning nozzle 284a and lower cleaning nozzle 284b) of the transfer module 200. Fig. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the cleaning module 400. The cleaning module 400 and the control device 900 can be independently configured as a substrate cleaning apparatus.

[0036] The substrate WF polished by the polishing module 300 is carried into the cleaning module 400 through an entrance shutter 410 with the processing surface 11 (FIG. 3) facing downward. The cleaning module 400 is provided with a transport mechanism 2000 that includes transport rollers 202 and a roller shaft 204 and transports the substrate WF with the polished surface facing downward along a linear transport path 405. The transport mechanism 2000 has upper transport rollers 290 (FIG. 7) arranged vertically above the transport rollers 202, except for a position where the substrate WF is transferred to the transfer machine 420 (substrate transfer position P10).

[0037] The transport rollers 202 and upper transport rollers 290 of the cleaning module 400 may be made of a conductive polymer. The transport rollers 202 and upper transport rollers 290 are electrically grounded via the roller shaft 204 and upper transport roller shaft 291 (FIG. 7), etc. This is to prevent the substrate WF from being damaged by charging. The transport rollers 202 and upper transport rollers 290 are driven by the gear 206 and motor 208, similar to those described for the transport module 200, and therefore detailed description of the structure and drive mechanism will be omitted.

[0038] The cleaning module 400 includes an ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 that is arranged at a position away from the transport path 405 in a direction perpendicular to the transport path 405. The ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 is a cleaning tank for cleaning the substrate WF with its processing surface 11 facing downward. The ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 includes an ultrasonic irradiator 442 that applies ultrasonic waves to the substrate WF immersed in a cleaning liquid contained in the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440. The ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 can clean residues such as slurry adhering to the processing surface 11 and back surface of the substrate WF by irradiating ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic irradiator 442.

[0039] The cleaning module 400 includes a transfer machine 420 for transferring a substrate WF located at a substrate transfer position P10 on the transport path 405 to an ultrasonic cleaning tank 440, and transferring the substrate WF cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 onto the transport path 405. The transfer machine 420 is configured to be movable between a transfer position P1 above the transport path 405 and a cleaning position P2 above the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440. The transfer device 420 grips the substrate WF on the transport path at the transport position P1, and then lowers the substrate WF while still gripping it at the cleaning position P2, where it is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440. After the substrate WF has been cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440, the transfer device 420 moves to the transport position P1 while still gripping the substrate WF, and releases the substrate WF onto the transport path 405. Note that the cleaning module 400 may include multiple ultrasonic cleaning tanks 440. This allows for an increase in the types of cleaning liquid that can be used, making it possible to deal with various residues adhering to the substrate WF and also improving the throughput of the cleaning module 400.

[0040] 6, the cleaning module 400 includes two scrub cleaning mechanisms 450A and 450B disposed downstream of the substrate transfer position P10 on the transfer path 405 in the substrate transfer direction. The two scrub cleaning mechanisms 450A and 450B may have the same configuration, and therefore will be collectively described below as the scrub cleaning mechanism 450. The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 performs scrubbing by contacting a cleaning member with the substrate WF and scrubbing the substrate WF. The number of scrub cleaning mechanisms 450 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is not particularly limited, and one or more of the same or different scrub cleaning mechanisms 450 may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1000.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a side view schematically showing the scrub cleaning mechanism 450. Hereinafter, the direction in which the substrate WF is transported is referred to as the transport direction (schematically indicated by arrow AE), and the direction of the rotation axes AX1 and AX2 of the cleaning member 451 is referred to as the axial direction. The transport direction and the axial direction are referred to as the first direction and the second direction, respectively, as appropriate. From the viewpoint of providing a clean substrate WF more reliably, the transport direction and the axial direction are preferably along the surface of the substrate WF, more preferably substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate WF, and even more preferably parallel to the surface of the substrate WF. The substrate WF is transported in the transport direction between the transport roller 202 attached to the roller shaft 204 and the upper transport roller 290 attached to the upper transport roller shaft 291. The substrate WF is driven in the transport direction by the rotation of the transport roller 202 or the upper transport roller 290 (arrow AD). The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 cleans the substrate WF being transported in the transport direction by bringing cleaning members 451-1 and 451-2, which rotate around rotation axes AX1 and AX2, respectively, that extend in an axial direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction along the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF into contact with the substrate WF. The cleaning members 451-1 and 451-2 can be roll cleaning members that scrub the surface of the substrate WF while rotating.

[0042] The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 includes a first cleaning member 451-1 that contacts the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF transported by the transport mechanism 2000 and rotates at a predetermined rotation speed (schematically indicated by arrow AR11) by a rotation mechanism (not shown), and an elevation mechanism 453-1 for raising and lowering the first cleaning member 451-1 via a load cell 459-1 (schematically indicated by arrow AR12).The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 also includes a second cleaning member 451-2 that contacts the back surface of the substrate WF transported by the transport mechanism 2000 and rotates at a predetermined rotation speed (schematically indicated by arrow AR21) by a rotation mechanism (not shown), and a roll holder 454 for holding the second cleaning member 451-2. The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 further includes a lifting mechanism 453-2 for raising and lowering the second cleaning member 451-2 (schematically indicated by arrow AR22) via a load cell 459-2 attached to a roll holder 454, and a horizontal drive mechanism 457 for driving the second cleaning member 451-2 along a shaft 452 extending parallel to the transport path 405 (schematically indicated by arrow AR23). The first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are disposed opposite each other across the transport mechanism 2000. The lifting mechanisms 453-1 and 453-2 and the horizontal drive mechanism 457 can be realized by known mechanisms such as motors. The lifting mechanisms 453-1 and 453-2 may raise and lower the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 symmetrically above and below the substrate WF, respectively, or may raise and lower them individually. Hereinafter, when the lifting mechanisms 453-1 and 453-2 are not distinguished from each other, they will be referred to as the lifting mechanism 453. Note that the first cleaning member 451-1 will also be referred to as the lifting mechanism 453. A horizontal drive mechanism may be provided to move the cleaning members in a direction along the substrate WF. Alternatively, both the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 may be moved in a direction along the substrate WF by a single horizontal drive mechanism 457. As long as a cleaning member having a desired rotation axis angle θ (described below) can be brought into contact with and separated from the substrate WF, the cleaning member can be made movable as needed.

[0043] The first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are not particularly limited in their configuration as long as they rotate around rotation axes AX1 and AX2 extending in a predetermined direction and can contact and clean the substrate WF. The first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are preferably cylindrical in shape to efficiently scrub the substrate WF by rotation. From the same perspective, the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are preferably sponges or brushes extending in the axial direction, and cylindrical sponges or brushes are more preferred. Sponges are particularly preferred because of their excellent flexibility, elasticity, and water absorption. Hereinafter, when referring to the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 without distinction, they will be referred to as cleaning members 451 as appropriate. When referring to the rotation axis AX1 of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the rotation axis AX2 of the second cleaning member 451-2 without distinction, they will be referred to as rotation axis AX as appropriate. Each cleaning member 451 has a cylindrical inner surface, and this inner surface is attached to the outer surface of a cylindrical core member (not shown) whose rotation center line is the rotation axis AX, so that the cleaning member 451 can be configured to rotate integrally with the core member.

[0044] The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 includes a first sensor 4216A and a second sensor 4216B. The first sensor 4216A and the second sensor 4216B detect the position of the substrate WF. The types of the first sensor 4216A and the second sensor 4216B are not particularly limited as long as they can detect the substrate WF, and may be optical sensors or the like. The detection signals generated by the first sensor 4216A and the second sensor 4216B upon detecting the substrate WF are transmitted to the control device 900 for analysis. Alternatively, the detection signals may be analyzed in the first sensor 4216A and the second sensor 4216B to generate data and transmit the data to the control device 900.

[0045] The load cell 459-1 is a measuring device that measures the force applied by the lifting mechanism 453-1 to press the first cleaning member 451-1 against the substrate WF. The load cell 459-2 is a measuring device that measures the force applied by the lifting mechanism 453-2 to press the second cleaning member 451-2 against the substrate WF. When the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are raised and lowered individually, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 is configured to perform closed-loop control of the pressing force of the first cleaning member 451-1 against the substrate WF based on the measurement value of the load cell 459-1. Similarly, the second cleaning member 451-2 is subjected to closed-loop control based on the measurement value of the load cell 459-2. For example, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can control the positions of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 so that the measurement values ​​of the load cells 459-1 and 459-2 become predetermined specified values. Furthermore, when the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are raised and lowered symmetrically relative to the substrate WF, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 may refer to either the load cell 459-1 or the load cell 459-2 as the measurement value used for closed-loop control. However, referring to only one of the load cells 459-1 and 459-2 may result in failure to detect a situation in which the substrate WF is in partial contact with one of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 due to warping or the like. For example, if closed-loop control is performed based on the measurement value of the load cell 459-2, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 cannot detect even if the substrate WF is not in contact with the first cleaning member 451-1 and the top surface of the substrate WF is not cleaned. Therefore, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can control the positions of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 based on the average value of the measurement values ​​of the load cells 459-1 and 459-2. In this case, when the substrate WF makes a one-sided contact, the measurement value of either the load cell 459-1 or the load cell 459-2 becomes 0, and the average value of these also becomes half. controls the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 to approach the substrate WF, thereby increasing the pressing force. As a result, the substrate WF can recover from the one-sided contact state, and the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can clean both the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate WF. Furthermore, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can perform feedback control of the positions of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 when the difference between the measured values ​​of the load cells 459-1 and 459-2 and a preset designated value exceeds a threshold value. This is because performing feedback control when the difference between the measured values ​​of the load cells 459-1 and 459-2 and the preset designated value is small may result in hunting. Furthermore, since the measurement values ​​of the load cell 459-1 and the load cell 459-2 may be affected by noise such as steps of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 and vibrations of the substrate WF, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can also calculate a moving average of the measurement values ​​and use it for position control.

[0046] The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 includes a plurality of first cleaning nozzles 456-1 for spraying cleaning liquid onto the polished surface of the substrate WF when cleaning the substrate WF using the first cleaning member 451-1. The scrub cleaning mechanism 450 also includes a plurality of second cleaning nozzles 456-2 for spraying cleaning liquid onto the back surface of the substrate WF when cleaning the substrate WF using the second cleaning member 451-2. In addition to the configuration in which cleaning liquid is supplied from the first cleaning nozzles 456-1 and the second cleaning nozzles 456-2, the cleaning liquid and rinse liquid may be passed through the cleaning member 451 via liquid passages in the aforementioned core member arranged inside the cleaning member 451 and supplied from the outer circumferential surface of the cleaning member 451.

[0047] The scrubbing mechanism 450 may also include a cleaning mechanism (not shown) for contacting the first cleaning member 451-1 to clean the first cleaning member 451-1. In one example, the cleaning mechanism may be configured with a quartz plate for contacting the first cleaning member 451-1 to remove dirt and other contaminants adhering to the first cleaning member 451-1, but is not limited to this. A similar cleaning mechanism may also be provided for the second cleaning member 451-2.

[0048] The direction of the rotation axis AX1 of the first cleaning member 451-1 is variable. The first cleaning member 451-1 is configured to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF (schematically indicated by arrow AR13). The first cleaning member 451-1 is rotated by a rotation mechanism (not shown), such as a servo mechanism, so that the rotation axis AX1 can be changed in any of a plurality of continuous or discrete directions. For example, the first cleaning member 451-1 can rotate around the central axis of a first shaft 458-1 having a central axis perpendicular to the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF. The direction of the rotation axis AX1 is changed under the control of a cleaning control unit 952 of the control device 900, which will be described later.

[0049] The direction of the rotation axis AX2 of the second cleaning member 451-2 is variable. The second cleaning member 451-2 is configured to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF (schematically indicated by arrow AR24). The second cleaning member 451-2 is rotated by a rotation mechanism (not shown), such as a servo mechanism, so that the rotation axis AX2 can be changed in any of a plurality of continuous or discrete directions. For example, the second cleaning member 451-2 can rotate around the central axis of a second shaft 458-2 having a central axis perpendicular to the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF. The direction of the rotation axis AX2 is changed under the control of a cleaning control unit 952 of the control device 900, which will be described later.

[0050] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the first cleaning member 451-1, the second cleaning member 451-2, and the substrate WF. The area not enclosed by the rectangle R1 in Figure 8 shows a plan view showing the first cleaning member 451-1, the second cleaning member 451-2, and the substrate WF. The area enclosed by the rectangle R1 shows a side view showing the first cleaning member 451-1, the second cleaning member 451-2, and the substrate WF as seen from the direction of the arrow AR30.

[0051] The rotation axis AX2 of the second cleaning member 451-2 forms an angle θ with a line WL perpendicular to the transport direction (arrow AE) on a plane along the substrate WF. This angle is referred to as the rotation axis angle θ. The rotation axis angle θ is defined within a range of 0 degrees or more and less than 360 degrees. In the following description, the rotation axis AX1 of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the rotation axis AX2 of the second cleaning member 451-2 are both assumed to form the same rotation axis angle θ with respect to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The rotation axis angle θ can be changed to multiple angles, but it can be set to at least one direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of efficiently scrubbing the substrate WF, it is preferable that the rotation axis angle θ be set to a direction that is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the transport direction. From the same viewpoint, the rotation axis angle θ is preferably between 1 and 45 degrees, 135 and 179 degrees, 181 and 225 degrees, or 315 and 359 degrees, and more preferably between 5 and 45 degrees, 135 and 175 degrees, 185 and 225 degrees, or 315 and 355 degrees, and the same applies below when the rotation axis angle θ is set to an angle other than 0 degrees or 180 degrees. Note that the rotation axis angle of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the rotation axis angle of the second cleaning member 451-2 may be set to different angles, and each rotation axis angle may be controlled independently.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cleaning conditions are changed under the control of the control device 900, including at least one of the directions of the rotation axes AX1 and AX2 determined by the rotation axis angle θ, the rotation speeds of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2, and the substrate transport speed.

[0053] In the following embodiments, when the term "rotation speed" of the cleaning member 451 is used, it refers to the rotation speed about the rotation axis AX unless otherwise specified. When the term "changing the rotation axis angle θ" or "changing the direction of the rotation axis AX" of the cleaning member 451 is used, at least the angle between the component of the rotation axis AX along the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF and the width direction of the substrate WF (the direction perpendicular to the transport direction) is changed. When the rotation axis angle θ is changed, the cleaning member 451 may be moved along the substrate WF, or the cleaning member 451 may be raised to a certain height, rotated about an axis perpendicular to the substrate WF, and then brought into contact with the substrate WF again. There are no particular limitations on the intermediate operations as long as the rotation axis angle θ can be changed.

[0054] 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning member 451 on the surface of the substrate WF. Hereinafter, the length over which a point on the surface of the cleaning member 451 rubs the substrate WF during one rotation of the cleaning member 451 is referred to as the rubbing length, and the rubbing direction is referred to as the rubbing direction. To improve cleaning efficiency, it is desirable to have a longer rubbing length and to rub the substrate WF from multiple rubbing directions.

[0055] The cleaning member 451 is a cylindrical sponge, and the diameter of its cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis AX is D. The maximum length of the sponge that is pressed radially due to contact with the substrate WF is the pressed-in length d. The width of the sponge that is in contact with the substrate WF in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis AX and along the substrate WF is Ls. The points on both sides of this width are points P and Q, respectively. φ is half the central angle corresponding to the portion of the contact area with the substrate WF from point P to point Q, with the rotation axis AX as the center. The X axis is parallel to the transport direction, the Z axis is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate WF to be cleaned (see arrow AZ), and the Y axis is perpendicular to the X and Z axes. The substrate transport speed is v. The sponge rotation speed is R.

[0056] In this case, the amount of movement L of a point (for example, P) on the sponge surface on the substrate while the sponge makes one rotation is expressed in XY coordinates as L(Lx, Ly). Then, the X component Lx of the amount of movement L is the sum of the X component Lsx of the amount of movement contributed by the rotation of the sponge and the X component Lv of the amount of movement contributed by the movement of the substrate WF. The Y component Ly of the amount of movement L is the Y component Lsy of the amount of movement contributed by the rotation of the sponge. Therefore, it can be written as in the following equations (1) and (2). In the following equations (1) to (9), the sponge rotation speed R is the number of rotations per minute, and other variables are expressed in the MKSA unit system. Lx = Lsx + Lv …(1) Ly = Lsy …(2)

[0057] Here, Lsx and Lsy are the X and Y components of the vector corresponding to the width Ls (Figure 9). The width Ls is calculated from the diameter D of the sponge's cross section and the push-in length d using the following equation (3). Therefore, Lsx and Lsy are calculated using the following equations (4) and (5). The X component Lv of the movement amount contributed by the movement of the substrate WF during one rotation of the sponge is calculated using the following equation (6) using the transport speed v, angle φ, and sponge rotation speed R. The angle φ is calculated from the diameter D of the sponge's cross section and the push-in length d using the following equation (7). Ls=2((D / 2) 2 -(D / 2-d) 2 ) 0.5 =2((Dd)×d) 0.5 …(3) Lsx = Ls × cosθ …(4) Lsy = Ls × sinθ …(5) Lv = v × (2φ) / (2πR / 60) … (6) φ=cos -1 (1-d / (D / 2)) …(7)

[0058] By applying the formulas (3) to (7) to the above formulas (1) and (2), it can be derived that Lx and Ly can be calculated by the following formulas (8) and (9). Lx = 2((Dd) × d) 0.5×cosθ+60v / (πR)×cos -1 (1-d / (D / 2)) …(8) Ly = 2((Dd) × d) 0.5 ×sinθ …(9)

[0059] From equations (8) and (9), it can be seen that changing the rotation axis angle θ of the cleaning member 451, the rotation speed R of the cleaning member 451, or the transport speed v of the substrate WF changes the ratio of Lx to Ly, and therefore the direction in which each part of the cleaning member 451 scrubs the substrate WF (scrubbing direction). Therefore, in this embodiment, the cleaning member 451 scrubs the substrate WF from multiple scrubbing directions, thereby making it possible to provide a cleaner substrate WF.

[0060] In the above description, the rotation axis angle θ of the first cleaning member 451-1 and the rotation axis angle θ of the second cleaning member 451-2 are the same. In this case, if the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 are arranged opposite each other with the substrate WF in between, a force is applied to the same position on a plane parallel to the substrate WF (the XY plane). This is preferable because no moment is generated and cleaning can be performed stably. However, the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 can perform scrub cleaning using any number of cleaning members 451 having the same or different rotation axis angles θ.

[0061] 1 and 6, the cleaning module 400 includes a rinse cleaning mechanism 460 arranged downstream of the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 in the substrate transport direction on the transport path 405. The rinse cleaning mechanism 460 includes a rinse liquid supply nozzle (not shown) for supplying a rinse liquid (e.g., pure water) to the processing surface 11 of the substrate WF cleaned by the scrub cleaning mechanism 450. The substrate WF is cleaned with the rinse liquid by the rinse cleaning mechanism 460. The substrate WF cleaned by the rinse cleaning mechanism 460 is transferred out of the cleaning module 400 via the exit shutter 470 shown in FIG. 6 and transferred into the drying module 500. Note that, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the substrate WF is subjected to both ultrasonic cleaning by the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 and scrub cleaning by the scrub cleaning mechanism 450, and then rinse cleaning by the rinse cleaning mechanism 460 is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cleaning module 400 performs at least one of ultrasonic cleaning and rinse cleaning depending on the material of the substrate WF, the type of dirt attached to the substrate WF, the size of the substrate WF, etc. Alternatively, one of the components may be omitted. The ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 and the scrubbing mechanism 450 may include a system for supplying a chemical solution. This allows the cleaning module 400 to be capable of using both physical and chemical cleaning methods.

[0062] <Drying module> 1, the drying module 500 is an apparatus for drying the substrate WF. In the illustrated substrate processing apparatus 1000, the drying module 500 dries the substrate WF cleaned in the cleaning module 400. The drying module 500 is disposed downstream of the cleaning module 400.

[0063] The drying module 500 includes a nozzle 530 for spraying gas toward the substrate WF. This gas can be compressed air or nitrogen. In the drying module 500, the substrate WF is transported by transport rollers 202 attached to roller shafts 204. During this transport, gas is sprayed from the nozzle 530 toward the substrate WF to dry the substrate WF. The substrate WF unloaded from the drying module 500 is loaded into the unload module 600. Note that the configuration of the drying module 500 is not particularly limited as long as it can dry the substrate WF to the desired degree.

[0064] <Unload module> The unload module 600 is a unit for unloading the substrate WF after processing such as polishing and cleaning to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1000. In the unload module 600, the substrate WF is transported by transport rollers 202 attached to roller shafts 204. The unload module 600 may be configured to include a sensor (not shown) and, when the sensor detects the substrate WF, unload the substrate WF to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1000. Note that the form of the unload module 600 is not particularly limited as long as it can unload the substrate WF to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1000.

[0065] <Control device> 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control device 900. The control device 900 includes a communication unit 910, an input unit 920, a storage unit 930, a display unit 940, and a processing unit 950. The processing unit 950 includes a substrate processing control unit 951, a cleaning control unit 952, a display control unit 953, and a memory 959.

[0066] The control device 900 includes an information processing device such as a general computer or a dedicated computer, and serves as an interface with a user of the substrate processing device 1000 (hereinafter simply referred to as the user), as appropriate, and also performs processes such as communication, storage, and calculation of various data. Note that the control device 900 may have its various components physically located in different devices. Furthermore, at least a portion of the data processed by the control device 900 may be stored in a remote server or the like.

[0067] The communication unit 910 includes a communication device capable of communicating wirelessly or via a wired connection. The communication unit 910 receives data necessary for processing by the processing unit 950 and transmits data obtained by the processing.

[0068] The input unit 920 includes input devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, various buttons, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 920 receives inputs required for the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 from a user.

[0069] The storage unit 930 includes a non-volatile or volatile storage medium and stores programs and data for the processing unit 950 to execute processing.

[0070] The display unit 940 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, etc. The display unit 940 displays information obtained by processing by the processing unit 950, etc.

[0071] The processing unit 950 includes a processing device including a processor such as a CPU. The processing unit 950 functions as a main unit for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1000. The processing unit 950 performs various processes by loading a program stored in the storage unit 930 or the like into a memory 959 and executing the program. This program includes the processes performed by the processing unit 950 described below. This program may be obtained by recording it on a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM, or may be obtained via a network. Note that the physical configuration of the processing unit 950 is not particularly limited as long as the processing by the processing unit 950 is possible.

[0072] The substrate processing control unit 951 controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 to perform processing such as polishing on the substrate WF. The substrate processing control unit 951 controls the load module 100 and the unload module 600 to load and unload the substrate WF into and from the substrate processing apparatus 1000. The substrate processing control unit 951 also controls the transfer modules 200A and 200B, etc., to control the transfer of the substrate WF. The substrate processing control unit 951 controls the transfer module 200A to move the substrate WF to the substrate transfer location of the transfer module 200A. The substrate processing control unit 951 controls the polishing module 300A to polish the substrate WF at the substrate transfer location and return it to the substrate transfer location. In this embodiment, the substrate processing control unit 951 also functions as a polishing control unit. The substrate processing control unit 951 controls the transfer modules 200A and 200B to move the substrate WF to the substrate transfer location of the transfer module 200B. The substrate processing controller 951 controls the polishing module 300B to polish the substrate WF at the substrate transfer location and return it to the substrate transfer location. The substrate processing controller 951 controls the transfer module 200B to move the substrate WF to the cleaning module 400.

[0073] The cleaning control unit 952 controls the cleaning module 400 to clean the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the transfer machine 420 (FIG. 6) and the ultrasonic cleaning tank 440 to ultrasonically clean the substrate WF located at the substrate transfer position P10. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the scrub cleaning mechanisms 450A and 450B to scrub the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the rinse cleaning mechanism 460 to rinse the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the transport mechanism 2000 to transport the substrate WF out to the drying module.

[0074] The following describes the control of the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 by the cleaning control unit 952. The cleaning control unit 952 receives a detection signal indicating the detection of the substrate WF from a first sensor 4216A (FIG. 7) disposed upstream of the cleaning member 451. Upon receiving the detection signal from the first sensor 4216A, the cleaning control unit 952 starts scrub cleaning.

[0075] The cleaning control unit 952 sets the rotation axis angle θ of the cleaning member 451. The cleaning control unit 952 can refer to a value of the rotation axis angle θ stored in advance in the storage unit 930 or the like. Alternatively, the cleaning control unit 952 may calculate and set the rotation axis angle θ based on the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451 or the transport speed of the substrate WF. For example, the cleaning control unit 952 can calculate and set the rotation axis angle θ based on the above-mentioned equations (8) and (9) so that the desired scrubbing length is achieved in the desired scrubbing direction.

[0076] The cleaning control unit 952 controls the scrub cleaning mechanism 450 so that the set rotation axis angle θ is achieved. The cleaning control unit 952 controls a rotation mechanism (not shown) to rotate the cleaning member 451 around an axis perpendicular to the substrate WF so that the rotation axis angle θ becomes the set value. After the rotation to achieve the rotation axis angle θ is completed, the cleaning control unit 952 rotates each cleaning member 451 around the rotation axis AX. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the lifting mechanism 453 to bring the cleaning member 451 into contact with the substrate WF and perform scrub cleaning. The cleaning control unit 952 also controls the shaft The second cleaning member 451-2 may be moved in a direction along the substrate WF by controlling the shaft 452 and the horizontal driving mechanism 457.

[0077] The cleaning control unit 952 changes the cleaning conditions based on information about at least one of the substrate WF and the cleaning module 400. This information is called cleaning information. The cleaning information may include information indicating the position or state of the substrate WF or the state of components of the cleaning module 400. The cleaning conditions are conditions for cleaning by the cleaning module 400, including at least one of the rotation axis angle θ or the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451, the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, and the transport speed of the substrate WF.

[0078] When changing the rotation axis angle θ of the cleaning member 451, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the lifting mechanism 453 to temporarily move the cleaning member 451 away from the substrate WF in a direction perpendicular to the substrate WF. Then, the cleaning control unit 952 rotates the cleaning member 451 around an axis perpendicular to the substrate WF. Next, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the lifting mechanism 453 to bring the cleaning member 451 into contact with the substrate WF and perform scrubbing again. Note that the rotation axis angle θ may be changed while the cleaning member 451 remains in contact with the substrate WF. When changing the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the rotation speed by controlling a motor that drives the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around the rotation axis AX. When changing the transport speed of the substrate WF, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the transport mechanism 2000 to change the transport speed.

[0079] The cleaning control unit 952 can change the cleaning conditions based on whether the components of the cleaning module 400 are operating normally. For example, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the cleaning conditions based on the drive current or drive torque of the motor that drives the transport mechanism 2000 for the substrate WF or the motor that drives the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around the rotation axis AX. If the drive current or drive torque indicates an abnormal value, such as outside a predetermined range, the cleaning control unit 952 can slow the transport speed of the substrate WF, slow the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, or change the rotation axis angle θ of the cleaning member 451. This configuration can prevent damage to the cleaning member 451, the cleaning module 400, and the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 can determine whether to change the cleaning conditions based on a drive current or drive torque threshold value stored in advance in the memory unit 930 or the like and a measured value of the drive current or drive torque. For example, the cleaning control unit 952 can determine to change the cleaning conditions if the measured drive current or drive torque is greater than the threshold value. In the following determination, the algorithm is not particularly limited as long as the determination is made based on a threshold value.

[0080] The cleaning control unit 952 receives a detection signal indicating the detection of the substrate WF from the second sensor 4216B (FIG. 7) disposed downstream of the cleaning member 451. Upon receiving the detection signal from the second sensor 4216B, the cleaning control unit 952 ends the scrub cleaning. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the lifting mechanism 453 to move the cleaning member 451 away from the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 can clean the cleaning member 451 using a cleaning mechanism (not shown), or retract the cleaning member 451 to a retract position when cleaning is not being performed.

[0081] The display control unit 953 controls the display unit 940 to display, on the display device, information about the substrate processing apparatus 1000. The display control unit 953 can display information about cleaning of the substrate WF, such as the rotation axis angle θ or rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, or the transport speed of the substrate WF in the scrub cleaning mechanism 450.

[0082] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substrate processing method including a substrate cleaning method according to this embodiment. This substrate processing method is performed by processing unit 950 of control device 900.

[0083] In step S101, the substrate processing control unit 951 performs processing such as polishing on the substrate WF. The processed substrate WF is carried into the cleaning module 400. After step S101, step S102 is performed. In step S102, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the transport mechanism 2000 of the cleaning module 400 to transport the substrate WF. The transport mechanism 2000 transports the substrate WF along the transport path 405, and ultrasonic cleaning or the like is performed as appropriate. After step S102, step S103 is performed.

[0084] In step S103, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the scrub cleaning mechanism 451 to scrub the substrate WF. After step S103, step S104 is performed. In step S104, the cleaning control unit 952 determines whether or not to terminate the scrub cleaning. If the termination condition is met, a positive determination is made in step S104, and step S108 is performed. The termination condition is a condition for terminating the scrub cleaning, and includes, for example, detection by the second sensor 4216B of the separation of the substrate WF from the cleaning member 451, or input of a scrub cleaning termination instruction from the user. If the termination condition is not met, a negative determination is made in step S104, and step S105 is performed.

[0085] In step S105, the cleaning control unit 952 acquires information (cleaning information) about the substrate WF or the cleaning module 400. For example, if the cleaning information is the drive current of the motor that drives the transport mechanism 2000, the cleaning control unit 952 can monitor the value of the drive current. After step S105, step S106 is performed. In step S106, the cleaning control unit 952 determines whether to change the cleaning conditions based on the cleaning information acquired in step S105. For example, if the cleaning information is the drive current of the motor that drives the transport mechanism 2000, the cleaning control unit 952 can determine to change the cleaning conditions when the drive current is equal to or greater than a threshold, and can determine not to change the cleaning conditions when the drive current is less than the threshold. If the cleaning conditions are to be changed, a positive determination is made in step S106, and step S107 is performed. If the cleaning conditions are not to be changed, a negative determination is made in step S106, and the process returns to step S103.

[0086] In step S107, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the cleaning conditions. The cleaning control unit 952 controls each part of the cleaning module 400 to change the rotation axis angle θ or rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, or the transport speed of the substrate WF. After step S107, the process returns to step S103. In step S108, the cleaning control unit 952 moves the cleaning member 451 from the position where it contacts the substrate WF, thereby completing the scrub cleaning. After step S108, the process ends.

[0087] The substrate cleaning apparatus including the cleaning module 400 according to this embodiment includes a transport mechanism 2000 that transports the substrate WF in a transport direction (first direction). The cleaning module 400 cleans the substrate WF by contacting the substrate WF being transported in the transport direction with a cleaning member 451 that rotates around a rotation axis AX extending in an axial direction (second direction) that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. The control device 900 also includes a controller 900 that changes cleaning conditions, including at least one of the direction of the rotation axis AX, the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, and the transport speed of the substrate WF, based on information (cleaning information) related to at least one of the substrate WF and the cleaning module 400. This allows for scrubbing by adjusting the cleaning conditions, thereby providing a cleaner substrate WF. Furthermore, the substrate WF can be scrubbed from multiple directions, providing a cleaner substrate WF.

[0088] The cleaning module 400 according to this embodiment is provided with a first cleaning member 451-1 and a second cleaning member 451-2, and the first cleaning member 451-1 can be a cleaning member 451 that cleans one side of the substrate WF, and the second cleaning member 451-2 can be a cleaning member 451 that cleans the other side of the substrate WF. This allows both sides of the substrate WF to be scrubbed clean, and since the first cleaning member 451-1 and the second cleaning member 451-2 press against each other from both sides of the substrate WF, a strong load is applied to the substrate WF, which may cause deformation or the like. It can be suppressed.

[0089] The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention and can be combined with the above-described embodiment or other modifications. In the following modifications, parts and the like having the same structure and function as those in the above-described embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0090] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the cleaning control unit 952 may change the cleaning conditions based on the detected position of the substrate WF, thereby enabling flexible setting of the cleaning conditions for the substrate WF.

[0091] 12 is a plan view schematically illustrating the arrangement of the first sensor 4216A in this modification. The first sensor 4216A is configured to detect the substrate WF at a position a first distance DS1 upstream from the cleaning member 451 along the transport direction (arrow AE). From the perspective of more precise control, it is preferable that the first sensor 4216A detects that the leading edge of the substrate WF on the cleaning member 451 side has reached that position. The first distance DS1 is not particularly limited as long as it allows the rotation axis angle θ to be changed before the cleaning member 451 contacts the substrate WF. For example, the first distance DS1 can be a distance based on the width W1 of the substrate WF along the transport direction, and can be approximately the same length as the width W1.

[0092] When the cleaning control unit 952 receives a detection signal for the substrate WF from the first sensor 4216A, it changes the rotation axis angle θ to an angle that is neither 0 degrees nor 180 degrees. In other words, it changes the direction of the rotation axis AX along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. From the viewpoint of efficiently cleaning the entire substrate WF, it is preferable that the rotation axis angle θ is neither 90 degrees nor 270 degrees, in other words, that the direction of the rotation axis AX is changed to a direction that is not parallel to the transport direction. For example, the rotation axis angle θ can be set preferably between 1 degree and 45 degrees, 135 degrees and 179 degrees, 181 degrees and 225 degrees, or 315 degrees and 359 degrees, more preferably between 5 degrees and 45 degrees, 135 degrees and 175 degrees, 185 degrees and 225 degrees, or 315 degrees and 355 degrees. When a cleaning member extending along the substrate in the width direction of the substrate (perpendicular to the transport direction (direction of the line WL)) contacts the substrate, the pressing load changes suddenly across the entire width direction of the substrate, resulting in insufficient cleaning or the cleaning member catching on the edge of the substrate, placing a load on the cleaning module or the substrate, causing damage. In this modification, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451 just before cleaning of the substrate WF begins, thereby suppressing such adverse effects. Furthermore, because the rotation of the cleaning member 451 is not perpendicular to the transport direction, the contaminated liquid after cleaning also flows in the width direction, making it less likely to accumulate on the substrate WF. The time from detection by the first sensor 4216A to the start of scrubbing can be calculated from the first distance DS1 and the transport speed of the substrate WF. Therefore, the cleaning control unit 952 can change the direction of the rotation axis AX along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction (the rotation axis angle θ is neither 0 degrees nor 180 degrees) within a predetermined time before the cleaning member 451 starts to contact the substrate WF. The extent to which the rotation axis angle θ is changed may be determined based on the relative speed between the moving speed of the surface of the cleaning member 451 and the transport speed of the substrate WF, or the scrubbing length or scrubbing direction described above. The direction of the rotation axis AX may be changed continuously or in stages. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451 or the transport speed of the substrate WF may be changed.

[0093] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substrate processing method including a substrate cleaning method according to this modified example. This substrate processing method is performed by processing unit 950 of control device 900. Steps S201 and S202 are similar to steps S101 and S102, respectively, in the flowchart of FIG. 11 described above, and therefore will not be described here. Step S202 is followed by step S203. The direction of rotation axis AX of cleaning member 451 in step S203 is not particularly limited.

[0094] In step S203, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the first sensor 4216A to detect the position of the substrate WF. After step S203, step S204 is performed. In step S204, the cleaning control unit 952 controls a motor or the like that drives the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around an axis perpendicular to the substrate WF, and changes the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451. The direction of the rotation axis AX is changed along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. After step S204, step S205 is performed.

[0095] In step S205, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the cleaning module 400 to scrub the substrate WF. Here, the cleaning control unit 952 may change the cleaning conditions again to improve the efficiency of the scrub cleaning. For example, the cleaning control unit 952 can change the direction of the rotation axis AX so that the rotation axis AX approaches a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (so that the rotation axis angle θ decreases). Alternatively, the cleaning control unit 952 can increase the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451 or the transport speed of the substrate WF. By changing the cleaning conditions when the cleaning member 451 is brought into contact with the substrate WF and when the scrub cleaning is performed, the scrub cleaning can be performed efficiently while reducing the possibility of damage to the substrate WF and the cleaning module 400. After step S205, the cleaning control unit 952 performs step S206. In step S206, the cleaning control unit 952 ends the scrub cleaning, for example, when the above-mentioned end condition is satisfied. After step S206, the process ends.

[0096] In a substrate cleaning apparatus including the cleaning module 400 of this modification, the control device 900 changes the direction of the rotation axis AX along the substrate WF to a direction (second direction) that is not perpendicular to the transport direction within a predetermined time before the cleaning member 451 begins to contact the substrate WF. This allows the rotation axis AX to be changed to a direction not perpendicular to the transport direction just before the tip of the substrate WF on the cleaning member 451 side comes into contact with the cleaning member 451. This prevents the pressing load from suddenly changing across the entire width of the substrate WF, preventing sufficient cleaning. It also prevents the cleaning member 451 from getting caught on the edge of the substrate WF, thereby applying a load to the cleaning module 400 or the substrate WF and causing damage.

[0097] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451 may be changed within a predetermined time before the cleaning member 451 starts to move away from the substrate WF. In this case, the cleaning module 400 may have a configuration similar to that of Fig. 12, except that the first distance DS1 between the cleaning member 451 and the first sensor 4216A may be set to be shorter than, for example, the width W1 of the substrate WF along the transport direction, thereby detecting the rear end of the substrate WF.

[0098] Upon receiving a detection signal for the substrate WF from the first sensor 4216A, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the rotation axis angle θ to an angle that is neither 0 degrees nor 180 degrees. In other words, the direction of the rotation axis AX is changed along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. When a cleaning member extending along the substrate in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (the direction of the line WL)) moves away from the substrate, the pressing load may suddenly change across the entire width direction of the substrate, or the cleaning member may get caught on the edge of the substrate, placing a load on the cleaning module or the substrate. In this modification, the cleaning control unit 952 changes the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451 along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction just before the cleaning member 451 moves away from the substrate WF, thereby suppressing such adverse effects. The extent to which the rotation axis angle θ is changed may be determined based on the relative speed between the moving speed of the surface of the cleaning member 451 and the transport speed of the substrate WF, or the scrubbing length or scrubbing direction, etc. The direction of the rotation axis AX may be changed continuously or stepwise. The rotation speed of the cleaning member 451 or the transport speed of the substrate WF may also be changed.

[0099] 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substrate processing method including a substrate cleaning method according to this modified example. This substrate processing method is performed by processing unit 950 of control device 900. Steps S301 and S302 are similar to steps S101 and S102, respectively, in the flowchart of FIG. 11, and therefore will not be described here. After step S302, step S303 is performed. The direction of rotation axis AX of cleaning member 451 in step S303 is not particularly limited.

[0100] In step S303, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the cleaning module 400 to scrub the substrate WF. After step S303, step S304 is performed. In step S304, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the first sensor 4216A to detect the position of the substrate WF. For example, when the first sensor 4216A detects the rear end of the substrate WF, the cleaning control unit 952 is configured to detect that a predetermined time has elapsed since the substrate WF was separated. After step S304, step S305 is performed.

[0101] In step S305, the cleaning control unit 952 controls a motor or the like that drives the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around an axis perpendicular to the substrate WF, thereby changing the direction of the rotation axis AX of the cleaning member 451. The direction of the rotation axis AX is changed along the substrate WF to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction. After step S305, step S306 is performed. In step S306, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the lifting mechanism 453 to separate the cleaning member 451 from the substrate WF, thereby completing the scrub cleaning. After step S306, the process ends.

[0102] In a substrate cleaning apparatus including the cleaning module 400 of this modified example, the control device 900 changes the direction of the rotation axis AX along the substrate WF to a direction (second direction) that is not perpendicular to the transport direction within a predetermined time before the cleaning member 451 starts to separate from the substrate WF. This makes it possible to change the direction of the rotation axis AX to a direction that is not perpendicular to the transport direction just before the end of the substrate WF opposite the cleaning member 451 separates from the cleaning member 451. In this case, it is possible to prevent a sudden change in the pressing load across the entire width direction of the substrate WF due to the separation of the cleaning member 451, or the cleaning member 451 getting caught on the edge of the substrate WF, thereby preventing a load from being applied to the cleaning module 400 or the substrate WF and causing damage.

[0103] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate WF may be scrubbed while being transported back and forth along the transport path and moving in a plurality of different directions. Since different transport directions result in different scrubbing directions as shown in the above formula (8), a cleaner substrate WF can be provided by scrubbing in a plurality of scrubbing directions.

[0104] 15 is a plan view schematically illustrating the arrangement of the first sensor 4216A and the second sensor 4216B in this modification. The first sensor 4216A is configured to detect the substrate WF at a position spaced a first distance DS1 from the cleaning member 451 on one side (the right side in the figure) along the transport direction. The second sensor 4216B is configured to detect the substrate WF at a position spaced a second distance DS2 from the cleaning member 451 on the other side (the left side in the figure) along the transport direction. The first distance DS1 and the second distance DS2 in this modification are not particularly limited as long as the substrate WF can be scrubbed back and forth along the transport direction with the desired efficiency. The first distance DS1 and the second distance DS2 can be, for example, approximately the same as the width W1 of the substrate WF along the transport direction to approximately 10 times the width W1.

[0105] When the cleaning control unit 952 receives the first detection signal of the substrate WF identified by, for example, an ID or the like from the first sensor 4216A, it controls the cleaning module 400 to scrub the substrate WF moving in the first direction (arrow AE1) along the transport direction. Upon receiving a detection signal for the substrate WF from the second sensor 4216B, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the transport mechanism 2000 to move the substrate WF in a second direction (arrow AE2) opposite to the first direction. The cleaning control unit 952 controls the cleaning module 400 to scrub the substrate WF moving in the second direction (arrow AE2) along the transport direction. At this time, it is preferable to reverse the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around the rotation axis AX so as not to reduce cleaning efficiency. Upon receiving a detection signal for the substrate WF again from the first sensor 4216A, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the substrate WF to move in the opposite direction (first direction (arrow AE1) along the transport direction). Thereafter, the cleaning control unit 952 scrubs the substrate WF moving in the first direction. The cleaning control unit 952 repeatedly reverses the transport direction of the substrate WF in this manner, allowing scrubbing to be performed a predetermined number of times based on a numerical value stored in the memory unit 930 or the like. In each scrub cleaning, cleaning conditions such as the direction of the rotation axis AX, the rotation speed of the cleaning member 451, and the transport speed of the substrate WF may be the same or different.

[0106] 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of a substrate processing method including a substrate cleaning method according to this modified example. This substrate processing method is performed by processing unit 950 of control device 900. Steps S401 and S402 are similar to steps S101 and S102, respectively, in the flowchart of FIG. 11, and therefore will not be described here. After step S402, step S403 is performed. The direction of rotation axis AX of cleaning member 451 in step S403 is not particularly limited.

[0107] In step S403, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the cleaning module 400 to start scrubbing the substrate WF. After step S403, step S404 is performed. In step S404, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the first sensor 4216A or the second sensor 4216B to detect the substrate WF at a position spaced apart from the cleaning member 451. After step S404, step S405 is performed.

[0108] In step S405, the cleaning control unit 952 determines whether the number of cleanings is equal to or less than a threshold value. For example, the cleaning control unit 952 can reset a predetermined variable to 0 before cleaning a substrate WF with a new ID, and increment the variable by 1 each time scrubbing is started in step S403. In this case, in step S405, the cleaning control unit 952 determines whether the variable is less than a threshold value stored in the storage unit 930 or the like. If the number of cleanings is less than the threshold value, a positive determination is made in step S405, and step S406 is performed. If the number of cleanings is equal to or greater than the threshold value, a negative determination is made in step S405, and step S407 is performed.

[0109] In step S406, the cleaning control unit 952 controls the motors and the like that drive the rotation of the transport mechanism 2000 and the cleaning member 451 to reverse the transport of the substrate WF and the rotation of the cleaning member 451 around the rotation axis AX. After step S406, the process returns to step S403. In step S407, the cleaning control unit 952 ends the cleaning and controls the transport mechanism 2000 to unload the substrate WF from the scrub cleaning mechanism 450. After step S407, the process ends.

[0110] In a substrate cleaning apparatus including a cleaning module 400 according to this modification, the control device 900 can reverse the direction of transport of the substrate WF and the rotation of the cleaning member 451 when the cleaning member 451 is completely separated from the substrate WF. Here, "completely separated" refers to the entire rear end of the substrate WF being separated from the cleaning member 451. For example, in the case of a rectangular substrate, this refers to the entire side constituting the rear end of the substrate WF being separated from the cleaning member 451. This allows the same cleaning member 451 to be used to perform scrubbing in multiple scrubbing directions, thereby enabling the substrate WF to be scrubbed efficiently.

[0111] In the substrate cleaning apparatus including the cleaning module according to this modification, the control device 900 The WF transport and the rotation of the cleaning member 451 are reversed a predetermined number of times. This allows the number of cleanings to be set appropriately according to the type of substrate WF, etc., and enables efficient scrub cleaning.

[0112] (Variation 4) In the above-described embodiment, a plurality of protrusions may be formed on the surface of the cleaning member that comes into contact with the substrate.

[0113] FIG. 17 is a top view schematically illustrating a cleaning member 4510 according to this modification. To improve cleaning efficiency, the cleaning member 4510 has multiple protrusions 4512 formed on a side surface 4511S of a cylindrical base 4511, which corresponds to the cylindrical surface. FIG. 17 corresponds to a view of the cleaning member 4510 as viewed from the direction of the rotation axis AX3 of the cylindrical base 4511. The shape of the multiple protrusions 4512 is not particularly limited as long as it enables scrubbing cleaning. However, because catching on the substrate WF could damage the substrate WF or the cleaning module 400, it is preferable that the width of each protrusion narrows in the radial direction from the rotation axis AX3 so that it is less likely to get caught on the substrate WF.

[0114] As described above, if the cleaning member 4510 has multiple protrusions 4512, the cleaning member 4510 may easily get caught on the substrate WF. However, in the cleaning module according to the above embodiment, the rotation axis of the cleaning member is set in a direction that is not perpendicular to the substrate transport direction, and when the cleaning member contacts or separates from the substrate, no sudden load change occurs on the substrate, making it less likely for the cleaning member to get caught on the substrate. Therefore, applying the cleaning member 4510 having multiple protrusions 4512, as in this modified example, to the above embodiment is particularly preferable because it makes the above problem less likely to occur and improves cleaning efficiency.

[0115] (Variation 5) In the above-described embodiment, scrubbing may be performed by bringing multiple cleaning members with different rotation axis angles into contact with one surface of the substrate WF, thereby enabling efficient scrubbing in multiple scrubbing directions.

[0116] 18 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the arrangement of cleaning members 451 according to this modification. The cleaning module 401 according to this modification includes multiple cleaning members 451-3 and 451-4 that contact one side of the substrate WF to scrub it. The rotation axis angle θ1 of the cleaning member 451-3 is different from the rotation axis angle θ2 of the cleaning member 451-4. To suppress adverse effects caused by a sudden load being applied across the width direction of the substrate WF (the direction of the line WL) when the cleaning member 451 contacts the substrate WF and when it is separated from the substrate WF, it is preferable that the rotation axis angle θ1 is neither 0 degrees nor 180 degrees, and that the rotation axis angle θ2 is neither 0 degrees nor 180 degrees. From the viewpoint of efficient scrubbing, it is preferable that the direction of the rotation axis AX10 of the cleaning member 451-3 and the direction of the rotation axis AX20 of the cleaning member 451-4 are different from the conveying direction (arrow AE1) (θ1 is neither 90 degrees nor 270 degrees, and θ2 is neither 90 degrees nor 270 degrees).

[0117] Note that scrubbing may be performed by bringing multiple cleaning members 451 with different rotation axis angles θ into contact with both surfaces of the substrate WF. The cleaning control unit 952 may or may not change the cleaning conditions of each cleaning member 451.

[0118] The cleaning module 401 according to this modification cleans the substrate WF by bringing multiple cleaning members 451, which rotate around rotation axes extending in multiple different axial directions, into contact with at least one surface of the substrate WF being transported in the transport direction. This allows for scrubbing in multiple scrubbing directions, thereby providing a cleaner substrate WF.

[0119] The above-described embodiments can also be described as the following embodiments. [Mode 1] According to Mode 1, a substrate cleaning apparatus is proposed, including a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, a cleaning module that cleans the substrate by contacting a cleaning member that rotates about a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction with the substrate being transported in the first direction, and a control device that changes cleaning conditions, including at least one of the direction of the rotation axis, the rotation speed of the cleaning member, and the transport speed of the substrate, based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module. According to Mode 1, adjusting the cleaning conditions can provide a cleaner substrate.

[0120] [Mode 2] According to Mode 2, in Mode 1, the control device changes the cleaning conditions based on whether components of the substrate cleaning apparatus are operating normally during cleaning by the cleaning module. According to Mode 2, damage to the substrate or cleaning module due to abnormal operation of components of the substrate cleaning apparatus can be suppressed.

[0121] [Mode 3] According to Mode 3, in Mode 1 or Mode 2, the control device changes the cleaning conditions based on at least one of a drive current and a drive torque of a motor that drives the transport mechanism or the cleaning member. According to Mode 3, damage to the substrate or the cleaning module due to abnormal operation of the motor can be suppressed.

[0122] [Mode 4] According to Mode 4, in any one of Modes 1 to 3, the cleaning module cleans the substrate by bringing multiple cleaning members, which rotate around multiple different rotation axes extending in the second direction, into contact with at least one surface of the substrate being transported in the first direction. According to Mode 4, by performing scrubbing cleaning in multiple scrubbing directions, a cleaner substrate can be provided.

[0123] [Mode 5] According to Mode 5, in Modes 1 to 4, the transfer mechanism or the cleaning module includes a detector that detects the position of the substrate, and the control device changes the cleaning conditions based on the detected position of the substrate. According to Mode 5, cleaning conditions can be flexibly set, and even cleaner substrates can be provided.

[0124] [Mode 6] According to Mode 6, in Modes 1 to 5, the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before the cleaning member starts to contact the substrate. Mode 6 prevents a sudden change in pressing load across the entire width of the substrate when the cleaning member contacts the substrate, which can result in insufficient cleaning. It also prevents the cleaning member from getting caught on the edge of the substrate, thereby preventing a load from being applied to the cleaning module or the substrate.

[0125] [Mode 7] According to Mode 7, in Modes 1 to 6, the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before the time when the cleaning member starts to separate from the substrate. According to Mode 7, when the cleaning member separates from the substrate, it is possible to prevent a sudden change in the pressing load across the entire width of the substrate or the cleaning member getting caught on the edge of the substrate, thereby preventing a load from being applied to the cleaning module or the substrate.

[0126] [Mode 8] According to Mode 8, in Modes 1 to 7, the control device reverses the direction of transport of the substrate and the rotation of the cleaning member when the cleaning member is completely separated from the substrate. According to Mode 8, the same cleaning member can be used to perform scrubbing in multiple scrubbing directions, allowing for efficient scrubbing of substrates.

[0127] [Mode 9] According to Mode 9, in Mode 8, the control device changes the direction to the opposite direction a predetermined number of times. According to Mode 9, the number of cleanings can be set appropriately according to the type of substrate, etc., and efficient scrub cleaning can be performed.

[0128] [Mode 10] According to Mode 10, in Modes 1 to 9, the cleaning member includes a sponge. According to Mode 10, the sponge has excellent flexibility, elasticity, water absorbency, etc., and can perform scrubbing cleaning more efficiently.

[0129] [Mode 11] According to Mode 11, in Modes 1 to 10, the cleaning member has a plurality of protrusions formed on the surface that contacts the substrate. Mode 11 can improve cleaning efficiency, and by combining Modes 1 to 10, it is possible to prevent the plurality of protrusions from getting caught on the substrate and damaging the substrate or cleaning module.

[0130] [Mode 12] According to Mode 12, in any one of Modes 1 to 11, the cleaning member is cylindrical. According to Mode 12, by rotating the cylindrical cleaning member around the cylindrical axis, the substrate can be efficiently scrubbed.

[0131] [Mode 13] According to Mode 13, in any one of Modes 1 to 12, the cleaning module includes a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member, the first cleaning member is configured to clean one side of the substrate, and the second cleaning member is configured to clean the other side of the substrate. According to Mode 13, both sides of the substrate can be efficiently cleaned, thereby providing a substrate with clean both sides.

[0132] [Mode 14] According to Mode 14, in Modes 1 to 13, the substrate is a rectangular substrate. According to Mode 14, even for rectangular substrates transported in the same direction as the substrate, scrubbing can be performed in multiple rubbing directions, etc., and a cleaner substrate can be provided.

[0133] [Mode 15] According to Mode 15, in Modes 1 to 14, the first direction and the second direction are directions along the surface of the substrate. According to Mode 15, it is possible to more reliably provide a clean substrate by adjusting the cleaning conditions.

[0134] [Mode 16] According to Mode 16, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus including the substrate cleaning apparatus of Modes 1 to 15. According to Mode 16, by adjusting cleaning conditions, a cleaner processed substrate can be provided.

[0135] [Mode 17] According to Mode 17, the substrate polishing apparatus of Mode 16 is provided with a drying module. According to Mode 17, a clean, polished and dried substrate can be provided.

[0136] [Mode 18] According to Mode 18, a substrate cleaning method is provided, the substrate cleaning method comprising: transporting a substrate in a first direction; contacting the substrate transported in the first direction with a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction not perpendicular to the first direction to clean the substrate; and changing cleaning conditions, including at least one of a direction of the rotation axis, a rotation speed of the cleaning member, and a transport speed of the substrate, based on information relating to at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module. According to Mode 18, adjusting the cleaning conditions can provide a cleaner substrate.

[0137] [Mode 19] According to mode 19, a program is proposed, the program including a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, the program including a step of: and a cleaning module that performs cleaning by contacting a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the substrate direction, to perform a change process of changing cleaning conditions, including at least one of the direction of the rotation axis, the rotation speed of the cleaning member, and the transport speed of the substrate, based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module. According to Aspect 19, by adjusting the cleaning conditions, a cleaner substrate can be provided.

[0138] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, any combination or omission of the components described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least part of the above-described problems or achieving at least part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 11...Processing surface 100...Load module 200, 200A, 200B...Transport module 202...Transport roller 204...Roller shaft 220...Stopper 230...Pusher 300, 300A, 300B...Polishing module 302...Top ring 352...Polishing pad 400, 401...Cleaning module 405...Transportation route 450, 450A, 450B...Scrub cleaning mechanism 453, 453-1, 453-2...Lifting mechanism 451, 451-1, 451-2, 451-3, 451-4, 4510...Cleaning materials 500...Drying module 600...Unload module 900...Control device 950...Processing section 951...Substrate processing control unit 952...Cleaning control unit 953...Display control unit 959...Memory 1000...Substrate processing apparatus 2000...Transport mechanism 4216A...First sensor 4216B...Second sensor 4512...Multiple protrusions AX, AX1, AX2, AX3, AX10, AX20... Rotating shaft of cleaning parts WF...Substrate θ, θ1, θ2...Rotation axis angle

Claims

1. a cleaning module including a transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a first direction, the cleaning module cleaning the substrate by bringing a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis that extends in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction into contact with the substrate transported in the first direction; a control device that changes cleaning conditions including a direction of the rotation axis based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.

2. The substrate cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control device changes the cleaning conditions based on whether or not components of the substrate cleaning apparatus are operating normally during cleaning by the cleaning module.

3. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device changes the cleaning condition based on at least one of a drive current and a drive torque of a motor that drives the transport mechanism or the cleaning member.

4. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning module cleans at least one surface of the substrate being transported in the first direction by contacting a plurality of cleaning members that rotate around a plurality of different rotation axes extending in the second direction with the at least one surface of the substrate being transported in the first direction.

5. the transfer mechanism or the cleaning module includes a detector for detecting a position of the substrate; 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device changes the cleaning conditions based on the detected position of the substrate.

6. 3 . The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before the cleaning member starts to come into contact with the substrate.

7. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before the cleaning member starts to move away from the substrate. 4 . Device.

8. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device reverses the directions of transport of the substrate and rotation of the cleaning member when the cleaning member is completely separated from the substrate.

9. The substrate cleaning apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the control device changes the direction to the opposite direction a predetermined number of times.

10. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member includes a sponge.

11. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member has a surface that comes into contact with the substrate and has a plurality of protrusions formed thereon.

12. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member is cylindrical.

13. The cleaning module includes a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member. the first cleaning member is a cleaning member that cleans one surface of the substrate, 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cleaning member is a cleaning member that cleans the other surface of the substrate.

14. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a rectangular substrate.

15. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are directions along a surface of the substrate.

16. A substrate processing apparatus comprising the substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 .

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a substrate polishing apparatus and a drying module.

18. Transporting the substrate in a first direction; a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis that extends in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction is brought into contact with the substrate transported in the first direction to perform cleaning; and changing cleaning conditions including a direction of the rotation axis based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.

19. A program for causing a processing device of a substrate cleaning apparatus having a cleaning module including a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a first direction, the cleaning module including a cleaning member that rotates around a rotation axis extending in a second direction not perpendicular to the first direction to contact the substrate being transported in the first direction to clean the substrate, the cleaning member rotating around the rotation axis extending in a second direction not perpendicular to the first direction, to perform a change process for changing cleaning conditions including the direction of the rotation axis based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module.

Images