Wafer processing device

Abstract

To provide a wafer processing device capable of reducing running cost.SOLUTION: A wafer processing device comprises a wafer holding section 2, a chemical nozzle 31, a brush 4, a brush holding section 5, a brush movement driving section 410, a deposition detection section, a standby pod, a cleaning liquid supply section, and a control section 9. The chemical nozzle 31 discharges a chemical toward a principal surface of a wafer W which is held by the wafer holding section 2. The deposition detection section detects deposition of the chemical onto the brush holding section 5. The control section 9 determines that it is necessary to clean the brush holding section 5 when the deposition detection section detects the deposition of the chemical onto the brush holding section 5, and controls the cleaning liquid supply section to clean the brush holding section 5 with a cleaning liquid when the brush movement driving section 410 moves a pair of the brush holding section 5 and the brush 4 to the standby pod.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses that perform physical cleaning on substrates have been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a spin chuck, a nozzle, a substrate processing brush, and a cleaning member cleaning device. The spin chuck rotates the substrate while holding it in a horizontal position. The nozzle supplies a cleaning liquid to the main surface of the substrate. The substrate processing brush is movably provided and moves relative to the main surface of the substrate while being in contact with the main surface of the substrate. This allows the substrate processing brush to scrub and clean the main surface of the substrate.

[0003] The cleaning member cleaning device is a device for cleaning a substrate processing brush. The cleaning member cleaning device includes a storage section for storing a cleaning liquid. The substrate processing brush moves into the storage section, whereby the substrate processing brush is immersed in the cleaning liquid. This cleans the substrate processing brush. The substrate processing brush includes a sponge and a contact member holder that holds the sponge. In Patent Document 1, the sponge is immersed in the cleaning liquid, and then the contact member holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 179417 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, even when there is a high probability that cleaning of the contact member holder is not necessary, cleaning of the contact member holder may be performed, which may increase running costs.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing running costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect is a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holding part which holds a substrate and rotates the substrate about a predetermined axis of rotation, a chemical solution nozzle which ejects a chemical solution toward a main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part, a brush used to clean the main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part, a brush holding part which is disposed above the brush and holds the brush, a waiting pod, a processing position where the brush comes into contact with the main surface of the substrate, and a waiting pod. the brush holding unit having a cleaning liquid supply unit with an outlet for supplying cleaning liquid to the waiting pod; and a control unit, wherein when the adhesion detection unit detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit, the control unit determines that cleaning of the brush holding unit is necessary, and when the brush movement drive unit moves the set of the brush holding unit and the brush to the waiting pod, the control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit to clean the brush holding unit with the cleaning liquid.

[0008] A second aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the adhesion detection unit includes a flow meter that measures the flow rate of the chemical liquid ejected from the chemical liquid nozzle, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter.

[0009] A third aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the adhesion detection unit further includes a brush position acquisition unit that acquires a brush position of the brush, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter and the brush position of the brush acquired by the brush position acquisition unit.

[0010] A fourth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the third aspect, further comprising a nozzle displacement drive unit that displaces the chemical liquid nozzle to move the landing position of the chemical liquid on the main surface of the substrate, and the adhesion detection unit further includes a nozzle position acquisition unit that acquires the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter, the brush position of the brush acquired by the brush position acquisition unit, and the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle acquired by the nozzle position acquisition unit.

[0011] A fifth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the adhesion detection unit includes a camera that images the brush holding unit and generates image data, and detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit based on the image data.

[0012] A sixth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, further comprising a memory unit that stores reference image data including the brush holding portion to which the chemical liquid is not adhered, and the adhesion detection unit detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding portion based on a comparison between the image data and the reference image data.

[0013] A seventh aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the camera is provided at a position for capturing an image of the brush holder with the brush located at the processing position.

[0014] An eighth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein the camera is positioned to take an image of the brush holding portion when the brush is located in the waiting pod.

[0015] A ninth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the fifth to eighth aspects, wherein the camera is positioned to capture an image of the brush holding portion when the brush is positioned between the waiting pod and the processing position.

[0016] A tenth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the fifth to ninth aspects, further comprising a brush drive unit that rotates the brush and the brush holding unit together, and the camera sequentially images the brush holding unit while the brush drive unit rotates the brush and the brush holding unit to generate multiple pieces of image data.

[0017] An eleventh aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein, while the chemical solution is being ejected from the chemical solution nozzle, the control unit causes the brush movement drive unit to move the brush and the brush holding unit together over the main surface of the substrate to perform scrubber cleaning of the main surface of the substrate, and in a planar view, a virtual straight line following the trajectory of the chemical solution from the ejection port of the chemical solution nozzle to the main surface of the substrate intersects with a virtual straight line following the trajectory of the movement of the brush during the scrubber cleaning.

[0018] A twelfth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit includes a first cleaning nozzle that sprays the cleaning liquid toward the brush holding unit, and a second cleaning nozzle that sprays the cleaning liquid toward the brush.

[0019] A thirteenth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to the twelfth aspect, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit ejects the cleaning liquid from the first cleaning nozzle only during a first time period that is a portion of the brush cleaning time, and ejects the cleaning liquid from the second cleaning nozzle during at least a second time period that is later than the first time period.

[0020] A fourteenth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit does not discharge the cleaning liquid from the second cleaning nozzle for at least a part of the first time period.

[0021] A fifteenth aspect is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, wherein the control unit controls the brush movement drive unit to raise and lower the brush in the waiting pod, thereby bringing the brush into contact with the cleaning liquid, and controls the brush holding unit to bring the cleaning liquid into contact with the brush. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the first aspect, when there is a high probability that the brush holder needs to be cleaned, the brush holder can be cleaned. In other words, unnecessary cleaning of the brush holder can be suppressed. Therefore, the running cost of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

[0023] According to the second aspect, adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding portion can be detected with a simple configuration.

[0024] According to the third aspect, adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding portion can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0025] According to the fourth aspect, adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding portion can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0026] According to the fifth aspect, adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding portion can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0027] According to the sixth aspect, adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding portion can be detected by a simple process.

[0028] According to the seventh aspect, the adhesion detection unit can detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit during scrubbing.

[0029] According to the eighth aspect, adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding portion in the waiting pod can be detected. Since the chemical liquid is not supplied to the waiting pod, the image data contains almost no flowing chemical liquid. Therefore, adhesion of the chemical liquid can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0030] According to the ninth aspect, adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holder can be detected during movement between the standby pod and the processing position. Since no chemical liquid is supplied while the brush is moving, the image data contains almost no flowing chemical liquid. Therefore, adhesion of the chemical liquid can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0031] According to the tenth aspect, since the adhesion detection section can check the entire circumferential surface of the brush holding section, adhesion of the chemical solution can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0032] According to the eleventh aspect, when the flow rate increases due to an abnormality, the chemical discharged from the chemical nozzle may adhere to the moving brush holding unit. Then, the adhesion detection unit detects the adhesion of the chemical to the brush holding unit, and the brush holding unit is cleaned in the waiting pod. Therefore, the brush holding unit can be properly cleaned.

[0033] According to the twelfth aspect, the cleaning liquid can be reliably supplied to the brush holding portion and the brush.

[0034] According to the thirteenth aspect, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the first cleaning nozzle only for the first time, so that the amount of cleaning liquid used can be reduced.

[0035] According to the fourteenth aspect, since the second cleaning nozzle does not discharge the cleaning liquid for at least a part of the first time period, it is possible to reduce the amount of cleaning liquid used.

[0036] According to the fifteenth aspect, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of cleaning nozzles, and the cleaning liquid supply unit can be configured simply. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical sectional view roughly illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit belonging to a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a processing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a waiting pod, a part of a cleaning liquid supply unit, a brush, and a brush holder according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a processing unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of changes over time in the state of a treatment unit during scrubbing. [Figure 7] 11 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a chemical liquid nozzle and a brush holding portion. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation related to brush cleaning by the processing unit. [Figure 9] 10 is a timing chart showing an example of an operation of the processing unit in first brush cleaning. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a waiting pod, a part of a cleaning liquid supply unit, a brush, and a brush holder according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a processing unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation relating to brush cleaning by a processing unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of image data generated by a camera. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a processing unit according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 18]10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation relating to brush cleaning of a processing unit. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first other example of the camera position. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a second other example of the camera position. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for the purpose of easy understanding. Parts having similar configurations and functions are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted in the following description.

[0039] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0040] Furthermore, in the description below, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and are not limited to the ordering that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0041] When an expression indicating a relative or absolute positional relationship (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) is used, the expression not only strictly indicates the positional relationship, but also indicates a state in which the relative positional relationship is displaced with respect to angle or distance within a range in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. When an expression indicating an equal state (e.g., "same," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) is used, the expression not only strictly indicates a quantitatively equal state, but also indicates a state in which a difference exists within a range in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. When an expression indicating a shape (e.g., "square shape" or "cylindrical shape," etc.) is used, the expression not only strictly indicates the shape geometrically, but also indicates a shape having, for example, unevenness or chamfering within a range in which a similar effect is obtained, unless otherwise specified. When an expression "comprises," "has," "includes," "includes," or "has" a component is used, the expression is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components. When the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" is used, the phrase includes A only, B only, C only, any two of A, B, and C, and all of A, B, and C.

[0042] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1 belonging to a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of a processing unit 1 according to the first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus may include a plurality of processing units 1 and a transport robot that transfers substrates W to and from each of the plurality of processing units 1.

[0043] The processing unit 1 can perform scrubber cleaning on the main surface of the substrate W. Scrubber cleaning will be described in detail later. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display, a substrate for an organic electroluminescence (EL), a substrate for a flat panel display (FPD), a substrate for an optical display, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, or a substrate for a solar cell. The substrate W has a thin flat plate shape. In the following, the substrate W is assumed to be a semiconductor wafer. The substrate W has, for example, a disk shape. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, about 300 mm, and the thickness of the substrate W is, for example, about 0.5 mm or more and about 3 mm or less.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the processing unit 1 includes a substrate holding unit 2, a chemical nozzle 31, a brush 4, a brush holding unit 5, a brush movement drive unit 410, an adhesion detection unit 6, a waiting pod 7, a cleaning liquid supply unit 8, and a control unit 9.

[0045] The substrate holding unit 2 holds the substrate W in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate W around a rotation axis Q1. The horizontal position here means that the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction. The rotation axis Q1 is an axis that passes through the center of the substrate W and is aligned with the vertical direction. The substrate holding unit 2 may also be called a spin chuck.

[0046] In the example of FIG. 1, the substrate holding unit 2 includes a spin base 21, chuck pins 22, and a rotation drive unit 23. The spin base 21 has a plate-like shape (for example, a disk shape) and is provided with its thickness direction aligned along the vertical direction. A plurality of chuck pins 22 are provided on the upper surface of the spin base 21. The plurality of chuck pins 22 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction about the rotation axis Q1. The plurality of chuck pins 22 are provided so as to be displaceable between a holding position and a release position, which will be described next. The holding position is a position where the chuck pins 22 abut against the periphery of the substrate W. The plurality of chuck pins 22 hold the substrate W by stopping at the respective holding positions. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chuck pins 22 stopped at the holding position are shown. The release position is a position where each chuck pin 22 is separated from the substrate W. The plurality of chuck pins 22 stop at the respective release positions, whereby the holding of the substrate W by the plurality of chuck pins 22 is released. The substrate holding unit 2 also includes a pin driving unit (not shown) that displaces the chuck pins 22. The pin driving unit includes a driving source such as a motor and an air cylinder, and is controlled by the control unit 9.

[0047] The rotation drive unit 23 includes a shaft 231 and a motor 232. The upper end of the shaft 231 is connected to the lower surface of the spin base 21, and the shaft 231 extends from the lower surface of the spin base 21 along a rotation axis Q1. The motor 232 is controlled by the control unit 9 to rotate the shaft 231 about the rotation axis Q1. As a result, the spin base 21, the chuck pins 22, and the substrate W rotate together about the rotation axis Q1.

[0048] It should be noted that the substrate holding portion 2 does not necessarily have to have the chuck pin 22. For example, the substrate holding portion 2 may hold the substrate W by a chuck method such as a vacuum chuck, an electrostatic chuck, or a Bernoulli chuck.

[0049] The chemical nozzle 31 discharges the chemical toward the main surface (specifically, the upper surface) of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. The chemical is a liquid used for scrubbing the substrate W, and a specific example will be described later. The chemical nozzle 31 is provided vertically above the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. In the example of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chemical nozzle 31 is provided radially outward from the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2. The chemical nozzle 31 has a discharge port 3a at its tip, and discharges the chemical from the discharge port 3a. As shown in FIG. 1, the chemical nozzle 31 may discharge the chemical toward the rotation axis Q1 side and in a vertically downward oblique direction. The chemical discharged from the chemical nozzle 31 may land on the main surface of the substrate W. The chemical that has landed on the main surface of the substrate W flows radially outward due to centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the substrate W, and is scattered outward from the periphery of the substrate W.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chemical nozzle 31 is used for both the chemical and the rinsing liquid. The rinsing liquid is a liquid for washing away the chemical from the main surface of the substrate W, and a specific example will be described later. In the example of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chemical nozzle 31 is connected to the downstream end of the supply pipe 32, and the upstream end of the supply pipe 32 is connected to the downstream end of the supply pipe 32a and the downstream end of the supply pipe 32b. The upstream end of the supply pipe 32a is connected to a chemical supply source. The chemical supply source has a tank (not shown) for storing the chemical, and supplies the chemical to the upstream end of the supply pipe 32a. As the chemical, for example, a liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonia water, and hydrogen peroxide water can be applied. Specifically, as the chemical, a mixture (SC1) of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide water, and TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide: tetramethylammonium hydroxide) can be used.

[0051] Supply pipe 32a is provided with supply valve 33a, flow rate adjustment valve 34a, and flow meter 35a. Supply valve 33a switches supply pipe 32a between open and closed states. Flow rate adjustment valve 34a adjusts the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through supply pipe 32a. Supply valve 33a and flow rate adjustment valve 34a are controlled by controller 9. Flow meter 35a measures the flow rate of the chemical solution flowing through supply pipe 32a, and outputs an electrical signal indicating the measurement result to controller 9. Flow meter 35a is, for example, an ultrasonic flow meter. Controller 9 may control flow rate adjustment valve 34a based on the flow rate measured by flow meter 35a.

[0052] The upstream end of the supply pipe 32b is connected to a rinse liquid supply source. The rinse liquid supply source has a tank (not shown) for storing the rinse liquid, and supplies the rinse liquid to the upstream end of the supply pipe 32b. As the rinse liquid, pure water, carbonated water, electrolytic ion water, hydrogen water, magnetic water, or ammonia water with a diluted concentration (for example, about 1 ppm) can be used.

[0053] Supply pipe 32b is provided with supply valve 33b, flow rate adjustment valve 34b, and flow meter 35b. Supply valve 33b switches supply pipe 32b between open and closed states. Flow rate adjustment valve 34b adjusts the flow rate of the rinsing liquid flowing through supply pipe 32b. Supply valve 33b and flow rate adjustment valve 34b are controlled by controller 9. Flow meter 35b measures the flow rate of the rinsing liquid flowing through supply pipe 32b, and outputs an electrical signal indicating the measurement result to controller 9. Flow meter 35b is, for example, an ultrasonic flow meter. Controller 9 may control flow rate adjustment valve 34b based on the flow rate measured by flow meter 35b.

[0054] The brush 4 is used for scrubber cleaning. Specifically, the brush 4 moves relative to the main surface of the substrate W while a chemical solution is supplied to the main surface of the substrate W and the brush 4 is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W. This allows the brush 4 to scrub and clean the main surface of the substrate W (scrubber cleaning). The brush 4 is a sponge member made of a resin such as polyvinyl alcohol. The brush 4 has, for example, a cylindrical shape with a central axis along the vertical direction. The lower surface 4a of the brush 4 abuts against the main surface of the substrate W. The lower surface 4a of the brush 4 is, for example, a flat surface parallel to the main surface of the substrate W and has a circular shape in a plan view. The plan view here refers to a view in which the line of sight is along the vertical direction.

[0055] The brush holder 5 holds the brush 4. The brush holder 5 is provided vertically above the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 and can hold the upper end portion of the brush 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram that shows an example of the configuration of the standby pod 7, a part of the cleaning liquid supply unit 8, the brush 4, and the brush holder 5 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 4, the brush holder 5 includes a first member 51 and a second member 52. The brush 4 can be fixed to the first member 51. The brush 4 protrudes vertically downward from the lower end of the first member 51. That is, the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 is located vertically below the lower end of the first member 51. The first member 51 has, for example, a cylindrical side surface having a larger diameter than the brush 4. The second member 52 is provided vertically above the first member 51 and is detachably attached to the first member 51. The second member 52 has, for example, a cylindrical side surface having approximately the same diameter as the first member 51. The brush 4, the first member 51 and the second member 52 may be arranged coaxially.

[0056] For example, the second member 52 is fixed to the first member 51 by a screw structure. In the example of FIG. 4, the upper part of the first member 51 is provided with a male screw portion 511 protruding vertically upward. The male screw portion 511 has a cylindrical shape with a central axis along the vertical direction, and a screw thread is formed on the side surface of the cylindrical shape. The lower part of the second member 52 is provided with a female screw portion 521 that is recessed vertically upward and has a female screw. A screw thread is also formed on the inner peripheral surface of the female screw portion 521. The male screw portion 511 of the first member 51 is coupled to the female screw portion 521 of the second member 52 by a screw structure, whereby the first member 51 is detachably attached to the second member 52.

[0057] When the brush 4 becomes worn, the worker can replace the brush 4. Specifically, the worker removes the first member 51 from the second member 52, and attaches the first member 51 to which the new brush 4 is fixed, to the second member 52. In this way, the worker can replace the worn brush 4 with the new brush 4.

[0058] In the example of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the processing unit 1 is provided with an arm 400. The arm 400 extends in a horizontal direction. A brush driving unit 401 is provided inside the arm 400. The brush driving unit 401 is controlled by the control unit 9. The brush driving unit 401 may include a rotation driving unit that rotates the brush 4 around a rotation axis Q2. The rotation axis Q2 is, for example, an axis that passes through the center of the brush 4 and is along the vertical direction. The brush driving unit 401 includes a shaft 4011 and a motor (not shown). The shaft 4011 extends along the rotation axis Q2 and protrudes vertically downward from the lower surface of the arm 400. The lower end of the shaft 4011 is connected to the upper surface of the brush holding unit 5 (i.e., the upper surface of the second member 52). The motor rotates the shaft 4011 around the rotation axis Q2. As a result, the brush holder 5 connected to the shaft 4011 and the brush 4 held by the brush holder 5 rotate together about the rotation axis Q2.

[0059] In addition, the brush driving unit 401 may be provided with a braking driving unit (not shown) that stops the rotation of the shaft 4011, and may be provided with a pressing driving unit (not shown) that presses the brush 4 against the main surface of the substrate W with a controllable pressing force.

[0060] The brush movement driver 410 moves the brush 4 and the brush holder 5 together. In the example of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the brush movement driver 410 moves the arm 400, the brush holder 5, and the brush 4 together. In the following, the brush movement driver 410 may be described by taking the brush 4 or the brush holder 5 as a representative object to be moved.

[0061] The brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 along, for example, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In the example of FIG. 1, the brush movement drive unit 410 includes a vertical drive unit 411 and a horizontal drive unit 412. The vertical drive unit 411 moves the brush 4 along the vertical direction. The vertical drive unit 411 can also be said to be an elevation drive unit. The vertical drive unit 411 includes, for example, a drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and a power transmission unit (not shown) that converts the rotational force from the drive source into a vertical force. The horizontal drive unit 412 moves the brush 4 along the horizontal direction. The horizontal drive unit 412 includes, for example, a drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and a power transmission unit (not shown) that converts the rotational force from the drive source into a horizontal force. These power transmission units include, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a cam mechanism.

[0062] The brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 between a processing position where the brush 4 abuts against the main surface of the substrate W and a waiting pod 7, which will be described in detail later. In addition, the brush movement drive unit 410 can also move the brush 4 along the main surface of the substrate W while the brush 4 is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W.

[0063] The waiting pod 7 is provided at a waiting position where the brush 4 is kept waiting. In the example of FIG. 2, the waiting pod 7 is provided radially outward from the substrate holding unit 2. The waiting pod 7 has, for example, a cylindrical side wall surrounding the brush 4 and the brush holding unit 5. The waiting pod 7 opens at least vertically upward (see also FIG. 4). After the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 to a position directly above the waiting pod 7, the brush 4 is lowered, whereby the brush 4 can be stored in the waiting pod 7.

[0064] The cleaning liquid supply unit 8 has an outlet 8a and an outlet 8b for supplying the cleaning liquid to the standby pod 7. In the example of FIG. 4, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 includes a first cleaning nozzle 81a and a second cleaning nozzle 81b. The first cleaning nozzle 81a is attached to the side wall of the standby pod 7. The first cleaning nozzle 81a has an outlet 8a that opens toward the inside of the standby pod 7, and discharges the cleaning liquid from the outlet 8a toward the brush holding unit 5. The second cleaning nozzle 81b is also attached to the side wall of the standby pod 7. The second cleaning nozzle 81b has an outlet 8b that opens toward the inside of the standby pod 7, and discharges the cleaning liquid from the outlet 8b toward the brush 4. In the example of FIG. 4, the first cleaning nozzle 81a is provided at a height position corresponding to the brush holding unit 5, and the second cleaning nozzle 81b is provided at a height position corresponding to the brush 4. Here, since the brush holder 5 is provided at a position higher than the lower surface 4a of the brush 4, the first cleaning nozzle 81a is provided at a position higher than the second cleaning nozzle 81b. The positions of the first cleaning nozzle 81a and the second cleaning nozzle 81b in a plan view may be the same as shown in Fig. 4, or may be different from each other as shown in Fig. 2.

[0065] The first cleaning nozzle 81a is connected to the downstream end of a supply pipe 82a, and the upstream end of the supply pipe 82a is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source. The second cleaning nozzle 81b is connected to the downstream end of a supply pipe 82b, and the upstream end of the supply pipe 82b is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source. The cleaning supply source has a tank (not shown) for storing the cleaning liquid, and supplies the cleaning liquid to the upstream ends of the supply pipes 82a and 82b. For example, pure water can be used as the cleaning liquid. Alternatively, any of the liquids exemplified above as the rinsing liquid may be used as the cleaning liquid.

[0066] Supply pipe 82a is provided with supply valve 83a, and supply pipe 82b is provided with supply valve 83b. Supply valve 83a switches supply pipe 82a between open and closed, and supply valve 83b switches supply pipe 82a between open and closed. Note that supply pipes 82a and 82b may be provided with flow rate adjustment valves and flow meters.

[0067] The control unit 9 controls various components of the processing unit 1. The control unit 9 includes, for example, a data processing unit and a storage unit. The data processing unit is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The storage unit includes, for example, a volatile storage unit such as a random access memory (RAM) and a non-volatile storage unit such as a read only memory (ROM). In addition, a non-volatile storage unit including a hard disk and various memories may be provided separately outside the control unit 9. The control unit 9 can realize various functions described later by executing software stored in the non-volatile storage unit. The control unit 9 may include a dedicated hardware circuit that realizes some or all of the various functions described later.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 9 includes a retention control unit 91, a brush control unit 92, an adhesion determination unit 93, a liquid supply control unit 94, and a brush cleaning control unit 95.

[0069] The holding control unit 91 controls the substrate holding unit 2. For example, the holding control unit 91 controls the pin driving unit of the substrate holding unit 2 to switch between holding and releasing the holding of the substrate W. In addition, the holding control unit 91 controls the rotation driving unit 23 of the substrate holding unit 2 to control the rotation speed of the substrate W.

[0070] The brush control unit 92 controls the brush movement drive unit 410 and the brush drive unit 401. For example, the brush control unit 92 controls the brush movement drive unit 410 to move the brush 4. In addition, the brush control unit 92 controls the brush drive unit 401 to control the rotation speed of the brush 4.

[0071] The liquid supply control unit 94 controls supply valve 33a and supply valve 33b. The liquid supply control unit 94 opens supply valve 33a, thereby discharging the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 31. The liquid supply control unit 94 also opens supply valve 33b, thereby discharging the rinsing liquid from the chemical liquid nozzle 31. The liquid supply control unit 94 also controls flow rate adjustment valve 34a and flow rate adjustment valve 34b. For example, the liquid supply control unit 94 controls flow rate adjustment valve 34a based on the measurement result of flow meter 35a, and controls flow rate adjustment valve 34b based on the measurement result of flow meter 35b.

[0072] The brush cleaning control unit 95 controls the supply valve 83a and the supply valve 83b. The brush cleaning control unit 95 opens the supply valve 83a to cause the cleaning liquid to be discharged from the first cleaning nozzle 81a, and opens the supply valve 83b to cause the cleaning liquid to be discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b. In addition, when flow rate adjustment valves are provided in the supply pipes 82a and 82b, the brush cleaning control unit 95 can appropriately control the flow rate adjustment valve provided in the supply pipe 82a and the flow rate adjustment valve provided in the supply pipe 82b.

[0073] The adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5. In the example of Fig. 3, the adhesion detection unit 6 includes a flow meter 35a, a brush control unit 92, and an adhesion determination unit 93. The operation of the adhesion detection unit 6 will be described in detail later.

[0074] <An example of substrate processing> Next, a description will be given of an example of processing of the substrate W by the processing unit 1. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the processing unit 1. The control unit 9 causes the processing unit 1 to execute processes from step S1 to step S5 according to a preset processing procedure (recipe).

[0075] First, the transfer robot transfers the substrate W to the processing unit 1. Then, the substrate holding part 2 holds the substrate W received from the transfer robot (step S1: holding step). As a specific example, the substrate holding part 2 displaces the multiple chuck pins 22 from their respective release positions to their holding positions. As a result, the multiple chuck pins 22 hold the substrate W. The substrate holding part 2 continues to hold the substrate W until the processing of the substrate W is completed.

[0076] Next, the processing unit 1 performs scrubber cleaning on the substrate W (step S2: scrubber cleaning step). Specifically, the substrate holder 2 rotates the substrate W about the rotation axis Q1, and the brush movement driver 410 moves the brush 4 to the processing position while the chemical nozzle 31 ejects the chemical toward the main surface of the substrate W. The controller 9 opens the supply valve 33a to eject the chemical. The flow rate of the chemical is preset to, for example, about several hundred cc / min, and as a more specific example, is set to about 400 cc / min.

[0077] 6 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a time change in the state of the processing unit 1 during scrubber cleaning. In the example of Fig. 6, the brush movement driver 410 lowers the brush 4 from a position directly above the center position Pb1 of the substrate W, and brings the brush 4 into contact with the main surface of the substrate W at the center position Pb1. The center position Pb1 is set in advance, for example, and as a more specific example, it is a position where the center of the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 faces the center of the substrate W.

[0078] In the example of FIG. 6, the chemical solution discharged toward the main surface of the substrate W is shown as a sandy portion. The chemical solution lands on the main surface of the substrate W at a landing position Pc. The landing position Pc is closer to the discharge port 3a of the chemical solution nozzle 31 than the brush holder 5 (see also FIG. 2). The distance between the landing position Pc and the rotation axis Q1 may be, for example, half or less of the radius of the substrate W, or may be one-third or less. The chemical solution that has landed at the landing position Pc spreads around the landing position Pc, flows radially outward due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W, and is scattered outward from the periphery of the substrate W. As a result, the chemical solution is supplied to the entire main surface of the substrate W. Note that the illustration of the chemical solution on the main surface of the substrate W is omitted in FIG. 6.

[0079] In the example of FIG. 6, the chemical liquid colliding with the brush holding part 5 is shown as a sandy area surrounded by a dashed line. Such collision of the chemical liquid with the brush holding part 5 can occur, for example, due to an abnormality in the flow rate. That is, due to an abnormality in the flow rate control valve 34a or the like, the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 31 at a flow rate greater than necessary, causing the chemical liquid to travel a longer distance in the air, and as a result, the chemical liquid collides with the brush holding part 5 before landing on the main surface of the substrate W. Various processes related to the collision of the chemical liquid with the brush holding part 5 will be described later. Below, first, a case will be described in which the flow rate is normal and the chemical liquid lands on the main surface of the substrate W at a liquid landing position Pc. In other words, the liquid landing position Pc is the liquid landing position on the main surface of the substrate W when the chemical liquid is normally discharged.

[0080] In the scrubber cleaning, the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 from the center position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2 along the main surface of the substrate W while the brush 4 is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W during rotation. The peripheral position Pb2 is set in advance, for example, and is a position radially outward from the center position Pb1. As a more specific example, the peripheral position Pb2 may be a position where the radially outer end of the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 coincides with the peripheral edge of the substrate W, or is radially outward from the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The movement time from the center position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2 is also set in advance, for example, and may be set to, for example, about several tens of seconds. The brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 from the center position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2 in the set movement time. In the following, the range from the center position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2 is also referred to as the movement range R.

[0081] The brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 about the rotation axis Q2 at least during the movement of the brush 4 from the central position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2. Furthermore, the brush driving unit 401 may press the brush 4 against the main surface of the substrate W with a preset pressing force.

[0082] When the brush 4 reaches the peripheral position Pb2, the brush driver 401 stops the rotation of the brush 4, and the brush movement driver 410 raises the brush 4. Then, the brush movement driver 410 moves the brush 4 to the waiting pod 7. In addition, the control unit 9 closes the supply valve 33a to stop the discharge of the chemical from the chemical nozzle 31. An example of the state inside the processing unit 1 enclosed in parentheses in FIG. 6 will be described later.

[0083] Thus, in the scrubber cleaning, while the chemical solution is being supplied to the main surface of the substrate W, the brush 4 moves along the main surface of the rotating substrate W. This allows the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 to scrub the main surface of the substrate W, thereby cleaning the main surface of the substrate W. The brush 4 moves from the central position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2, thereby cleaning the entire main surface of the substrate W.

[0084] Next, the processing unit 1 supplies a rinsing liquid to the main surface of the substrate W (step S3: rinsing process). Specifically, the control unit 9 opens the supply valve 33b. This causes the rinsing liquid to be discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 31 toward the main surface of the substrate W while it is rotating. The rinsing liquid that has landed at the center of the main surface of the substrate W flows radially outward due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate W, and is scattered from the periphery of the substrate W. At this time, the rinsing liquid pushes the chemical liquid on the main surface of the substrate W radially outward. This causes the processing liquid on the main surface of the substrate W to be replaced from the chemical liquid to the rinsing liquid.

[0085] When the chemical liquid has been sufficiently replaced with the rinsing liquid, the control unit 9 closes the supply valve 33b. As a specific example, the control unit 9 measures the elapsed time from the start of the discharge of the rinsing liquid, and switches the supply valve 33b from the open state to the closed state when the elapsed time is equal to or longer than a predetermined rinsing time. The rinsing time is set in advance to a time that allows the chemical liquid to be sufficiently replaced with the rinsing liquid.

[0086] Next, the processing unit 1 dries the substrate W (step S4: drying process). More specifically, the substrate holding part 2 increases the rotation speed of the substrate W (so-called spin dry). When the substrate W is sufficiently dry, the substrate holding part 2 stops the rotation of the substrate W. As a specific example, the control part 9 measures the elapsed time from when the discharge of the rinsing liquid is stopped, and determines whether the measured time is equal to or longer than a predetermined drying time. The drying time is preset to a time that allows the substrate W to be sufficiently dried. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the drying time, the substrate holding part 2 stops the rotation of the substrate W.

[0087] Next, the substrate holder 2 releases the hold on the substrate W (step S5: holding release step). Then, the transfer robot carries the processed substrate W out of the processing unit 1.

[0088] Unprocessed substrates W are sequentially transported to the processing unit 1, and steps S1 to S5 are executed for each processing, and processed substrates W are sequentially unloaded from the processing unit 1. In this manner, a plurality of substrates W can be processed sequentially.

[0089] Incidentally, as described above, there is a possibility that the chemical liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 during scrubbing. If the chemical liquid adheres to the brush holder 5, the chemical liquid may drop from the brush holder 5 onto the main surface of the substrate W at an unintended timing when the next substrate W is processed. This may result in unnecessary chemical liquid processing being performed partially on the main surface of the substrate W.

[0090] Here, an example of the positional relationship between the liquid chemical nozzle 31 and the brush holding part 5 will be described first. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the liquid chemical nozzle 31 and the brush holding part 5. In the example of FIG. 7, a virtual straight line along the discharge direction of the liquid chemical at the discharge port 3a of the liquid chemical nozzle 31 is shown as a straight line VL1. Just after the discharge port 3a of the liquid chemical nozzle 31, the liquid chemical moves in the air on a trajectory along the straight line VL1, but due to gravity, the liquid chemical deviates downward from the straight line VL1 as it moves away from the discharge port 3a (see also FIG. 1). The greater the flow rate of the liquid chemical, the higher the flow velocity, and therefore the longer the trajectory of the liquid chemical will be along the straight line VL1.

[0091] In the example of FIG. 7, a virtual plane VP obtained by extending the moving range R of the brush holder 5 in the scrubber cleaning in the vertical direction is also shown. The virtual straight line VL1 intersects with the plane VP at a position higher than the lower end of the brush holder 5. In the example of FIG. 7, the straight line VL1 intersects with the brush holder 5 located at the central position Pb1. In this positional relationship, if the chemical liquid is discharged from the chemical liquid nozzle 31 at a very large flow rate, the chemical liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 before reaching the main surface of the substrate W. In other words, due to a flow rate abnormality, the chemical liquid moves along the straight line VL1 over a relatively long distance from the discharge port 3a of the chemical liquid nozzle 31, and as a result, it may collide with the brush holder 5 located in the vicinity of the central position Pb1.

[0092] 2, the trajectory of the chemical from the discharge port 3a of the chemical nozzle 31 to the main surface of the substrate W is along a virtual straight line VL1 in a plan view. This virtual straight line VL1 intersects with a virtual straight line VL2 along which the movement trajectory of the brush 4 on the main surface of the substrate W is. Specifically, the straight line VL1 intersects with the straight line VL2 at the center of the substrate W. In this case, when the brush 4 is located near the central position Pb1, the chemical may collide with the brush holding part 5 due to a flow rate abnormality. On the other hand, when the brush 4 is far away from the central position Pb1, the chemical will not collide with the brush holding part 5 even if a flow rate abnormality occurs. In other words, when the brush 4 is located within a predetermined range Rb including the central position Pb1, the chemical may collide with the brush holding part 5 due to a flow rate abnormality, but when the brush 4 is located outside the predetermined range Rb, the chemical will not collide with the brush holding part 5. Here, the predetermined range Rb is a range including the central position Pb1, and is set in advance by an experiment, a simulation, or the like. It should be noted that the predetermined range Rb is the positional range of the brush 4 within which the chemical solution may collide with the brush holding portion 5.

[0093] Conversely, when a flow rate abnormality occurs and the brush 4 is located within the predetermined range Rb, it can be considered that the chemical liquid is colliding with the brush holder 5.

[0094] Therefore, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 based on the flow rate of the chemical solution measured by the flowmeter 35a and the brush position of the brush 4 acquired by a brush position acquisition unit described next. The brush position acquisition unit may be one function of the control unit 9. In other words, the control unit 9 controls the brush movement drive unit 410 to control the brush position of the brush 4. Therefore, the control unit 9 can grasp the brush position of the brush 4. Specifically, the brush control unit 92 of the control unit 9 can grasp the brush position of the brush 4, and therefore can function as a brush position acquisition unit.

[0095] The brush position acquisition unit does not necessarily have to be a function of the brush control unit 92 of the control unit 9. For example, a sensor that measures the brush position of the brush 4 may be provided in the processing unit 1. As a specific example, a rotary encoder that measures the rotational position of the motor of the brush movement drive unit 410 may be provided. The control unit 9 may calculate the brush position of the brush 4 based on the measurement result of the rotary encoder.

[0096] When the flow rate of the chemical solution is equal to or greater than a predetermined flow rate threshold and the brush 4 is located within a predetermined range Rb, the adhesion detection unit 6 determines that the chemical solution is colliding with the brush holding unit 5. In other words, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects the adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5.

[0097] When the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5, the control unit 9 determines that the brush holding unit 5 needs to be cleaned, and when the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 to the waiting pod 7, it controls the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 to clean the brush holding unit 5 with cleaning liquid.

[0098] Here, the above-mentioned operation related to brush cleaning will be described more specifically with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation related to brush cleaning by the processing unit 1. In the example of FIG. 8, when scrubber cleaning (step S2) is started (step S11), the processing unit 1 executes steps S12 to S15 described later. That is, steps S12 to S15 are executed in parallel with scrubber cleaning (step S2). First, the flowmeter 35a measures the flow rate of the chemical solution (step S12: flow rate measurement step). Then, the flowmeter 35a outputs an electric signal indicating the measurement result to the control unit 9. Next, the brush position acquisition unit (here, the control unit 9, specifically, the brush control unit 92) acquires the brush position of the brush 4 (step S13: brush position acquisition step). Note that the order of execution of steps S12 and S13 may be reversed.

[0099] Next, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines whether or not the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5 based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter 35a and the brush position of the brush 4 acquired by the brush position acquisition unit (step S14: determination step). Specifically, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5 when the flow rate is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold and the brush 4 is located within the predetermined range Rb. In other words, even if the flow rate is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has not adhered to the brush holding unit 5 when the brush 4 is outside the predetermined range Rb. Moreover, when the flow rate is less than the flow rate threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has not adhered to the brush holding unit 5 regardless of the brush position of the brush 4. The flow rate threshold and the predetermined range Rb are set in advance, for example, by an experiment or a simulation. The flow rate threshold may be set to, for example, about 430 cc / min.

[0100] When the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical solution has adhered to the brush holding unit 5, the control unit 9 determines that cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is necessary (step S15). For example, the control unit 9 stores a cleaning flag in the storage unit. More specifically, the control unit 9 activates the cleaning flag (for example, H (high) state) and stores the cleaning flag in the storage unit.

[0101] Next, the control unit 9 judges whether or not the scrubber cleaning is completed (step S16). If the scrubber cleaning is not completed yet, the processing unit 1 executes step S12 again.

[0102] In step S14, when the adhesion determining unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is not adhered to the brush holding portion 5, the control unit 9 performs step S16 without performing step S15.

[0103] As described above, the processing unit 1 repeatedly executes a series of processes from step S12 to step S15 until the scrubber cleaning is completed. Therefore, if the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 even once during the scrubber cleaning, the control unit 9 determines that the brush holding unit 5 needs to be cleaned.

[0104] When the scrubber cleaning is completed, the control unit 9 judges whether or not it has been determined that cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is necessary (step S17). For example, the control unit 9 judges whether or not a cleaning flag is stored in the memory unit. As a more specific example, the control unit 9 judges whether or not the cleaning flag is in an active state. When the cleaning flag is in an active state, the control unit 9 performs a first brush cleaning to clean the brush holding unit 5 (step S18: first brush cleaning step).

[0105] In the first brush cleaning, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 cleans the brush holding unit 5 using the cleaning liquid. For example, the control unit 9 opens both the supply valve 83a and the supply valve 83b while the brush 4 is stored in the standby pod 7. As a result, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the outlet 8a of the first cleaning nozzle 81a toward the brush holding unit 5, while the cleaning liquid is discharged from the outlet 8b of the second cleaning nozzle 81b toward the brush 4 (see also FIG. 4). The flow rate of the cleaning liquid discharged from the first cleaning nozzle 81a is set to, for example, several hundred cc / min, and as a specific example, it may be set to about 150 cc / min. The flow rate of the cleaning liquid discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b is also set to, for example, several hundred cc / min, and as a specific example, it may be set to about 150 cc / min.

[0106] In the example of FIG. 4, the cleaning liquid discharged from the first cleaning nozzle 81a lands on the upper surface of the brush holder 5, overflows from the upper surface of the brush holder 5, and flows down along the side of the brush holder 5. As a result, the chemical liquid adhering to the brush holder 5 flows down together with the cleaning liquid, and the brush holder 5 is cleaned. In addition, the cleaning liquid discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b collides with the lower surface 4a of the brush 4. As a result, the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 can be cleaned. In addition, the drying of the brush 4 can be suppressed. When the brush 4 dries, the brush 4 may become hard, but the above-mentioned first brush cleaning can prevent the brush 4 from becoming hard. Therefore, in the scrubber cleaning of the next substrate W, damage to the main surface of the substrate W by the brush 4 can be suppressed.

[0107] In the first brush cleaning, the brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 around the rotation axis Q2. This allows the cleaning liquid supplying unit 8 to supply the cleaning liquid more uniformly to the entire surface of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5. Similarly, the cleaning liquid supplying unit 8 can supply the cleaning liquid more uniformly to the entire surface of the lower surface 4a of the brush 4.

[0108] When the first brush cleaning is performed, the control unit 9 erases the cleaning flag from the storage unit. Specifically, the control unit 9 sets the cleaning flag to an inactive state (for example, an L (low) state).

[0109] Furthermore, when the control unit 9 determines in step S17 that cleaning of the brush holder 5 is not necessary, the control unit 9 performs a second brush cleaning (step S19: second brush cleaning step). In the second brush cleaning, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 does not clean the brush holder 5, but cleans the underside 4a of the brush 4 with cleaning liquid. For example, with the brush 4 stored in the standby pod 7, the control unit 9 opens the supply valve 83b while keeping the supply valve 83a closed. As a result, the cleaning liquid is not discharged from the first cleaning nozzle 81a, but is discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b toward the underside 4a of the brush 4. As a result, it is possible to prevent the brush 4 from drying while cleaning the underside 4a of the brush 4.

[0110] As described above, in this embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding part 5. Then, the control unit 9 determines that cleaning of the brush holding part 5 is necessary in response to the detection. Therefore, the processing unit 1 can perform cleaning of the brush holding part 5 (i.e., first brush cleaning) when there is a high probability that cleaning of the brush holding part 5 is necessary. In other words, the processing unit 1 can avoid performing cleaning of the brush holding part 5 when there is a high probability that cleaning of the brush holding part 5 is unnecessary. Therefore, the running cost of the processing unit 1 can be reduced. Specifically, in the above example, when there is a high probability that cleaning of the brush holding part 5 is unnecessary, the first cleaning nozzle 81a does not eject the cleaning solution (second brush cleaning). Therefore, the amount of cleaning solution used can be reduced. Therefore, the processing unit 1 according to this embodiment contributes to saving the cleaning solution.

[0111] In the above example, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 based on not only the flow rate of the chemical liquid but also the brush position. Therefore, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical liquid with higher accuracy.

[0112] In the above example, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 includes the first cleaning nozzle 81a and the second cleaning nozzle 81b. Therefore, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 can reliably supply the cleaning liquid to the brush holder 5 and the brush 4 during the first brush cleaning.

[0113] <First brush cleaning> Next, another specific example of the first brush cleaning will be described. FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the processing unit 1 in the first brush cleaning. FIG. 9 shows the brush cleaning time T during which the first brush cleaning is performed. In the example of FIG. 9(a), at the initial first time T1 of the brush cleaning time T, both the supply valve 83a and the supply valve 83b are opened. As a result, at the first time T1, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the first cleaning nozzle 81a toward the brush holding part 5, while the cleaning liquid is discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b toward the brush 4. Therefore, at the first time T1, the cleaning liquid supply part 8 cleans both the brush holding part 5 and the brush 4. The first time T1 is set in advance to a time sufficient to clean the brush holding part 5, and as a more specific example, it can be set to about 10 to 15 seconds.

[0114] In the example of FIG. 9(a), at the second time T2, the supply valve 83a is closed and the supply valve 83b is opened. The second time T2 is the time after the first time T1, and in the example of FIG. 9(a), it is the time subsequent to the first time T1. Since the supply valve 83a is closed and the supply valve 83b is opened at the second time T2, the first cleaning nozzle 81a does not discharge the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b toward the brush 4. Therefore, at the second time T2, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 does not clean the brush holder 5, but cleans the brush 4.

[0115] 9(b), at the first time T1, the supply valve 83a is open and the supply valve 83b is closed. As a result, the first cleaning nozzle 81a ejects the cleaning liquid toward the brush holder 5, but the second cleaning nozzle 81b does not eject the cleaning liquid. Therefore, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 cleans the brush holder 5. Note that the cleaning liquid may flow from the brush holder 5 to the brush 4. Therefore, at the first time T1, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 can partially clean the brush 4 while preventing the brush 4 from drying out.

[0116] 9(b), the supply valve 83a is closed and the supply valve 83b is opened at the second time T2. As a result, at the second time T2, the first cleaning nozzle 81a does not discharge the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the second cleaning nozzle 81b toward the brush 4. Therefore, only the brush 4 is cleaned at the second time T2.

[0117] 9, the supply valve 83a opens at the first time T1 and closes at the second time T2. This allows the amount of cleaning liquid used to be reduced compared to when the supply valve 83a is open at both the first time T1 and the second time T2. Furthermore, the supply valve 83b opens at least at the second time T2. This allows the brush 4 to be appropriately prevented from drying. When the supply valve 83b is closed for at least a part of the first time T1, the amount of cleaning liquid used can be further reduced.

[0118] <Scrubber cleaning> Next, another example of the specific operation of the scrubber cleaning will be described. In the above example, in the scrubber cleaning, the brush 4 moves from the central position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2 only once, but it may move multiple times. With reference to FIG. 6, for example, the brush movement drive unit 410 may raise the brush 4 from the peripheral position Pb2 and move the brush 4 toward a position directly above the central position Pb1. The brush movement drive unit 410 lowers the brush 4 from that position to the central position Pb1 again. Then, the brush movement drive unit 410 may move the brush 4 from the central position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2. The brush movement drive unit 410 may repeat the same operation. This allows the processing unit 1 to clean the main surface of the substrate W more reliably.

[0119] The chemical liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 even during movement of the brush 4 from a position directly above the peripheral position Pb2 to a position directly above the central position Pb1. In other words, when the distance D between the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 and the main surface of the substrate W is shorter than the predetermined distance, if the brush 4 is located within the predetermined range Rb in a plan view, the chemical liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 due to a flow rate abnormality. For this reason, the adhesion determination unit 93 may determine that the chemical liquid adheres to the brush holder 5 when the flow rate of the chemical liquid is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold, the distance D is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, and the brush position of the brush 4 in a plan view is within the predetermined range Rb. The predetermined distance is set in advance, for example, by experiment or simulation.

[0120] Furthermore, in the above example, the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 by the radius of the substrate W from the central position Pb1 to the peripheral position Pb2, but the movement range R can be changed as appropriate. For example, the brush movement drive unit 410 may move the brush 4 by the diameter of the substrate W. In other words, the brush movement drive unit 410 may move the brush 4 from a peripheral position on one end side of the diameter of the substrate W to the peripheral position Pb2 on the other end side.

[0121] <Adhesion detection method> Next, another example of the adhesion detection method will be described. The adhesion detection unit 6 may detect the adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 based only on the flow rate of the chemical liquid. As a more specific example, when the flow rate measured by the flowmeter 35a in the scrubber cleaning is equal to or greater than a predetermined flow rate threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 may determine that the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5. If the flow rate abnormality continues for a long period of time, the chemical liquid continues to land on the back side of the landing position Pc. Therefore, in the scrubber cleaning of each substrate W, the chemical liquid collides with the brush holding unit 5 every time the brush 4 enters the predetermined range Rb. In other words, if the chemical liquid abnormality continues to occur, the brush 4 will eventually move into the predetermined range Rb, and the chemical liquid will collide with the brush holding unit 5 at that timing. Therefore, the adhesion determination unit 93 may determine that the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5 when the condition that the chemical liquid is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold is met as a trigger. Even with such a determination method, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect the adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 with a certain degree of accuracy.

[0122] <Second embodiment> Fig. 10 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1A according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a waiting pod 7, a part of a cleaning liquid supply unit 8, a brush 4, and a brush holder 5 according to the second embodiment. The processing unit 1A differs from the processing unit 1 in the configuration of the cleaning liquid supply unit 8.

[0123] In the second embodiment, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 includes a single cleaning nozzle 81, a supply pipe 82, and a supply valve 83. The cleaning nozzle 81, the supply pipe 82, and the supply valve 83 are similar to the first cleaning nozzle 81a, the supply pipe 82a, and the supply valve 83a, respectively.

[0124] An example of the operation of the processing unit 1A is also as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8. However, the specific operation of the first brush cleaning is different. In the second embodiment, in the first brush cleaning, the control unit 9 causes the brush movement drive unit 410 to raise and lower the brush 4, thereby performing a process of bringing the brush 4 into contact with the cleaning liquid and a process of bringing the brush holding unit 5 into contact with the cleaning liquid. As a more specific example, the brush movement drive unit 410 raises and lowers the brush 4 between the upper position and the lower position in the waiting pod 7. The upper position is a position where the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle 81 lands on the brush 4 (specifically, the lower surface 4a). In the example of FIG. 11, the brush 4 and the brush holding unit 5 located at the upper position are shown by solid lines. The lower position is a position where the cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle 81 lands on the brush holding unit 5 (specifically, the upper surface).

[0125] Specifically, first, the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 directly above the standby pod 7. Then, for example, when the control unit 9 opens the supply valve 83, that is, when the cleaning nozzle 81 is discharging the cleaning liquid, the brush movement drive unit 410 moves the brush 4 to the lower position. As a result, the cleaning liquid collides with the vertically upper parts of the brush 4 from the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 in sequence. Then, as the brush 4 continues to descend, the cleaning liquid collides with the lower end of the brush holding unit 5, and then from the lower end, it collides with the vertically upper parts in sequence. In other words, as the brush 4 descends from the upper position to the lower position, the collision position of the cleaning liquid moves from the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 to the upper surface of the brush holding unit 5. When the brush 4 reaches the lower position, the cleaning liquid lands on the upper surface of the brush holding unit 5.

[0126] Then, the brush movement drive unit 410 stops the brush 4 at the lower position for a predetermined time that is sufficient to clean the brush holder 5. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the brush movement drive unit 410 starts moving the brush 4 to the upper position. As the brush 4 rises from the lower position to the upper position, the collision position of the cleaning liquid moves from the upper surface of the brush holder 5 to the lower surface 4a of the brush 4. When the brush 4 reaches the upper position, the brush movement drive unit 410 stops the brush 4. As a result, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 81 toward the lower surface 4a of the brush 4, cleaning the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 and preventing the brush 4 from drying out.

[0127] In this first brush cleaning, the brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 around the rotation axis Q2. This allows the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 to supply the cleaning liquid to the brush 4 and the brush holder 5 more uniformly.

[0128] On the other hand, in the second brush cleaning, the brush movement drive unit 410 stops the brush 4 at the upper position. Then, the cleaning nozzle 81 ejects cleaning liquid to clean the lower surface 4a of the brush 4 and prevent the brush 4 from drying. In other words, in the second brush cleaning, the brush movement drive unit 410 does not move the brush 4 back and forth between the upper position and the lower position.

[0129] The brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 about the rotation axis Q2 also in the second brush cleaning. This enables the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 to supply the cleaning liquid to the entire lower surface 4a of the brush 4 more uniformly.

[0130] In the second embodiment, the processing unit 1A also performs the first brush washing when the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5, and performs the second brush washing when the adhesion detection unit 6 does not detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5. Therefore, when there is a high probability that the chemical solution is not attached, the processing unit 1A does not move the brush 4 back and forth between the upper and lower positions in the first brush washing. Therefore, the processing unit 1A can avoid unnecessary first brush washing, and the running costs can be reduced.

[0131] Moreover, according to the second embodiment, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 does not need to include multiple cleaning nozzles 81, but includes a single cleaning nozzle 81. Therefore, the cleaning liquid supply unit 8 can be configured with a simpler structure.

[0132] In the above example, the brush movement drive unit 410 lowered the brush 4 from the upper position to the lower position while the cleaning nozzle 81 was discharging the cleaning liquid. Therefore, the cleaning liquid started to collide with the brush 4. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cleaning nozzle 81 may discharge the cleaning liquid after the brush movement drive unit 410 lowers the brush 4 to the lower position while the cleaning nozzle 81 is not discharging the cleaning liquid. In this case, the cleaning liquid is first supplied to the upper surface of the brush holding unit 5. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the brush movement drive unit 410 may raise the brush 4 from the lower position to the upper position while the cleaning nozzle 81 is discharging the cleaning liquid. This also makes it possible to clean the brush holding unit 5 and the lower surface 4a of the brush 4. In addition, since the cleaning liquid is not supplied during the descent of the brush 4 to the lower position, the amount of cleaning liquid used can be reduced.

[0133] In the above example, the cleaning nozzle 81 discharges the cleaning liquid toward the brush 4 and the brush holder 5, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a dish-shaped storage section for storing the cleaning liquid may be provided at the bottom of the standby pod 7, and the cleaning nozzle 81 may discharge the cleaning liquid toward the storage section. Alternatively, the cleaning nozzle 81 may not be provided, and the downstream end of the supply pipe 82 may be connected to the storage section. In this case, the downstream port of the supply pipe 82 corresponds to the discharge port. In this case, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the storage section from the discharge port of the supply pipe 82. In this case, the upper position is a position where the brush 4 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the storage section and the brush holder 5 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid, and the lower position is a position where both the brush 4 and the brush holder 5 are immersed in the cleaning liquid in the storage section. The brush movement drive section 410 can bring the brush 4 into contact with the cleaning liquid by moving the brush 4 to the upper position, and can bring the brush 4 and the brush holder 5 into contact with the cleaning liquid by moving the brush 4 to the lower position.

[0134] <Third embodiment> FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1B according to the third embodiment. The processing unit 1B differs from the processing unit 1 in the presence or absence of a nozzle displacement drive unit 36. The nozzle displacement drive unit 36 ​​displaces the chemical nozzle 31 to move the landing position Pc of the chemical on the main surface of the substrate W. In the example of FIG. 12, the nozzle displacement drive unit 36 ​​rotates (swings) the chemical nozzle 31 in the forward and reverse directions on a horizontal plane about its base end. In this case, the nozzle position of the chemical nozzle 31 can be indicated by a rotation position (angle) about the base end. In the example of FIG. 12, the chemical nozzle 31 when the chemical arrives at the landing position Pc(t0) is shown by a solid line, and the chemical nozzle 31 when the chemical arrives at the landing position Pc(tn) is shown by a dashed line. As the chemical nozzle 31 is displaced, the landing position Pc moves continuously from the landing position Pc(t0) to the landing position Pc(tn). The nozzle displacement drive unit 36 ​​has a drive source such as a motor and an air cylinder.

[0135] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of the processing unit 1B according to the third embodiment. The control unit 9 according to the third embodiment further includes a nozzle displacement control unit 96. The nozzle displacement control unit 96 controls the nozzle displacement drive unit 36 ​​to control the nozzle position of the chemical nozzle 31. Specifically, in the scrubber cleaning, the chemical nozzle 31 is moved between a first nozzle position and an n-th nozzle position, which will be described next. The first nozzle position is a rotational position when the chemical nozzle 31 faces the liquid landing position Pc(t0). The n-th nozzle position is a rotational position when the chemical nozzle 31 faces the liquid landing position Pc(tn). This allows the processing unit 1B to supply the chemical liquid more uniformly to the main surface of the substrate W in the scrubber cleaning.

[0136] On the other hand, if the liquid landing position Pc moves according to the nozzle position of the liquid nozzle 31, the predetermined range Rb in which the liquid can collide with the brush holder 5 also changes according to the nozzle position. For example, if a flow rate abnormality occurs when the liquid nozzle 31 is located at the first nozzle position, the liquid can reach a location farther than the liquid landing position Pc(t0). For this reason, the liquid can collide with the brush holder 5 located within the predetermined range Rb(t0). In other words, when the liquid nozzle 31 is facing the liquid landing position Pc(t0), if the brush 4 is located outside the predetermined range Rb(t0), the liquid will not collide with the brush holder 5. The predetermined range Rb(t0) is a range in which the liquid can collide with the brush holder 5 when the liquid nozzle 31 is located at the first nozzle position, and is set in advance, for example, by an experiment or a simulation.

[0137] Similarly, if a flow rate abnormality occurs when the liquid nozzle 31 is located at the nth nozzle position, the liquid reaches farther than the liquid landing position Pc(tn). This means that the liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 located within the predetermined range Rb(tn). Conversely, when the liquid nozzle 31 is facing the liquid landing position Pc(tn), if the brush 4 is located outside the predetermined range Rb(tn), the liquid will not collide with the brush holder 5. The predetermined range Rb(tn) is the range within which the liquid may collide with the brush holder 5 when the liquid nozzle 31 is located at the nth nozzle position, and is set in advance, for example, by experiment or simulation.

[0138] As described above, in the third embodiment, whether the chemical solution collides with brush holding portion 5 depends not only on the flow rate of the chemical solution and the brush position of brush holding portion 5, but also on the nozzle position of chemical solution nozzle 31.

[0139] Therefore, in the third embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 based on the flow rate of the chemical solution measured by the flowmeter 35a, the brush position of the brush holding unit 5 acquired by the brush position acquisition unit, and the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31 acquired by the nozzle position acquisition unit described next. The nozzle position acquisition unit may be, for example, one function of the control unit 9. That is, the control unit 9 controls the nozzle displacement drive unit 36 ​​to control the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31. Therefore, the control unit 9 can grasp the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31. Specifically, the nozzle displacement control unit 96 of the control unit 9 can grasp the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31, and therefore can function as a nozzle position acquisition unit.

[0140] Alternatively, a sensor that measures the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle 31 may be provided in the processing unit 1B. For example, a rotary encoder that measures the rotational position of the motor of the nozzle displacement driving unit 36 ​​may be provided. The control unit 9 may calculate the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle 31 based on the measurement result of the rotary encoder.

[0141] The adhesion detection unit 6 determines that the chemical solution is colliding with the brush holding unit 5 when the flow rate is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold and the brush 4 is located within a predetermined range Rb corresponding to the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31. Correspondence data indicating the correspondence between the nozzle position and the predetermined range Rb is set in advance, for example, by an experiment or a simulation. The correspondence data may be set, for example, in a non-volatile storage unit 97 (see FIG. 13). The storage unit 97 may be a hard disk or various types of memory. The correspondence between the nozzle position and the predetermined range Rb may be discretely defined in a table format, or may be continuously defined by a function formula or the like. As shown in FIG. 13, in the third embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 includes a flow meter 35a, a brush position acquisition unit, a nozzle position acquisition unit, and a storage unit 97.

[0142] Fig. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation related to brush cleaning by the processing unit 1B according to the third embodiment. In the example of Fig. 14, the processing unit 1B further executes step S130 in parallel with the scrubber cleaning. In the example of Fig. 14, in step S130 following step S13, a nozzle position acquisition unit (here, the control unit 9, specifically, the nozzle displacement control unit 96) acquires the nozzle position of the chemical nozzle 31 (nozzle position acquisition step). Note that the order of execution of steps S12, S13, and S130 may be changed as appropriate.

[0143] Next, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines whether or not the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5 based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid, the brush position of the brush 4, and the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle 31 (step S14: determination step). As a specific example, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines a predetermined range Rb(t) according to the nozzle position based on the nozzle position acquired by the nozzle position acquisition unit and the correspondence data read from the storage unit 97. Then, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has adhered to the brush holding unit 5 when the flow rate is equal to or greater than a predetermined flow rate threshold and the brush 4 is located within the predetermined range Rb(t) according to the nozzle position. In other words, even if the flow rate is equal to or greater than the flow rate threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has not adhered to the brush holding unit 5 when the brush 4 is outside the predetermined range Rb(t). Moreover, when the flow rate is less than the flow rate threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid has not adhered to the brush holding unit 5 regardless of the position of the brush 4.

[0144] As described above, in the third embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid, the brush position of the brush holding unit 5, and the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle 31. Therefore, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 with higher accuracy.

[0145] <Fourth embodiment> 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1C according to the fourth embodiment. The processing unit 1C differs from the processing unit 1 in the presence or absence of a camera 61. The camera 61 captures an image of the brush holding part 5 to generate image data IM, and outputs the image data IM to the control part 9. The camera 61 may capture an image of the brush holding part 5 in response to an image capture instruction from the control part 9.

[0146] The camera 61 includes a solid-state imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and an optical system such as a lens. In the example of FIG. 15, the camera 61 is provided vertically above the substrate W held by the substrate holder 2 and radially outward of the substrate W. The imaging direction of the camera 61 is set to the side of the rotation axis Q1 and in a vertically downward oblique direction. Here, the camera 61 can image the brush holder 5 in the entire range of the movement range R of the brush 4 in the scrubber cleaning, for example. That is, the camera 61 is provided so that the imaging range includes the brush holder 5 in the entire range of the movement range R. In other words, the camera 61 is provided at a position where the camera 61 images the brush holder 5 when the brush 4 is located at the processing position.

[0147] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of image data IM generated by the camera 61. Since the camera 61 captures an image in an oblique direction, in the example of FIG. 16, the substrate W is shown as an ellipse. Also, the brush 4 and the brush holder 5 are shown as a schematic. In reality, various configurations such as the arm 400, the chemical nozzle 31, and a guard (not shown) may be included in the image data IM. In the example of FIG. 16, the image data IM shows the chemical discharged from the chemical nozzle 31 as a sandy area. Here, the chemical collides with the brush holder 5. In other words, the camera 61 may be provided at a position on the brush holder 5 where the collision position of the chemical is included in the image data IM.

[0148] In the fourth embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 based on image data IM generated by a camera 61.

[0149] Fig. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a processing unit 1C according to the fourth embodiment. In the example of Fig. 17, the adhesion detection unit 6 includes a camera 61, an adhesion determination unit 93, and a storage unit 97. In the example of Fig. 17, image data IM from the camera 61 is input to the control unit 9. The adhesion determination unit 93 of the control unit 9 determines whether or not the chemical solution is adhered to the brush holding unit 5 based on the image data IM.

[0150] As a specific example, the adhesion determination unit 93 compares the image data IM with the reference image data RI. The reference image data RI is, for example, an image including at least a part of the brush holding part 5 to which the chemical liquid is not attached. In FIG. 16, the reference image data RI is typically shown by a two-dot chain line. In the example of FIG. 16, the vertical size of the reference image data RI is smaller than the vertical size of the image data IM, for example, a fraction or less of the vertical size of the image data IM. The horizontal size of the reference image data RI is smaller than the horizontal size of the image data IM, for example, a fraction or less of the horizontal size of the image data IM. In the example of FIG. 16, the reference image data RI includes the entire horizontal and vertical sizes of the brush holding part 5. That is, in the example of FIG. 16, the horizontal size of the reference image data RI is slightly larger than the horizontal size of the brush holding part 5, and the vertical size of the reference image data RI is slightly larger than the vertical size of the brush holding part 5.

[0151] Such reference image data RI is acquired by a pre-registration process, for example, as follows. First, while the substrate holding part 2 holds the substrate W, the brush movement driving part 410 moves the brush 4, for example, to the central position Pb1. Then, the camera 61 captures an image of the imaging area and generates image data IM. Based on a user's input to a user interface (not shown), the control part 9 cuts out a partial area including the brush holding part 5 from the image data IM as reference image data RI. Then, the control part 9 stores the reference image data RI in the storage part 97. As described above, the pre-registration process is performed.

[0152] The adhesion determination unit 93 of the control unit 9 identifies the region IMa of the image data IM that has the highest similarity to the reference image data RI by performing a matching process (e.g., template matching) between the image data IM and the reference image data RI. If no chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding portion 5 in the image data IM, the similarity between the region IMa and the reference image data RI is relatively high. On the other hand, if the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding portion 5 in the image data IM, the similarity between the region IMa and the reference image data RI is relatively low. Conversely, when the similarity is high, it can be considered that the chemical liquid is not attached to the brush holding portion 5, and when the similarity is low, it can be considered that the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding portion 5.

[0153] Therefore, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines whether the similarity between the region IMa and the reference image data RI is equal to or greater than a predetermined similarity threshold. The similarity threshold is a threshold for determining whether or not the chemical liquid is attached, and is set in advance, for example, by an experiment or a simulation. When the similarity is equal to or greater than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is not attached to the brush holding part 5, and when the similarity is less than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding part 5.

[0154] Fig. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the processing unit 1C regarding brush cleaning. In the example of Fig. 18, when scrubber cleaning (step S2) is started (step S21), the processing unit 1C executes steps S22 to S24 described below. That is, the processing unit 1C executes steps S22 to S24 in parallel with the scrubber cleaning (step S2). First, the camera 61 captures an image of the imaging area to generate image data IM (step S22: imaging step). Then, the camera 61 outputs the image data IM to the control unit 9.

[0155] Next, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines whether or not the chemical solution is attached to the brush holding unit 5 based on the image data IM (step S23: determination step). As a specific example, as described above, the adhesion determination unit 93 obtains the area IMa with the highest similarity by matching the image data IM with the reference image data RI. Since the brush 4 moves within the moving range R, the position of the brush 4 in the image data IM also moves, but the adhesion determination unit 93 can appropriately obtain the area IMa by matching. The similarity is not particularly limited, but may be a known similarity such as the sum of squared differences of pixel values, the sum of absolute differences of pixel values, normalized cross-correlation, and zero-mean normalized cross-correlation. Then, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines whether or not the similarity is equal to or greater than a similarity threshold.

[0156] When the adhesion determining unit 93 determines that the chemical solution is attached to the brush holding unit 5, the control unit 9 determines that cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is necessary, similarly to step S15 (step S24).

[0157] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the scrubber cleaning is completed, similarly to step S16 (step S25). When the control unit 9 determines that the scrubber cleaning is not completed yet, the processing unit 1C executes step S22 again.

[0158] When the adhesion determining unit 93 determines in step S23 that no chemical solution is attached to the brush holding unit 5, the control unit 9 performs step S25 without performing step S24.

[0159] As described above, a series of processes from step S22 to step S24 are repeatedly executed until the scrubber cleaning is completed. Therefore, during the scrubber cleaning, if the adhesion determination unit 93 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holder 5 even once, the control unit 9 determines that the brush holder 5 needs to be cleaned.

[0160] When the scrubber cleaning is completed, the control unit 9 determines whether or not it is determined that cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is necessary, similar to step S17 (step S26). If cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is necessary, the control unit 9 performs first brush cleaning, similar to step S18 (step S27: first brush cleaning step), and if cleaning of the brush holding unit 5 is not necessary, the control unit 9 performs second brush cleaning, similar to step S19 (step S28: second brush cleaning step).

[0161] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 based on the image data IM of the camera 61. Therefore, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 with higher accuracy.

[0162] In the above example, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5 based on a comparison between the image data IM of the camera 61 and the reference image data RI. Therefore, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical solution by simpler processing.

[0163] In the above example, the camera 61 is provided at a position where it can capture an image of the brush holding part 5 in a state where the brush 4 is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the adhesion detection part 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding part 5 during scrubbing.

[0164] <Camera 61 position> <Waiting Pod> Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining another first example of the position of the camera 61. In the example of Fig. 19, the camera 61 is provided at a position to capture an image of the brush holding unit 5 in a state where it is located in the waiting pod 7. In the example of Fig. 19, the side wall of the waiting pod 7 is transparent, and the camera 61 is provided at a position facing the side wall of the waiting pod 7. The imaging direction of the camera 61 can be set, for example, to the horizontal direction.

[0165] The camera 61 captures an image of the brush holding part 5 through the side wall of the waiting pod 7 to generate image data IM. The camera 61 outputs the image data IM to the control unit 9. The image data IM includes the side surface of the brush holding part 5. As a more specific example, the image data IM may include the entire horizontal and vertical surfaces of the brush holding part 5. Since the brush 4 does not need to move in the waiting pod 7 to determine whether the medicinal liquid is attached, the size of the brush holding part 5 that occupies the image data IM may be set to be large. In other words, the installation position of the camera 61 may be determined so that the size of the brush holding part 5 that occupies the image data IM is large.

[0166] The camera 61 captures an image of the brush holding part 5 and generates image data IM when the cleaning liquid supplying part 8 is not supplying cleaning liquid to the brush holding part 5 and the brush 4. The adhesion determining part 93 of the control part 9 determines whether or not the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding part 5 based on the image data IM. As a specific example, the adhesion determining part 93 may compare the image data IM with the reference image data RI. The reference image data RI at this time includes, for example, the brush holding part 5 stored in the waiting pod 7 with no chemical liquid attached to the brush holding part 5. This reference image data RI is also acquired in advance and stored in the storage part 97. The size of the brush holding part 5 in the reference image data RI may be the same as the size of the brush holding part 5 in the image data IM.

[0167] The adhesion determination unit 93 calculates the similarity between the image data IM and the reference image data RI. When the similarity is equal to or greater than a similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that no chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding part 5, and when the similarity is less than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding part 5. In this case, no matching process is required.

[0168] As described above, the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 located in the waiting pod 7. Since no liquid is supplied to the brush holding unit 5 in the waiting pod 7, the image data IM contains almost no flowing liquid. This allows the adhesion detection unit 6 to detect adhesion of the chemical liquid with higher accuracy.

[0169] Furthermore, the brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 and the brush holding unit 5 at least once around the rotation axis Q2. The camera 61 may sequentially capture images of the brush holding unit 5 at multiple timings while rotating the brush 4 and the brush holding unit 5 to generate multiple image data IM. That is, the camera 61 may capture images of the brush holding unit 5 located at each of multiple rotation positions. As a result, each of the multiple image data IM includes different parts of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5. The camera 61 may capture images of the brush holding unit 5 at time intervals such that the entire circumference of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5 is included in the entire multiple image data IM.

[0170] The adhesion determination unit 93 compares each of the multiple image data IM with the reference image data RI. When the similarity between any one of the image data IM and the reference image data RI is less than a predetermined similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is adhered to the brush holding unit 5.

[0171] This allows the adhesion detection unit 6 to check the entire circumferential surface of the brush holding unit 5, and therefore allows the adhesion of the chemical solution to be detected with higher accuracy. Specifically, even if the chemical solution is attached only to a portion of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5, the adhesion detection unit 6 can appropriately detect the adhesion of the chemical solution.

[0172] <On the move> Fig. 20 is a diagram for explaining a second other example of the position of the camera 61. In the example of Fig. 20, the camera 61 is provided at a position where it can capture an image of the brush holding part 5 in a state where the brush 4 is located between the processing position and the waiting pod 7. In other words, the camera 61 is provided at a position where it can capture an image of the brush holding part 5 in at least a part of the movement path of the brush 4 between a position on the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 2 and the waiting pod 7. The imaging direction of the camera 61 can be set, for example, to the horizontal direction.

[0173] The camera 61 captures an image of the brush holding part 5 located on the movement path. For example, the camera 61 may capture an image of the brush holding part 5 while the brush 4 is moving horizontally toward the waiting pod 7 to generate image data IM. The camera 61 outputs the image data IM to the control unit 9. The image data IM includes a side image of the brush holding part 5 during movement, and may include, for example, the entire horizontal and vertical images of the brush holding part 5.

[0174] The adhesion determination unit 93 of the control unit 9 determines whether or not the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding unit 5 based on the image data IM. As a specific example, the adhesion determination unit 93 may compare the image data IM with the reference image data RI. The reference image data RI at this time includes, for example, the brush holding unit 5 during movement with no chemical liquid attached to the brush holding unit 5. This reference image data RI is also acquired in advance and stored in the storage unit 97. Then, as described above, the adhesion determination unit 93 performs a matching process between the image data IM and the reference image data RI to identify the area with the highest similarity. When the similarity is equal to or greater than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is not attached to the brush holding unit 5, and when the similarity is less than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is attached to the brush holding unit 5.

[0175] As described above, the adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit 5 while the brush 4 is moving between the waiting pod 7 and the processing position. Because no liquid is supplied while the brush 4 is moving, the image data IM contains almost no flowing liquid. This allows the adhesion detection unit 6 to detect adhesion of the chemical liquid with higher accuracy.

[0176] The brush driving unit 401 may rotate the brush 4 at least once around the rotation axis Q2 while the brush 4 is moving, and the camera 61 may capture images of the brush holding unit 5 at each of a plurality of rotation positions to generate a plurality of image data IM. As a result, each of the plurality of image data IM includes a different portion of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5. The camera 61 may capture images of the brush holding unit 5 at a time interval such that the entire circumference of the side surface of the brush holding unit 5 is included in the entire plurality of image data IM.

[0177] Then, the adhesion determination unit 93 compares each of the multiple image data IM with the reference image data RI. When the highest similarity obtained by the matching process between any one of the image data IM and the reference image data RI is less than the similarity threshold, the adhesion determination unit 93 determines that the chemical liquid is adhered to the brush holding part 5. In this way, the adhesion detection unit 6 can check the entire circumferential surface of the brush holding part 5, and therefore can detect the adhesion of the chemical liquid with higher accuracy.

[0178] <Fifth embodiment> 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing unit 1D according to the fifth embodiment. In the processing unit 1D, two waiting pods 7 are provided. Hereinafter, the two waiting pods 7 are referred to as waiting pod 7A and waiting pod 7B, respectively. In a plan view, the waiting pod 7A is provided on the opposite side of the waiting pod 7B with respect to the substrate holding unit 2. In other words, the substrate holding unit 2 is provided between the waiting pod 7A and the waiting pod 7B in a plan view.

[0179] The processing unit 1D is also provided with two brushes 4, two brush holders 5, two arms 400, and two brush movement drive units 410. Hereinafter, the two brushes 4 will be referred to as brush 4A and brush 4B, the two brush holders 5 as brush holder 5A and brush holder 5B, the two arms 400 as arm 400A and arm 400B, and the two brush movement drive units 410 as brush movement drive unit 410A and brush movement drive unit 410B.

[0180] Brush holder 5A holds brush 4A, and brush holder 5B holds brush 4B. Arm 400A is connected to brush holder 5A via a shaft, and arm 400B is connected to brush holder 5B via a shaft (not shown). A brush driver 401 (not shown) that drives brush 4A is provided inside arm 400A, and a brush driver 401 (not shown) that drives brush 4B is provided inside arm 400B.

[0181] The brush movement drive unit 410A moves the brush 4A, the brush holder 5A, and the arm 400A together, and the brush movement drive unit 410B moves the brush 4B, the brush holder 5B, and the arm 400B together. The brush movement drive unit 410A moves the brush 4A between the waiting pod 7A and a position on the main surface of the substrate W, and the brush movement drive unit 410B moves the brush 4B between the waiting pod 7B and a position on the main surface of the substrate W. In addition, the brush movement drive unit 410A moves the brush 4A along the main surface of the substrate W while the brush 4A is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W, and the brush movement drive unit 410B moves the brush 4B along the main surface of the substrate W while the brush 4B is in contact with the main surface of the substrate W.

[0182] The processing unit 1D is provided with two cleaning liquid supply parts 8. Hereinafter, the two cleaning liquid supply parts 8 are referred to as a cleaning liquid supply part 8A and a cleaning liquid supply part 8B, respectively. The cleaning liquid supply part 8A supplies the cleaning liquid to the standby pod 7A, and the cleaning liquid supply part 8B supplies the cleaning liquid to the standby pod 7B.

[0183] Such a processing unit 1D can clean the main surface of the substrate W using the brush 4A, and can also clean the main surface of the substrate W using the brush 4B.

[0184] The adhesion detection unit 6 can detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5A. For example, the adhesion detection unit 6 may detect adhesion of the chemical solution based on the flow rate of the chemical solution, as in the first embodiment, or may detect adhesion of the chemical solution based on the flow rate of the chemical solution and the brush position of the brush 4A. Alternatively, the adhesion detection unit 6 may detect adhesion of the chemical solution based on the flow rate of the chemical solution, the brush position of the brush 4A, and the nozzle position of the chemical solution nozzle 31, as in the third embodiment. Alternatively, the adhesion detection unit 6 may detect adhesion of the chemical solution based on image data IM of the camera 61, as in the fourth embodiment. When the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5A, the control unit 9 performs first brush washing in the standby pod 7A after scrubber washing. This causes the brush holding unit 5A and the brush 4A to be washed. Also, when the adhesion detection unit 6 does not detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5A, the control unit 9 performs second brush washing in the standby pod 7A after scrubber washing. This causes the brush 4A to be washed.

[0185] The adhesion detection unit 6 can also detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5B. The method of detecting adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5B by the adhesion detection unit 6 is the same as the method of detecting adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5A. When the adhesion detection unit 6 detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5B, the control unit 9 performs a first brush wash in the waiting pod 7B after the scrubber wash. This cleans the brush holding unit 5B and the brush 4B. When the adhesion detection unit 6 does not detect adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit 5B, the control unit 9 performs a second brush wash in the waiting pod 7B after the scrubber wash. This cleans the brush 4B.

[0186] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing method have been described in detail, but the above description is merely an example in all respects, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the above-mentioned various modified examples can be combined and applied as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. Furthermore, it is understood that many modified examples not exemplified can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0187] 2 Board holding part 31 Chemical nozzle 35a flow meter 4,4A,4B Brush 401 Brush drive unit 410 Brush movement drive unit 5,5A,5B Brush holder 6 Adhesion detection unit 61 Camera 7 Waiting Pod 8, 8A, 8B Cleaning solution supply unit 81a First cleaning nozzle 81b Second cleaning nozzle 8a,8b outlet 9. Control Unit 92 Brush position acquisition unit (brush control unit) 96 Nozzle position acquisition unit (nozzle displacement control unit) 97 Memory section IM Image Data RI reference image data T Brush cleaning time T1 1st Hour T2 2nd Hour VL1,VL2 straight line W substrate

Claims

1. a substrate holder that holds a substrate and rotates the substrate about a predetermined axis of rotation; a chemical nozzle that ejects a chemical toward a main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a brush used to clean the main surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and A brush holder that is provided above the brush and holds the brush; Waiting pods and a brush movement drive unit that moves the set of the brush holder and the brush between a processing position where the brush contacts the main surface of the substrate and the waiting pod; an adhesion detection unit that detects adhesion of the chemical solution to the brush holding unit; a cleaning liquid supply unit having a discharge port for supplying a cleaning liquid to the waiting pod; Control unit and Equipped with The control unit determines that cleaning of the brush holding unit is necessary when the adhesion detection unit detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit, and controls the cleaning liquid supply unit to clean the brush holding unit with the cleaning liquid when the brush movement drive unit moves the brush holding unit and the set of brushes to the waiting pod.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , The adhesion detection unit includes a flow meter that measures the flow rate of the chemical liquid ejected from the chemical liquid nozzle, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The adhesion detection unit further includes a brush position acquisition unit that acquires a brush position of the brush, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter and the brush position of the brush acquired by the brush position acquisition unit.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, a nozzle displacement drive unit that displaces the chemical nozzle to move a landing position of the chemical on the main surface of the substrate, The adhesion detection unit is a nozzle position acquisition unit that acquires a nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle, A substrate processing apparatus that detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding part based on the flow rate of the chemical liquid measured by the flow meter, the brush position of the brush acquired by the brush position acquisition unit, and the nozzle position of the chemical liquid nozzle acquired by the nozzle position acquisition unit.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The adhesion detection unit includes a camera that captures an image of the brush holding unit to generate image data, and detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on the image data.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , a storage unit that stores reference image data including the brush holding portion to which the chemical solution is not attached; The adhesion detection unit detects adhesion of the chemical liquid to the brush holding unit based on a comparison between the image data and the reference image data.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the camera is provided at a position for capturing an image of the brush holder when the brush is located at the processing position.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , The camera is provided at a position for capturing an image of the brush holder when the brush is located in the waiting pod.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , The camera is provided at a position for capturing an image of the brush holder in a state where the brush is located between the waiting pod and the processing position.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , a brush drive unit that rotates the brush and the brush holder together, The camera sequentially captures images of the brush holder while the brush drive unit rotates the brush and the brush holder to generate a plurality of image data.

11. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, the control unit causes the brush movement drive unit to move the brush and the brush holder together over the main surface of the substrate while the chemical solution is being discharged from the chemical solution nozzle, thereby performing scrubbing cleaning of the main surface of the substrate; a virtual straight line along a trajectory of the chemical liquid from the discharge port of the chemical liquid nozzle to the main surface of the substrate, in a plan view, intersects with a virtual straight line along a trajectory of the movement of the brush during the scrubber cleaning.

12. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The cleaning liquid supply unit includes: a first cleaning nozzle that ejects the cleaning liquid toward the brush holding portion; a second cleaning nozzle that ejects the cleaning liquid toward the brush; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, The cleaning liquid supply unit ejects the cleaning liquid from the first cleaning nozzle only during a first time period that is a portion of a brush cleaning time, and ejects the cleaning liquid from the second cleaning nozzle during at least a second time period that is after the first time period.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, The cleaning liquid supply unit does not discharge the cleaning liquid from the second cleaning nozzle during at least a part of the first time period.

15. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit controls the brush movement drive unit to raise and lower the brush in the waiting pod, thereby bringing the brush into contact with the cleaning liquid, and controls the brush holding unit to come into contact with the cleaning liquid.

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