Substrate processing apparatus and cleaning method

Abstract

To provide ultrasonic cleaning techniques that improve cleaning performance while reducing damage to a surface to be cleaned of a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: a supply device that includes a nozzle and / or pipe with a supply port for delivering an ultrasonically vibrated cleaning liquid to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or to a contact surface in contact with the cleaning surface.; and a membrane thickness variation device that varies or sets the membrane thickness of the cleaning liquid on the contact surface or the cleaning surface to an uneven heterogeneous thickness.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus having a function of cleaning substrates and other objects to be cleaned, and a cleaning method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the miniaturization of semiconductor devices, various material films with different physical properties are formed on a substrate (e.g., a wafer) and processed. In particular, in a damascene wiring formation process in which wiring grooves formed on a substrate are filled with metal, by polishing and removing excess metal using a substrate polishing device (CMP device) after the damascene wiring is formed, films with different wettability to water, such as metal films, barrier films, and insulating films, are present on the substrate surface. These surfaces contain particles such as slurry residues of the abrasive used in CMP polishing and polishing debris, and if the surfaces are complex and difficult to clean, and are not sufficiently cleaned, this can cause leakage from the particle parts and poor adhesion with the layer formed on the surface after polishing, which can be a problem in terms of reliability.

[0003] In ultrasonic cleaning in semiconductor manufacturing, as well as in polishing processes (e.g., CMP processes) in semiconductor manufacturing technology, there are two types of cleaning methods: a method in which a liquid is supplied to the surface to be cleaned, and an ultrasonic transducer propagates sound into the liquid to clean the surface (e.g., the nozzle jet ultrasonic cleaning methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2), and an immersion cleaning method in which a substrate is immersed in an immersion tank and an ultrasonic transducer arranged perpendicular to the substrate at the edge of the substrate propagates ultrasonic waves into the immersion liquid to clean the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-204495 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6941920 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Ultrasonic cleaning uses bubble movement (behavior) near the surface to be cleaned, but the liquid flow is weak directly above the surface to be cleaned, and the bubble movement is also weak, so it may be difficult to achieve a cleaning effect. To remove smaller particles with ultrasonic cleaning, sufficient bubble movement (behavior) is required on the surface to be cleaned and very close to it. There is also a method to increase the ultrasonic vibration output, but the trade-off is that cavitation destruction becomes more likely, and there is a risk of damaging the surface to be cleaned.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic cleaning technique that improves cleaning performance while suppressing damage to the cleaning surface of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned, the cleaning method including: supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface to be cleaned or a contact surface in contact with the surface to be cleaned of the object to be cleaned; varying or setting a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the surface to be cleaned or the contact surface to an uneven film thickness; and propagating ultrasonic vibrations through the cleaning liquid.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibration has been applied to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or a contact surface that comes into contact with the cleaning surface. A substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a supply device having a nozzle and / or a pipe; and a film thickness varying device for varying or setting the film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven non-uniform film thickness.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising: an immersion tank for storing a cleaning liquid and accommodating a substrate as an object to be cleaned; an ultrasonic vibrator arranged on a first end side of the substrate immersed in the immersion tank; and one or more uneven members adjacent to one or more cleaning surfaces of the substrate at a predetermined distance, wherein some or all of the one or more uneven members are formed of an uneven plate having an uneven surface, or an inner wall of the immersion tank having an uneven surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] An example of the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism. [Figure 4B] An example of the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cleaning principle by an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to one embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an example. [Figure 6B] A table showing example parameter change patterns. [Figure 6C] 11 is a graph showing an example of a parameter change pattern. [Figure 7A] FIG. 2 is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an example. [Figure 7B] FIG. 2 is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an example. [Figure 7C] A table showing example parameter change patterns. [Figure 7D] 11 is a graph showing an example of a parameter change pattern. [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the spread of film thickness fluctuation of a cleaning liquid on a substrate. [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the spread of film thickness fluctuation of a cleaning liquid on a substrate. [Figure 8C]FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the spread of film thickness fluctuation of a cleaning liquid on a substrate. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an example. [Figure 9B] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an example ultrasonic cleaning mechanism. [Figure 9C] FIG. 2 is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an example. [Figure 10A] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the spread of film thickness fluctuation of a cleaning liquid on a substrate. [Figure 10B] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of corrugated plates. [Figure 10C] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of corrugated plates. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a nozzle according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism in a substrate cleaning apparatus according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism in a substrate cleaning apparatus according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate polishing apparatus. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate drying apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In addition, expressions such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" are used in this specification, but these indicate positions and directions on the paper surface of the exemplary drawings for convenience of explanation, and may differ in the actual arrangement when the device is used, etc. In addition, in this specification, "suppress / prevent" is used to mean "suppress or prevent".

[0012] The present disclosure relates to a substrate cleaning method and a substrate processing apparatus and control thereof, which are primarily used in a substrate polishing apparatus / substrate processing system (e.g., a CMP apparatus / CMP system), which is an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The present invention relates to a program, and in particular to a substrate cleaning method and substrate processing apparatus capable of obtaining beneficial cleaning characteristics in non-contact physical cleaning of particle contamination on the substrate surface during the manufacturing stage of a substrate having a device structure such as a semiconductor wafer, and a control program for automating the substrate cleaning and substrate processing. The present invention can also be applied to other classifications of microfabrication equipment such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in which particles are a concern. The substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to, for example, a flat panel manufacturing process, an image sensor manufacturing process such as a CMOS or CCD, and a magnetic film manufacturing process for MRAM.

[0013] [Substrate processing system] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system) 1000 according to an embodiment. Here, a substrate polishing system will be described as an example of the substrate processing system 1000. The substrate processing system 1000 can process semiconductor wafers having a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm, flat panels, image sensors such as CMOS and CCD, MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory), and other types of data. This is used to process various substrates in the manufacturing process of magnetic films in magnetic random access memories (RAMs).

[0014] 1 includes a substantially rectangular housing 1, a load port 2 on which a substrate cassette for stocking a large number of substrates is placed, one or more substrate polishing units (substrate polishing apparatuses) 3, one or more substrate cleaning units (substrate cleaning apparatuses) 4, a substrate drying unit (substrate drying apparatus) 5, transport mechanisms 6a-6d, and a controller 7. In this specification, a substrate processing system including a plurality of substrate processing units may be referred to as a substrate processing apparatus, and any substrate processing unit may be referred to as a substrate processing apparatus.

[0015] The load port 2 is disposed adjacent to the housing 1. An open cassette, a Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) pod, or a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) can be mounted on the load port 2. The SMIF pod and FOUP are sealed containers that can store substrate cassettes inside and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering them with a partition. Examples of substrates include semiconductor wafers.

[0016] A substrate polishing apparatus 3 that polishes a substrate, a substrate cleaning apparatus 4 that cleans the polished substrate, and a substrate drying apparatus 5 that dries the cleaned substrate are contained in a housing 1. In this example, the substrate polishing apparatus 3 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing system 1000, and the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 and the substrate drying apparatus 5 are also arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing system 1000.

[0017] In this embodiment, the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 performs contact cleaning using a pen-shaped cleaning tool and ultrasonic cleaning. Contact cleaning using a pen-shaped cleaning tool involves bringing the lower end contact surface of a vertically extending, cylindrical pencil-shaped cleaning tool into contact with a substrate in the presence of a cleaning liquid, and moving the cleaning tool in one direction while rotating on its axis to scrub the surface of the substrate. The substrate cleaning apparatus 4 may be configured to perform only ultrasonic cleaning.

[0018] The substrate drying device 5 may be a spin drying unit that sprays IPA vapor from a moving spray nozzle toward a horizontally rotating substrate to dry the substrate, and then rotates the substrate at high speed to dry the substrate by centrifugal force.

[0019] A transport mechanism 6a is disposed in an area surrounded by the load port 2, the substrate polishing apparatus 3 located on the load port 2 side, and the substrate drying apparatus 5. A transport mechanism 6b is disposed in parallel to the substrate polishing apparatus 3, the substrate cleaning apparatus 4, and the substrate drying apparatus 5. The transport mechanism 6a The transfer mechanism 6b receives unpolished substrates from the load port 2 and delivers them to the transfer mechanism 6b, and receives dried substrates taken out of the substrate drying apparatus 5 from the transfer mechanism 6b.

[0020] A transport mechanism 6c is arranged between the two substrate cleaning apparatuses 4 to transfer substrates between the substrate cleaning apparatuses 4, and a transport mechanism 6d is arranged between the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 and the substrate drying apparatus 5 to transfer substrates between the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 and the substrate drying apparatus 5.

[0021] Furthermore, inside the housing 1, a control unit 7 is disposed to control the operation of each device of the substrate processing system 1000. The control unit 7 has, for example, a memory (not shown) storing a predetermined program, and a CPU (not shown) executing the program in the memory. The storage medium constituting the memory stores various setting data, various programs including a program for controlling each part of the substrate processing system, and the like. The storage medium can include a non-volatile and / or volatile storage medium. As the storage medium, for example, a known memory such as a computer-readable ROM, RAM, or flash memory, or a disk-shaped storage medium such as a hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or flexible disk can be used. A part or all of the functions of the control unit 7 can be configured by hardware such as an ASIC. A part or all of the functions of the control unit 7 may be configured by a sequencer. A part or all of the control unit 7 can be disposed inside and / or outside the housing 1 of the substrate processing system. A part or all of the control unit 7 is connected to each part of the substrate processing system by wire and / or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0022] [Substrate cleaning equipment] 2 and 3 are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the substrate cleaning apparatus 4. The substrate cleaning apparatus 4 includes a substrate holding and rotating mechanism 41, a pen cleaning mechanism 42, and an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43, which are housed in a housing 44 having a shutter 44a. Each part in the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 is controlled by the control unit 7 of Fig. 1. Note that in other embodiments, the substrate cleaning apparatus 42 may include another cleaning mechanism (for example, a roll cleaning mechanism) instead of or in addition to the pen cleaning mechanism 42, or may include only the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 as the cleaning mechanism.

[0023] The substrate holding and rotating mechanism 41 has a chuck claw 411 and a rotation drive shaft 412. The chuck claw 411 is a holding member provided to hold the substrate W, which is a cleaning target, by gripping the outer peripheral end (edge ​​portion) of the substrate W. In this embodiment, four chuck claws 411 are provided, and a gap is provided between adjacent chuck claws 411 so as not to hinder the movement of a robot hand (not shown) that transports the substrate W. The chuck claws 411 are each connected to a rotation drive shaft 412 so that the surface of the substrate W can be held horizontally. In this embodiment, each surface of the substrate W may be referred to as a front surface WA and a back surface WB. In the example of FIG. 3, the substrate W is held by the chuck claw 411 so that the front surface WA of the substrate W faces upward. When there is no particular need to distinguish between them, the surface of the substrate W, the surface of the substrate, etc. will be referred to.

[0024] The rotary drive shaft 412 is rotatable about an axis extending perpendicular to the surface of the substrate W, and is configured to rotate the substrate W in a horizontal plane by rotation about the axis of the rotary drive shaft 412. The rotary drive shaft 412 is a rotary shaft driven by a known driving device such as a motor, and the rotation direction and rotation speed of the rotary drive shaft 412 are controlled by the control unit 7. The rotation speed may be constant or variable.

[0025] In addition, in order to prevent the cleaning liquid or ultrasonic cleaning liquid described later from scattering, a rotating cup may be provided that is located outside the substrate holding and rotating mechanism 41 (more specifically, its chuck claws 411) to cover the periphery of the substrate W and rotate in synchronization with the rotation drive shaft 412.

[0026] The pen cleaning mechanism 42 includes a pen-shaped cleaning tool 421 and an arm 4 supporting the pen-shaped cleaning tool 421. 22 , a moving mechanism 423 for moving the arm 422 , a cleaning liquid nozzle 424 , a rinsing liquid nozzle 425 , and a cleaning device 426 .

[0027] The pen-type cleaning tool 421 is, for example, a cylindrical cleaning tool made of PVA (for example, sponge) and is disposed above the substrate W held by the chuck claws 411 so that its axis is perpendicular to the substrate W. The pen-type cleaning tool 421 has a lower surface that cleans the substrate W and an upper surface that is supported by an arm 422.

[0028] Arm 422 is a flat rod-shaped member, and is typically disposed so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to substrate W. Arm 422 supports pen-shaped cleaning tool 421 at one end so as to be rotatable about its axis, and movement mechanism 423 is connected to the other end.

[0029] The moving mechanism 423 is, for example, a rotary drive shaft driven by a known drive device such as a motor, and moves the arm 422 vertically up and down and swings the arm 422 in a horizontal plane. The horizontal swing of the arm 422 by the moving mechanism 423 is such that the trajectory of the pen-shaped cleaning tool 421 describes an arc around the other end of the arm 422. The moving mechanism 423 can swing the pen-shaped cleaning tool 421 between the center of the substrate W and a retracted position outside the substrate W, as indicated by arrow A. The operation of the moving mechanism 423 is controlled by the control unit 7.

[0030] The cleaning liquid nozzle 424 supplies a cleaning liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water when the substrate W is cleaned with the pen-shaped cleaner 421. The rinsing liquid nozzle 425 supplies a rinsing liquid such as pure water to the substrate W. It is preferable to provide the cleaning liquid nozzle 424 and the rinsing liquid nozzle 425 not only for the front surface WA of the substrate W but also for the back surface WB. The supply timing and supply amount of the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid are controlled by the control unit 7.

[0031] The cleaning device 426 is disposed outside the position where the substrate W is disposed, and the moving mechanism 423 can move the pen-type cleaning tool 421 onto the cleaning device 426. The cleaning device 426 cleans the pen-type cleaning tool 421.

[0032] In the pen cleaning mechanism 42 described above, while the substrate W is being rotated, a cleaning liquid is supplied onto the substrate W from the cleaning liquid nozzle 424, and the lower surface of the pen-shaped cleaner 421 comes into contact with the front surface WA of the substrate W and the arm 422 is swung, whereby the substrate W is physically contact-cleaned. The ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 is disposed on the opposite side to the pen cleaning mechanism 42, with the substrate W sandwiched therebetween.

[0033] [Ultrasonic cleaning mechanism] (Configuration example 1) 4A is a side view showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism. Ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 has a cleaning liquid supply unit 431, a vibration unit 432, a supply pipe 433, a holding unit 434, and a swing shaft 435. Ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 cleans a substrate using a cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic waves are applied (hereinafter, also referred to as ultrasonic cleaning liquid).

[0034] The cleaning liquid supply unit 431 supplies a cleaning liquid such as pure water. The cleaning liquid supply unit 431 may supply pure water and / or a chemical liquid. The vibration unit 432 has an ultrasonic vibrator and applies ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply unit 431. In the following description, it may be referred to as the ultrasonic vibrator 432. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibration applied may be a constant frequency, or may be selectable from a plurality of frequencies (for example, a high frequency of about 900 kHz and a low frequency of about 430 kHz). In general, the higher the frequency of the applied ultrasonic wave, the more suitable it is for removing fine particles, and conversely, the lower the frequency, the more suitable it is for removing large particles. The vibration unit 432 vibrates the cleaning liquid flow path in the vicinity of the supply port 433a. Alternatively, it may be provided outside the flow path.

[0035] Supply pipe 433 (an example of a supply device) guides the cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibration has been applied, and supplies it from supply port 433a at the tip to substrate W. The cleaning liquid is supplied onto substrate W, thereby cleaning substrate W. Holder 434 holds vibration unit 432 and the base end side of supply pipe 433. Note that a nozzle 433d (FIG. 4B) may be attached to the tip of supply pipe 433, and the discharge port of nozzle 433d may serve as supply port 433a.

[0036] The swing shaft 435 extends downward from the bottom of the holder 434, and by swinging the holder 434, the supply port 433a of the supply pipe 433 swings between the center of the substrate W and a retracted position outside the substrate W, as shown by arrow B in Fig. 2. The swing shaft 435 is driven by a known driving device such as a motor controlled by the control unit 7, for example. The swing shaft 435 and its driving device constitute a control device (transport device) that controls the position of the supply port 433a on the surface of the substrate W by moving the supply port 433a in the lateral direction (horizontal direction).

[0037] Also provided is an elevator (not shown) that moves the supply pipe 433 up and down along the swing shaft 435. The elevator moves the supply pipe 433 in the vertical direction. The elevator can employ a known mechanism such as a ball screw or a rack and pinion that is driven by a known drive device such as a motor controlled by the control unit 7. The elevator and its drive device constitute a control device (elevation device) that moves the supply port 433a in the vertical direction to control the vertical position of the supply port 433a (height relative to the substrate).

[0038] A rotation device (angle adjustment device) (not shown) that rotates the first extension portion 433b around its longitudinal axis may be provided, for example, on the holder 434. The rotation device can adjust the angle θ of the supply port 433a with respect to the substrate W (the angle between the supply direction and the perpendicular to the substrate surface). For example, the angle θ can be adjusted in the range from θ=0°, where the supply direction is perpendicular to the substrate surface, to θ=several degrees. The rotation device can be a known driving device such as a motor controlled by the controller 7. The rotation device constitutes a control device (tilting mechanism) that controls the orientation of the supply port 433a.

[0039] The timing and amount of cleaning liquid supplied by cleaning liquid supply unit 431 (supply port 433a), the timing and ultrasonic frequency of vibration unit 432, the timing and speed at which oscillation shaft 435 oscillates supply pipe 433, the timing and speed at which the lifting device raises and lowers supply port 433a, and the timing and speed at which the rotating device changes the orientation of supply port 433a are all driven and controlled by control unit 7.

[0040] A regulator 441 is provided on the flow path of the supply pipe 433. The regulator 441 is controlled by the control unit 7 and adjusts the flow rate and / or pressure of the cleaning liquid 551 supplied from the supply port 433a. The regulator 441 may include a pump and / or one or more valves such as a flow rate control valve, an on-off valve, etc.

[0041] The material of the supply pipe 433 may be quartz, stainless steel, or the like. Quartz is particularly suitable because it is difficult to attenuate ultrasonic vibration. The supply pipe 433 is composed of a first extension part 433b extending from the vibration part 432 side and a second extension part 433c extending downward (for example, vertically downward) from the tip of the first extension part 433b, and a supply port 433a may be provided at the tip of the second extension part 433c. Here, the first extension part 433b may extend in the horizontal direction, but it is preferable that the first extension part 433b is inclined so that the vibration part 432 side is lower and the second extension part 433c side is higher. This makes it possible to prevent oxygen and the like from entering the supply pipe 433 from the supply port 433a, and prevents a decrease in cleaning power caused by oxygen being dissolved in the cleaning liquid. In addition, by inclining the first extension part 433b, the droplets attached to the lower part of the first extension part 433b are directed toward the vibration part 432 side. This can prevent droplets from flowing and dripping onto the substrate W or other members.

[0042] (Configuration example 2) FIG. 4B is a side view showing another example of the configuration of the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43. The same components as those in FIG. 4A are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the following description focuses on the differences from the configuration in FIG. 4A. In this example, a nozzle 433d is connected to a swing shaft 435 via an arm 437. The nozzle 433d is, for example, cylindrical and configured to eject a fluid from a fine hole at the tip. The nozzle 433d is connected to a cleaning liquid supply unit 431 via a supply pipe 433 passing through the inside of the arm 437. The supply pipe 433 may include a passage provided in the arm 437, or may include a pipe (flexible tube, pipe, etc.) made of a different member passing through the inside of the arm 437. In addition, a part or all of the supply pipe 433 may pass outside the arm 437 and be connected to the nozzle 433d.

[0043] The swing shaft 435 is provided with a swinging device 438 that swings the nozzle 433d (supply port 433a) by rotating the swing shaft 435, a lifting device 439 that moves the nozzle 433d (supply port 433a) in the vertical direction by moving the arm 437 in the vertical direction, and a rotation device 440 that changes the angle θ of the nozzle 433d (supply port 433a) with respect to the substrate W (the angle between the supply direction and the perpendicular line to the substrate surface) by rotating the arm 437 about its longitudinal axis. The swinging device 438, the lifting device 439, and the rotation device 440 may include a known driving device such as a motor. In another embodiment, the nozzle 433d may be configured to be moved up and down relative to the arm 437 at the tip side of the arm 437. Also, the nozzle 433d may be configured to change its direction (angle θ) at the tip side of the arm 437.

[0044] The swinging device 438, the lifting device 439, and the rotating device 440 correspond to a conveying device that moves the nozzle 433d laterally, a lifting device that moves the nozzle 433d up and down, and a tilting mechanism that changes the orientation of the nozzle 433d. The tilting mechanism is not limited to the above-mentioned rotating device, and may be any mechanism that can change the orientation of the supply port 433a (the inclination of the nozzle and the supply pipe).

[0045] In this example, the vibration unit 432 is disposed in the nozzle 433d. The vibration unit 432 has an ultrasonic vibrator and applies ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply unit 431. The ultrasonic vibrator of the vibration unit 432 can be disposed, for example, parallel to the nozzle ejection surface above the portion where the cleaning liquid bends. Also, in the nozzle 433d, a structure can be adopted in which the ultrasonic vibrator of the vibration unit 432 is located on the liquid contact surface on the rear side of the liquid in the ejection direction (a structure in which the ultrasonic vibrator comes into contact with the cleaning liquid). The vibration unit 432 may be disposed in the flow path of the cleaning liquid in the nozzle 433d, or may be disposed outside the flow path of the cleaning liquid.

[0046] The configuration of the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 is not limited to the above, and any configuration can be adopted, including a mechanism for moving the supply port 433a vertically on the substrate surface, a mechanism for moving the supply port 433a horizontally on the substrate surface, a mechanism for changing the angle of the supply port 433a relative to the substrate surface, a mechanism for controlling the flow rate of the cleaning liquid from the supply port 433a, and / or a mechanism for controlling the pressure of the cleaning liquid from the supply port 433a.

[0047] [Cleaning principle] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cleaning principle by an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to one embodiment. In nozzle ultrasonic cleaning on a horizontal substrate, the liquid (cleaning liquid) dropped onto the substrate surface by nozzle injection spreads continuously over the substrate, and ultrasonic waves propagate within the liquid film in the horizontal direction relative to the substrate surface, causing bubbles within the liquid film to adhere to and move on the substrate surface, accelerating cleaning. In the nozzle jet ultrasonic cleaning method, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface is almost uniform, and the liquid film thickness on the outer periphery of the substrate is steadily decreasing. Note that, in the immersion cleaning method, the liquid film on the cleaning surface of the substrate can be considered to be in an almost uniform state by immersing the substrate in a large amount of liquid. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown on the right side of Fig. 5(B), the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 is intentionally made uneven and non-uniform in thickness. The uneven shape includes regular and irregular uneven shapes, wavy shapes, and any other uneven shapes. In this embodiment, the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 is unevenly formed in a non-uniform thickness near the substrate surface (within a range of several mm from the substrate surface), so that the width of the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increases or decreases at the places where the thickness of the cleaning liquid film changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface (or solid-liquid interface). The diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner, not in a constant manner, and induce a bubble motion on the substrate surface that varies in speed (strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface). The enhanced vibration and movement of the bubbles in this way makes it possible to more effectively remove particles (especially microparticles) on the substrate surface (potentially improving the cleaning effect of the substrate).

[0048] Hereinafter, a description will be given of a means / device (film thickness varying device) for making the film thickness of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface uneven and non-uniform.

[0049] [Example of film thickness variation device 1] 6A is a side view of an example of the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43. In this configuration, the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the surface of the substrate W is changed in a wavy manner (to have an uneven film thickness) by (1) displacing the supply port 433a (nozzle 433d) in the up-down direction indicated by the arrow 451, (2) displacing the supply port 433a (nozzle 433d) in the lateral direction (horizontal direction) indicated by the arrow 452, (3) changing the angle of the supply port 433a (nozzle 433d), (4) increasing or decreasing the flow rate of the cleaning liquid 501 discharged from the supply port 433a (nozzle 433d), and / or (5) increasing or decreasing the pressure of the cleaning liquid 501 discharged from the supply port 433a (nozzle 433d).

[0050] By making the liquid film of cleaning liquid 501 uneven and non-uniform in thickness near the substrate surface (within a few mm from the substrate surface), ultrasonic waves propagate through cleaning liquid 501, where the film thickness repeatedly increases and decreases, and the width of the ultrasonic waves increases and decreases at the places where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface, as shown in the enlarged view in Fig. 6A. As a result, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface, and improving the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface (improving the cleaning effect).

[0051] Displacing the nozzle 433d in the up-down direction indicated by the arrow 451 means displacing the nozzle 433d so as to vary the height (length of the liquid column of the cleaning liquid) of the nozzle 433d relative to the surface of the substrate W. The up-down movement of the nozzle 433d can be achieved by the above-mentioned lifting device (lifting device 439, etc.).

[0052] Displacing the nozzle 433d in the lateral direction indicated by the arrow 452 means displacing the nozzle 433d parallel to the surface of the substrate W so that the horizontal position of the nozzle 433d on the surface of the substrate W is displaced. The lateral displacement may be in the direction indicated by the arrow B in Fig. 2, or may be a linear movement, or may be a unidirectional, reciprocating, or random movement along any other arbitrary trajectory. The lateral movement of the nozzle 433d can be performed by the above-mentioned transport device (the swinging shaft 435, the swinging device 438, etc.).

[0053] Changing the angle of the nozzle 433d means changing the angle θ of the direction of the nozzle 433d (the supply direction of the cleaning liquid 501) with respect to the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate W. In other words, it means tilting the nozzle 433d in the direction of the arrow 454. The angle θ of the nozzle 433d can be changed by the tilting mechanism (the rotation device 440, etc.) described above.

[0054] The nozzle may be moved in the inclined direction 453 by combining the displacement in the vertical direction 451 and the displacement in the horizontal direction 452. Alternatively, the displacement in the vertical direction 451 and the displacement in the horizontal direction 452 may be performed simultaneously (diagonally upward / downward displacement). The displacement in the vertical direction 451 and / or the displacement in the horizontal direction 452 may be combined with the change in the nozzle angle θ.

[0055] The flow rate of the cleaning liquid 501 discharged from the nozzle 433d is increased or decreased by the regulator 441 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). The pressure of the cleaning liquid 501 discharged from the nozzle 433d is increased or decreased by the regulator 441 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

[0056] The temperature of the cleaning liquid 501 may be controlled to be, for example, room temperature (the temperature of the clean room in which the apparatus is installed) to 80° C. By keeping the temperature of the cleaning liquid at room temperature or higher, the surface tension of the cleaning liquid decreases, which makes it easier for the liquid interface to fluctuate and for air bubbles to be generated in the cleaning liquid. The same applies to other embodiments described later.

[0057] 6B and 6C are a table and a graph, respectively, showing examples of change patterns of parameters used in cleaning liquid supply control. In the graph shown in Fig. 6C, the horizontal axis shows the cleaning time of the nozzle jet ultrasonic cleaning, and the vertical axis shows the parameters. In this example, the parameters are the vertical position, horizontal position, and angle θ of the nozzle 433d, and the flow rate and pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the nozzle.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6B and 6C, the vertical position of the nozzle can be displaced between a relatively high position a and a relatively low position b. The horizontal position of the nozzle can be displaced between a relatively right position a and a relatively left position b. The left-right reference can be set arbitrarily. The nozzle angle θ can be changed between vertical (θ = 0°) and inclined (θ = several degrees). The flow rate of the cleaning liquid can be changed between a relatively high flow rate a and a low flow rate b. The pressure of the cleaning liquid can be changed between a relatively high pressure a and a low pressure b.

[0059] In the example of Fig. 6C, each parameter changes between two values ​​at a fixed time period, but each parameter may change at a random period and / or between three or more values, each parameter may not need to be held at a fixed value for a certain period, and each parameter may change in any other arbitrary change pattern (any curve in Fig. 6C). Also, any two or more parameter changes may be combined.

[0060] [Example of film thickness variation device 2] In this example, an example is shown in which the liquid film of the cleaning liquid on the substrate surface is fluctuated by a mechanism, and in particular, an example is shown in which the liquid film of the cleaning liquid on the substrate surface is fluctuated by a one-off obstacle.

[0061] (Example 2-1) FIG. 7A is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 according to an example. As shown in FIG. 7A, a gas 456 is sprayed from above onto the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the surface of the substrate W. For example, as shown in the figure, the gas 456 is sprayed onto the cleaning liquid 501 by an air nozzle 455. By spraying the gas 456 onto the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface, the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface does not have a uniform thickness, but the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface fluctuates in a wavy manner (becoming uneven in thickness). An inert gas such as nitrogen can be used as the gas 456 to be sprayed. The gas 456 may be sprayed at one location or at multiple locations. In addition, the gas 456 may be sprayed onto the cleaning liquid 501 as an air curtain by arranging multiple air nozzles 455 or by using the air nozzle 455 as a slit-type nozzle having a slit extending in the longitudinal direction or a slit-type nozzle having multiple supply holes arranged in the longitudinal direction.

[0062] The position of the air nozzle 455 can be fixed, and the gas can be sprayed onto the cleaning liquid 501 from the fixed position. The air nozzle 455 may be moved in the vertical direction (high ⇔ low) while spraying the gas onto the cleaning liquid 501. The air nozzle 455 may be moved in the horizontal direction (right ⇔ left) while spraying the gas onto the cleaning liquid 501. The supply / ejection of the gas 456 may be changed between on / off (on ⇔ off). The flow rate and / or pressure of the gas 456 may be increased or decreased. In this way, the film thickness variation of the cleaning liquid 501 can be more activated. Two or more of the control of the vertical movement, the control of the horizontal movement, the on / off control of the gas supply, the control of the gas flow rate, and the control of the gas pressure may be combined. Similarly to the change in each parameter of the nozzle 433d described above (FIG. 6B, etc.), various parameters of the air nozzle 455 may be changed. Air nozzle 455 can be moved using a movement mechanism similar to the various movement mechanisms described above for nozzle 433d, or other known movement mechanisms.

[0063] (Example 2-2) 7B is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 according to an example. In this example, a physical object (obstacle) 460 that disturbs the uniform flow of the cleaning liquid 501 on the surface of the substrate W is brought into contact with the cleaning liquid 501. The obstacle 460 can be a lump-shaped, rod-shaped, annular, or any other shaped member. By disturbing the uniform flow of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface with the obstacle 460, the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface does not have a uniform film thickness, and the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate surface fluctuates in a wavy manner (having an uneven film thickness with projections and recesses).

[0064] The position of the obstacle 460 may be fixed during the supply of the cleaning liquid, or may be moved vertically (high⇔low) (including vibration) or horizontally (right⇔left). In this way, the film thickness variation of the cleaning liquid 501 can be more actively achieved. The control of the vertical movement (including vibration) and the control of the horizontal movement may be combined. Also, the orientation of the obstacle 460 (the rotation angle around any axis such as the vertical axis or the radial axis) may be changed during the supply of the cleaning liquid. Similarly to the change in the position of the nozzle 433d described above, the position of the obstacle 460 may be changed. The obstacle 460 can be moved using a moving mechanism similar to the various moving mechanisms described above for the nozzle 433d, or other known moving mechanisms.

[0065] 7B and 7C are a table and a graph, respectively, showing examples of change patterns of parameters used in cleaning liquid supply control. In the graph shown in FIG. 7C, the horizontal axis shows the cleaning time of the nozzle jet ultrasonic cleaning, and the vertical axis shows the parameters. In this example, the parameters are the vertical position of the air nozzle 455 (obstacle 460), the horizontal position, and the on / off of the air nozzle 455. Note that, although FIG. 7C shows an example in which each parameter changes between two values ​​at a constant time period, each parameter may be changed at a random period and / or between three or more values, each parameter may not need to be held at a constant value for a period, and each parameter may be changed in any other arbitrary change pattern. In addition, changes in any two or more parameters may be combined.

[0066] 8A, 8B, and 8C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the spread of film thickness variations of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate W. In these figures, SP indicates the dropping position of the cleaning liquid 501, and R indicates the rotation direction of the substrate W. Here, a case where the dropping position SP is the center of the substrate W is taken as an example, but the dropping position SP may be any position on the substrate W other than the center.

[0067] In the absence of a film thickness varying device, as shown in FIG. 8A, the cleaning liquid 501 supplied to the dropping position SP flows evenly and uniformly from the dropping position SP outward in the radial direction of the substrate as indicated by the arrow FL.

[0068] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8B, when the gas from the air nozzle 455 or the obstacle 460 is applied to a part of the cleaning liquid 501, as shown in the right part of Fig. 8B, the cleaning liquid 501 flowing from the dropping position SP to the outer periphery of the substrate becomes wavy and uneven in thickness after acting on the gas 456 or the obstacle 460, as shown in the right part of Fig. 8B. Note that since the substrate W is rotating, the cleaning liquid becomes uneven in thickness over the entire periphery (entire surface) of the substrate W.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8C, when gas 456 or obstacle 460 is applied to cleaning liquid 501 over the entire circumference, as shown in the right part of FIG. 8C, cleaning liquid 501 flowing from dropping position SP to the outer periphery of the substrate becomes wavy and uneven in thickness over the entire circumference after acting on gas 456 or obstacle 460 from air nozzle 455.

[0070] [Example 3 of film thickness variation device] In this example, the film of the cleaning liquid on the substrate surface is changed by a mechanism, in particular, the film of the cleaning liquid on the substrate surface is changed by a physical obstacle (solid). Note that the physical obstacle referred to here is intended to be something that forms a flow path / passage corresponding to the uneven and non-uniform film thickness of the cleaning liquid.

[0071] (Example 3-1) 9A and 9B are a side view and a bottom view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 according to an example. FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram for explaining the spread of film thickness variations of the cleaning liquid 501 on the substrate W. In this example, an uneven plate 471 is provided integrally with the nozzle 433d. The uneven plate 471 is disposed with a small gap (for example, about 5 mm) between it and the surface of the substrate W, and has an uneven bottom surface in which the gap between it and the surface of the substrate W changes depending on the location on the uneven plate 471. In this embodiment, the uneven plate 471 is a corrugated plate having a corrugated bottom surface.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 9B, the uneven plate 471 may be a disk-shaped member, and has a wavy bottom surface with wave crests arranged concentrically from the supply port 433a of the nozzle 433d. The uneven plate 471 may be integrally formed with the nozzle 433d so as to surround the entire circumference or a part of the supply port 433a of the nozzle 433d, or may be attached to the nozzle 433d as a separate member. The wavy shape of the uneven plate 471 is not limited to the pattern of FIG. 9B, and may be a wavy shape of any pattern. The uneven plate 471 may also be an uneven plate having a surface with any uneven pattern.

[0073] In this configuration, the liquid film of the cleaning liquid 501 fluctuates in thickness to have an uneven (wavy) unevenness on the uneven plate 471 at the nozzle tip, and the cleaning liquid 501 then spreads and propagates in an undulating manner (FIGS. 9A and 10A). That is, the uneven plate 471, together with the surface of the substrate W, forms a flow path / passage through which the cleaning liquid 501 flows. The cleaning liquid 501 flows with an uneven uneven thickness below the uneven plate 471, following the uneven shape of the bottom surface of the uneven plate 471, as shown in FIG. 9A, and further propagates in an undulating manner (to have an uneven uneven thickness) outside the uneven plate 471.

[0074] 9A, since the cleaning liquid 501 has an uneven thickness on the substrate surface, the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increase and decrease in width at the places where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes, and are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. As a result, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than in a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface, and improving the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface (improving the cleaning effect).

[0075] (Example 3-2) FIG. 9C is a side view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 according to an example. 10B , the uneven plate 472 may be arranged so as to cover the cleaning liquid 501 in a part around the dripping position SP (a sector shape without a center side), or may be arranged so as to cover the cleaning liquid 501 in the whole circumference around the dripping position SP (a circular shape without a center side: annular shape) as shown in FIG. 10C . In FIG. 10B and FIG. 10C , the outer periphery of the uneven plate 472 is formed so as to cover the outer periphery end of the substrate W. In other embodiments, the entire outer periphery of the uneven plate 472 may be located inside the outer periphery of the substrate W. In other respects, the uneven plate 472 has a similar configuration to the uneven plate 471 described above. In this embodiment, the uneven plate 472 is a corrugated plate having a corrugated bottom surface, similar to the uneven plate 471. The corrugated shape of the uneven plate 472 is not limited to the regular corrugated shape shown in Fig. 9B, and may be a corrugated shape of any pattern. Furthermore, the uneven plate 472 may be an uneven plate having a surface with any uneven pattern.

[0076] In this configuration, the cleaning liquid 501 is fluctuated below the uneven plate 472 so as to have an uneven and non-uniform film thickness following the wavy shape of the bottom surface of the uneven plate 472. In Fig. 10B, the uneven plate 472 is disposed partially around the dropping position SP, but as the substrate W rotates, the cleaning liquid 501 has an uneven and non-uniform film thickness all around the substrate.

[0077] In this configuration, as shown in Fig. 9C, the cleaning liquid 501 has an uneven thickness on the substrate surface, so that the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increase and decrease in width at the places where the thickness of the cleaning liquid changes, and are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. As a result, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than in a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface, and improving the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface (improving the cleaning effect).

[0078] [Modified nozzle] 11 is a perspective view of a nozzle according to another embodiment. Instead of the nozzle 433d described above, a slit-type nozzle 433e having a thin slit supply port (not shown) or a plurality of supply ports (not shown) arranged in a slit shape may be used. In the above embodiment, the same effect can be achieved even when such a nozzle 433e is used.

[0079] [Example 3 of film thickness variation device] (Example 3-1) Substrate cleaning equipment of immersion type / batch immersion type 12 shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 in a substrate cleaning apparatus 4 according to another embodiment. In the above, a configuration (nozzle jet ultrasonic cleaning apparatus) in which cleaning liquid (ultrasonic cleaning liquid) 501 is supplied onto a horizontally arranged substrate W to clean the substrate W has been described, but the above-mentioned configuration can also be applied to an immersion type ultrasonic cleaning apparatus shown in FIG.

[0080] 12 includes an immersion tank 480 for storing a cleaning liquid 501, uneven plates 481 arranged close to both sides of a substrate W immersed in the cleaning liquid 501 (within a range of several mm from the substrate surface), a vibration unit (ultrasonic vibrator) 432 arranged on one end side of the substrate W, for example, below the substrate W, and a reflecting plate 484 arranged on the other end side of the substrate W, for example, above the substrate W. Between adjacent substrates, the uneven plates 481 are arranged back-to-back so that the uneven surfaces of both substrates face each other, or a corrugated plate having a shape similar to that of the uneven plates 481 arranged back-to-back is arranged. The cleaning liquid 501 may be supplied into the immersion tank 480 from a supply unit (not shown) and allowed to overflow from the immersion tank 480.

[0081] In this embodiment, the uneven plate 481 is a corrugated plate having a corrugated surface, similar to the uneven plate 471. The corrugated shape of the uneven plate 481 is not limited to a regular corrugated shape, and may be a corrugated shape of any pattern. In addition, the uneven plate 481 may be a corrugated plate having a surface with any uneven pattern. It is also possible to use the following.

[0082] In this configuration, ultrasonic waves are generated in the cleaning liquid 501 by the ultrasonic vibrator 432, and the ultrasonic waves are propagated through a passage / flow path between the substrate W and the uneven plate 481. Since the wavy uneven plate 481 is disposed close to the substrate surface, an uneven solid-liquid interface exists near the substrate surface, and the film thickness of the cleaning liquid 501 near the substrate surface is substantially uneven and non-uniform. The ultrasonic waves passing through the passage between the substrate W and the uneven plate 481 are increased or decreased in width at the place where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes (the place where the distance between the substrate and the uneven plate 481 changes), and are diffusely reflected at the solid-liquid interface. As a result, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of bubbles on the substrate surface, and the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface can be improved (the cleaning effect can be improved).

[0083] Moreover, the reflecting plate 484 is disposed at an incline so as to reflect ultrasonic waves laterally away from the substrate W on the other end side of the substrate W. As a result, ultrasonic waves that have passed between the substrate W and the uneven plate 481 from below to above are reflected by the reflecting plate 484 and propagate laterally away from the substrate W. As a result, ultrasonic waves that have passed between the substrate W and the uneven plate 481 from below to above are reflected by the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid 501 and return to the passage between the substrate W and the uneven plate 481, suppressing or preventing the occurrence of standing waves and the deterioration of cleaning performance.

[0084] In FIG. 12, the uneven plate 481 on the outside of one or both ends of the multiple substrates W may be omitted, and the inner wall of the immersion tank 480 on the omitted side may be made uneven (wavy) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0085] (Example 3-2) Substrate cleaning equipment of immersion type / single wafer immersion type 13 shows another example of the configuration of the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 43 in the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 according to another embodiment. As shown in the figure, in an immersion tank 480A that receives substrates one by one, the dimension in the direction across the substrate W is small (the distance between the substrate and the inner wall of the immersion tank is short), so the inner wall of the immersion tank 480A may be formed unevenly (wave-like in this embodiment). In this case, the uneven plate 481, which is a separate member, can be omitted.

[0086] Also, the reflecting plate 484 may be a V-shaped reflecting plate as shown in Fig. 13. In this case, the V-shaped reflecting plate 484 reflects the ultrasonic waves from the substrate side so as to move them away to both sides in the lateral direction, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves from returning between the substrate and the concave-convex plate. The reflecting plate 484 may be inclined to one side as shown in Fig. 12.

[0087] Incidentally, uneven plate 481 may be provided on one or both surfaces of the substrate. The inner wall of immersion tank 480A on the side where uneven plate 481 is provided does not have to be uneven.

[0088] [Substrate polishing equipment (substrate polishing unit)] In the above, the cleaning effect is improved by making the film thickness of the cleaning liquid in the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 uneven and non-uniform, but a means / device (film thickness varying device) for varying / setting the film thickness of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid may also be applied to the cleaning liquid in the substrate polishing apparatus 5.

[0089] 14 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate polishing apparatus 3. As shown in the figure, in this substrate polishing apparatus 3, a polishing pad 600 having a polishing surface 602 is attached to a polishing table 620, and the polishing pad 600 and the polishing table 620 are rotated by a known driving device (not shown). A top ring 630 that holds a substrate W is connected to a support arm 634 via a shaft 631. The substrate W is configured to rotate, move up and down, and oscillate (move parallel to the polishing surface) while being held by the top ring 630. The substrate polishing apparatus 3 also includes a polishing liquid supply nozzle 640 that supplies a polishing liquid (slurry) to the polishing surface 602, and a polishing liquid supply nozzle 640 that supplies a polishing liquid (slurry) to the polishing surface 602. A cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 that supplies a cleaning liquid to the cleaning chamber 02 is provided.

[0090] The polishing liquid supply nozzle 640 is configured to be swung by the rotation of the shaft 642. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 may be configured to be swung, movable up and down, and capable of changing the direction of the supply port that discharges the cleaning liquid, similar to the configuration in Fig. 6. In this substrate polishing apparatus 3, a polishing liquid is supplied from the polishing liquid supply nozzle 40 to the polishing surface 102 while rotating the substrate W and polishing pad 100, and the substrate W is pressed against the polishing surface 602. In the presence of slurry, the surface of the substrate W and the polishing surface 602 come into contact with each other and move relative to each other, thereby polishing the substrate W.

[0091] In the substrate polishing apparatus 3, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 onto the polishing surface 602 of the polishing pad 600 while rotating the polishing pad 100, and the substrate W is brought into contact with the polishing surface 102, so that the substrate W is cleaned with the cleaning liquid (water polishing) in some cases. At this time, the above-mentioned means / device (FIGS. 6A to 13) for varying / setting the film thickness of the cleaning liquid is applied to make the film thickness of the cleaning liquid 501 supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 onto the polishing surface 602 uneven and non-uniform. As a result, the width of the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid is increased or decreased at the location where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. The diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface not in a constant manner but in a pulsed manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of bubbles on the substrate surface. The cleaning liquid in which the vibration and movement of bubbles on the substrate surface are strengthened in this way comes into contact with the surface of the substrate W as the polishing pad 600 rotates, and the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface can be improved (the cleaning effect can be improved).

[0092] Also, a cleaning liquid can be supplied onto the polishing surface 602 from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 to clean and remove particles (abrasive residue, polishing debris, etc.) on the polishing surface 602. At this time, by applying the above-mentioned means / device (FIGS. 6A to 13) for varying / setting the film thickness of the cleaning liquid, the film thickness of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 650 onto the polishing surface 602 is made uneven and non-uniform. As a result, the width of the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increases or decreases at the places where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. Then, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than in a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of bubbles on the substrate surface, and improving the removal performance of particles on the substrate surface (improving the cleaning effect). At this time, if the substrate W is brought into contact with the polishing surface 602 of the polishing pad 600 and washed (water polished), the cleaning liquid containing bubbles with enhanced vibration and movement can improve not only the cleaning performance of the polishing surface 602 but also the cleaning performance of the substrate W.

[0093] [Substrate drying device (substrate drying unit)] In the above, the cleaning effect is improved by making the film thickness of the cleaning liquid in the substrate cleaning apparatus 4 uneven and uneven, but it is also possible to apply a means / device (FIGS. 6A to 13) for varying / setting the film thickness of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid to the rinsing liquid in the substrate drying apparatus 5. That is, the above-mentioned cleaning liquid is used as the rinsing liquid in the substrate drying apparatus 5.

[0094] In order to avoid defects such as watermarks (water stains) caused by the liquid on the substrate surface drying from the droplet state, some substrate drying devices supply a liquid flow of a rinsing liquid to a rotating substrate to form a liquid film covering the entire substrate surface, supply a drying gas containing a substance that reduces the surface tension of the rinsing liquid to the inside of the liquid flow, move the liquid flow nozzle and the gas flow nozzle from the center to the periphery of the substrate, and gradually expand the drying area from the center to the periphery to dry the entire substrate. At this time, the above-mentioned means / device for varying / setting the film thickness of the cleaning liquid (FIGS. 6A to 13) can be used to make the film thickness of the rinsing liquid on the substrate surface uneven and non-uniform, thereby giving the rinsing liquid a cleaning effect (effect of removing particles on the substrate).

[0095] 15 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the substrate drying apparatus 5. In the substrate drying apparatus 5, the rinsing liquid on the substrate W supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 is adjusted to have a thickness of the above-mentioned cleaning liquid. By applying the means / devices for varying / setting (FIGS. 6A to 13), the film thickness of the rinsing liquid on the substrate W becomes uneven and non-uniform. As a result, the width of the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increases or decreases in places where the thickness of the rinsing liquid changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. The diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves then act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than in a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface, and improving the performance of removing particles on the substrate surface (improving the cleaning effect).

[0096] The configuration and operation of the substrate drying apparatus 5 of Fig. 15 will be described below. The substrate drying apparatus 5 includes a rotation mechanism 710 that holds and rotates the substrate W. The rotation mechanism 710 includes a plurality of chuck jaws 711 that horizontally hold the substrate W, and a rotation drive shaft 712 to which the plurality of chuck jaws 711 are connected. The rotation drive shaft 712 is driven by a known drive device (not shown) such as a motor. The substrate drying apparatus 5 further includes a rinsing liquid nozzle 720 that supplies a rinsing liquid (rinsing liquid flow) to the substrate W, a dry gas nozzle 730 that supplies a dry gas (dry gas flow) containing a substance that reduces the surface tension of the rinsing liquid to the substrate W, and a movement mechanism 740 that moves the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 and the dry gas nozzle 730 parallel to the surface of the substrate W.

[0097] The rinse liquid may be pure water, deionized water, carbon dioxide gas dissolved water, or functional water such as ozone water, hydrogen water, or electrolytic ion water. The substance contained in the dry gas may be IPA (isopropyl alcohol), an ethylene glycol-based or propylene glycol-based substance, or a surfactant. The dry gas is typically a mixture of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon that functions as a carrier gas and vapor of IPA or the like, but may also be the vapor of IPA or the like itself.

[0098] The moving mechanism 740 includes a movable arm 741 to which the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 and the drying gas nozzle 730 are attached, a movable shaft 742 that transmits the power of a driving source 743 to the movable arm 741, and a driving source 743 that rotates the movable shaft 742 about its axis. The driving source 743 can be a known driving device such as a motor.

[0099] In the substrate drying apparatus 5, first, the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 is moved to a position on the substrate W where the discharge port of the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 is slightly offset from the rotation center Wc of the substrate W. Then, the substrate W is rotated (arrow Dr), and a rinsing liquid flow is supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 onto the substrate W. When the front surface WA of the substrate W is covered with the rinsing liquid, the dry gas nozzle 730 starts to supply a dry gas flow to the front surface WA, and after passing the center of the substrate W, the rinsing liquid nozzle 720 and the dry gas nozzle 730 are moved toward the outer periphery of the substrate W (arrow Dn). As a result, the rinsing liquid is moved toward the outer periphery of the substrate by centrifugal force and Marangoni force, gradually expanding the drying area from the center to the periphery, and the entire substrate is dried.

[0100] In this substrate drying apparatus 5, IPA etc. in the drying gas dissolves in the rinsing liquid from the inner circumference side of the substrate, so that the concentration of IPA etc. in the rinsing liquid is higher and the surface tension is smaller toward the inner circumference side of the substrate, and a Marangoni force is generated that acts to attract the rinsing liquid with the smaller surface tension (inner circumference side of the substrate) to the rinsing liquid with the larger surface tension (outer circumference side of the substrate). The substrate processing apparatus 5 dries the substrate by utilizing the centrifugal force and the Marangoni force caused by the rotation of the substrate.

[0101] During the drying process of the substrate in the above-mentioned substrate drying apparatus 5, the above-mentioned means / device for varying / setting the film thickness of the cleaning liquid (FIGS. 6A to 13) is applied to the rinsing liquid on the substrate W supplied from the rinsing liquid nozzle 720, thereby making the film thickness of the rinsing liquid on the substrate W uneven and non-uniform. As a result, the width of the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increases or decreases at the places where the rinse liquid film thickness changes, and the ultrasonic waves are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface. The diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves then act on the substrate surface in a pulsed manner rather than in a constant manner, strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the substrate surface, and increasing the thickness of the substrate surface. This can improve the particle removal performance (improve cleaning effect).

[0102] (Other embodiments) (1) In the above embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid for the ultrasonic cleaning. However, a chemical liquid may be used as the cleaning liquid for the ultrasonic cleaning. (2) In the above embodiment, a substrate polishing apparatus (substrate polishing system) is used as an example of a substrate processing apparatus (substrate processing system), but the above embodiment can be applied to any substrate processing apparatus having a cleaning function. Also, the above embodiment can be applied to any apparatus that performs some kind of cleaning, other than a substrate processing apparatus. (3) In the above, a spin dryer has been given as an example of a substrate drying device, but the corrugated plate shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 may be applied to a dipping and drawing type dryer.

[0103] At least the following aspects can be understood from the above-described embodiment. [1] According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a supply device having a nozzle and / or a tube including a supply port that supplies a cleaning liquid having ultrasonic vibrations to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or a contact surface that contacts the cleaning surface; and a film thickness variation device that varies or sets a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven, non-uniform film thickness. In this substrate processing apparatus, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply device to the cleaning surface, or from the supply device to the contact surface that contacts the cleaning surface, thereby supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning surface via the contact surface. An example of the latter is when the cleaning object is a substrate (cleaning surface = substrate surface) in a substrate polishing apparatus serving as the substrate processing apparatus, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the polishing surface (contact surface). The cleaning liquid may be, for example, pure water or a chemical liquid. The term "uneven" includes a wavy shape and any other uneven shape.

[0104] According to this embodiment, ultrasonic waves are propagated in the cleaning liquid whose thickness repeatedly increases and decreases, and the ultrasonic waves are repeatedly reflected at the gas-liquid interface or solid-liquid interface in the portion where the thickness increases and decreases. By varying or setting the cleaning liquid film thickness to an uneven uneven film thickness near the cleaning surface or contact surface (within a range of several mm from the cleaning surface), the ultrasonic waves propagating in the cleaning liquid increase and decrease in width at the place where the cleaning liquid film thickness changes, and are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface (or solid-liquid interface). Then, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the cleaning surface or contact surface in a pulsed manner rather than a constant manner, inducing a bubble motion on the cleaning surface or contact surface (strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the cleaning surface or contact surface). The vibration and movement of the bubbles strengthened in this way can more effectively remove particles on the cleaning surface (can improve the cleaning effect). As a result, in ultrasonic cleaning, the cleaning performance can be improved while suppressing damage to the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0105] [2] According to one embodiment, the film thickness variation device has a control device that, during the supply of the cleaning liquid, varies a position of the supply port in a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a position of the supply port in a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies an orientation of the supply port relative to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, and / or varies a pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device.

[0106] According to this embodiment, the thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or contact surface can be varied to have an uneven, non-uniform thickness by varying the position of the supply port along a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or contact surface, varying the position of the supply port along a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or contact surface, varying the orientation of the supply port relative to the cleaning surface or contact surface, varying the flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, and / or varying the pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, or a combination of two or more of these. In this case, the thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or contact surface can be varied to have an uneven, non-uniform thickness with a relatively simple configuration without arranging additional members, etc. on the substrate surface. The thickness of the film can be varied.

[0107] [3] According to one embodiment, the control device has a lifting device that moves the supply port toward or away from the cleaning surface or the contact surface along a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

[0108] According to this aspect, the position of the supply port can be changed in the vertical direction with a simple configuration.

[0109] [4] According to one embodiment, the control device has a conveying device that moves the supply port along a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

[0110] According to this aspect, the position of the supply port can be moved laterally with a simple configuration.

[0111] [5] According to one embodiment, the control device includes a rotation device for rotating the supply device about an axis parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

[0112] According to this aspect, the supply direction of the cleaning liquid to the cleaning surface or the contact surface can be changed with a simple configuration.

[0113] [6] According to one embodiment, the film thickness varying device has a pump and / or a valve for controlling a flow rate or a pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied to the supply port.

[0114] According to this aspect, the flow rate and / or pressure of the cleaning liquid can be controlled with a simple configuration.

[0115] [7] According to one embodiment, the film thickness variation device has a structure that contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

[0116] According to this embodiment, by interfering with the flow of the cleaning liquid with the structure, the film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or contact surface can be varied to have an uneven and non-uniform film thickness. In this case, the film thickness of the cleaning liquid can be varied to have an uneven and non-uniform film thickness without the need to move the nozzle and / or control the flow rate / pressure of the cleaning liquid. Note that the interference of the structure and the movement of the nozzle and / or the control of the flow rate / pressure of the cleaning liquid may be combined.

[0117] [8] According to one embodiment, the structure has one or more obstacles that contact the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface, the one or more obstacles including block-shaped, plate-shaped, rod-shaped, and / or ring-shaped obstacles.

[0118] According to this embodiment, by interfering with the flow of the cleaning liquid with one or more block-shaped, plate-shaped, rod-shaped, and / or ring-shaped obstacles, the film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or contact surface can be varied to an uneven and non-uniform film thickness.

[0119] [9] According to one embodiment, the structure is an uneven plate having an uneven surface, and the uneven surface contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface. The uneven plate includes a corrugated plate having a wavy surface and any other plate having an uneven surface. The uneven plate can be provided so as to completely surround the supply port. Also, the uneven plate can be provided so as to partially surround the supply port.

[0120] According to this embodiment, a passage for the cleaning liquid is formed between the uneven surface of the corrugated sheet and the cleaning surface / contact surface. By forming a passage and making the cleaning liquid conform to the shape of the passage, the thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface / contact surface can be varied to have an uneven and non-uniform thickness. Also, the cleaning liquid may be intermittently brought into contact with the convex parts of the uneven surface to vary the thickness of the cleaning liquid to have an uneven and non-uniform thickness.

[0121]

[10] According to one embodiment, the corrugated plate is integral with the supply device. For example, the corrugated plate may be provided so as to surround the entire periphery or a part of the periphery of the supply port.

[0122] According to this aspect, since the corrugated plate is integrally provided with the supply device, the corrugated plate can be disposed with a simple structure.

[0123]

[11] According to one embodiment, the corrugated plate is disposed at a distance from the supply device. For example, the corrugated plate may be provided so as to surround the entire periphery or a part of the periphery of the supply port.

[0124] According to this embodiment, there is a high degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the corrugated plate.

[0125]

[12] According to one embodiment, the film thickness variation device may include the control device according to [2] and the structure according to [7]. In other words, the film thickness variation device may include a control device that varies the position of the supply port along a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies the position of the supply port along a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies the orientation of the supply port relative to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies the flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, and / or varies the pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device during the supply of the cleaning liquid, and a structure that contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

[0126] According to this embodiment, by combining control of moving the supply port and / or varying the flow rate / pressure of the cleaning liquid with a structure in contact with the cleaning liquid, the diffuse reflection of ultrasonic waves can be made more complex, thereby further improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning surface.

[0127]

[13] According to one embodiment, the supply device includes the nozzle, the supply port of which is a slit or a plurality of supply holes arranged in a slit shape.

[0128] The above-described configuration is applicable to cases where cleaning liquid is supplied from a slit-type nozzle, regardless of the type of nozzle.

[0129]

[14] According to one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate polishing apparatus having a polishing pad and a substrate holder for holding a substrate and contacting the substrate with the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the supply device supplies the cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface, and the object to be cleaned is the substrate and / or the polishing pad. When cleaning a polishing surface, the object to be cleaned is a polishing pad and the cleaning surface is the polishing surface of the polishing pad. When cleaning a substrate, the object to be cleaned is a substrate, the cleaning surface is the substrate surface, and the contact surface is the polishing surface of the polishing pad. When cleaning a polishing surface and a substrate, the object to be cleaned is a polishing pad, the cleaning surface is the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the substrate is a further object to be cleaned, and the substrate surface is a further cleaning surface.

[0130] According to this aspect, in the substrate polishing apparatus, the cleaning performance of the substrate and / or the polished surface can be improved by using a cleaning liquid whose film thickness varies unevenly.

[0131]

[15] According to one embodiment, the supply device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface while the substrate holder is in contact with the polishing surface, and / or the supply device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface while the substrate holder is spaced from the polishing surface, to clean the substrate with the cleaning liquid. The supplying device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface, and cleans the polishing surface with the cleaning liquid.

[0132] According to this embodiment, in a substrate polishing apparatus, by using a cleaning liquid whose film thickness varies unevenly, the performance of removing particles and polishing residues can be improved when cleaning a substrate (water polishing) and / or cleaning a polished surface.

[0133]

[16] According to one embodiment, while the substrate holder holds the substrate in contact with the polishing surface, the supply device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface, and the substrate and the polishing pad are cleaned with the cleaning liquid.

[0134] According to this embodiment, in the substrate polishing apparatus, a cleaning liquid whose film thickness varies unevenly can be used to simultaneously clean the substrate and the polishing surface, and particle removal performance can be improved.

[0135]

[17] According to one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate drying apparatus that dries a substrate, and supplies the cleaning liquid to the substrate as a rinsing liquid to be supplied to the substrate, and varies a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the substrate to have an uneven non-uniform film thickness.

[0136] According to this aspect, by using the above-mentioned unevenly shaped cleaning liquid having a non-uniform film thickness as a rinsing liquid (e.g., pure water) supplied to the substrate in order to prevent watermarks or the like, the rinsing liquid can have a cleaning effect.

[0137]

[18] According to one aspect, the substrate drying apparatus supplies the cleaning liquid from the supply device to the cleaning surface while blowing gas from a gas supply device onto the cleaning surface to dry the substrate.

[0138] According to this aspect, the substrate can be efficiently dried while the rinsing liquid has a cleaning effect in the Rotagoni drying.

[0139]

[19] According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes an immersion tank for storing a cleaning liquid and accommodating a substrate as a cleaning target; an ultrasonic vibrator disposed on a first end side of the substrate immersed in the immersion tank; and one or more uneven members adjacent to one or more cleaning surfaces of the substrate at a predetermined distance, wherein a part or all of the one or more uneven members are formed of an uneven plate having an uneven surface, or an inner wall of the immersion tank having an uneven surface. A substrate processing apparatus is provided.

[0140] According to this embodiment, in the immersion type substrate cleaning apparatus, by disposing the uneven member near the substrate surface, an uneven passage for the cleaning liquid can be provided on the cleaning surface of the substrate, and a solid-liquid interface (interface between the cleaning liquid and the uneven member) can be formed that is separated from the substrate surface at an uneven and non-uniform distance. In other words, the film thickness of the cleaning liquid near the substrate surface can be made uneven and non-uniform. Therefore, ultrasonic waves can be diffusely reflected at the uneven solid-liquid interface near the cleaning surface and act on the cleaning surface in a pulsed manner, thereby strengthening the vibration and movement of bubbles on the cleaning surface, and improving the performance of removing particles on the cleaning surface.

[0141]

[20] According to one embodiment, the device further includes a reflector arranged on a second end side of the substrate opposite the first end side, and the reflector reflects ultrasonic waves that have passed between the substrate and the uneven member so as to move them away from the gap between the substrate and the uneven member.

[0142] According to this embodiment, ultrasonic waves that pass between the substrate and the uneven member are reflected by the surface of the cleaning liquid and return to the passage between the substrate and the uneven member, suppressing or preventing the generation of standing waves and a decrease in cleaning performance.

[0143]

[21] According to one embodiment, a cleaning method for cleaning an object includes: supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface to be cleaned of the object to be cleaned or a contact surface that contacts the cleaning surface; varying or setting a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the surface to be cleaned or the contact surface to an uneven non-uniform film thickness; and propagating ultrasonic vibrations through the cleaning liquid.

[0144] According to this embodiment, by varying or setting the thickness of the cleaning liquid film to an uneven uneven thickness near the cleaning surface or contact surface (within a few mm from the cleaning surface), the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increase or decrease in width at the place where the thickness of the cleaning liquid film changes, and are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface (or solid-liquid interface). Then, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the cleaning surface or contact surface in a pulsed manner rather than a constant manner, inducing a bubble motion on the cleaning surface or contact surface (strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the cleaning surface or contact surface). The vibration and movement of the bubbles strengthened in this way can more effectively remove particles on the cleaning surface (can improve the cleaning effect). As a result, in ultrasonic cleaning, the cleaning performance can be improved while suppressing damage to the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0145]

[22] According to one embodiment, there is provided a storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus, the storage medium storing the program for causing a computer to execute the steps of: supplying a cleaning liquid to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or a contact surface in contact with the cleaning surface; varying or setting a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven, non-uniform film thickness; and propagating ultrasonic vibrations through the cleaning liquid.

[0146] According to this embodiment, by varying or setting the thickness of the cleaning liquid film to an uneven uneven thickness near the cleaning surface or contact surface (within a few mm from the cleaning surface), the ultrasonic waves propagating through the cleaning liquid increase or decrease in width at the place where the thickness of the cleaning liquid film changes, and are diffusely reflected at the gas-liquid interface (or solid-liquid interface). Then, the diffusely reflected ultrasonic waves act on the cleaning surface or contact surface in a pulsed manner rather than a constant manner, inducing a bubble motion on the cleaning surface or contact surface (strengthening the vibration and movement of the bubbles on the cleaning surface or contact surface). The vibration and movement of the bubbles strengthened in this way can more effectively remove particles on the cleaning surface (can improve the cleaning effect). As a result, in ultrasonic cleaning, the cleaning performance can be improved while suppressing damage to the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0147] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on several examples, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1. Housing 2 Loading port 3 Substrate polishing equipment 4. Substrate cleaning equipment 5 Substrate drying equipment 6. Conveyor mechanism 7 Control section 411 Chuck jaw 412 Rotating drive shaft 41 Substrate holding and rotating mechanism 42 Pen cleaning mechanism 42 43 Ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 44 Case 44a Shutter 424 Cleaning fluid nozzle 425 Rinse liquid nozzle 431 Cleaning fluid supply unit 432 Vibration part (ultrasonic vibrator) 433 Supply pipe 433a Supply port 433b 1st extension 433c 2nd extension 433d Nozzle 451 Up / Down 452 Horizontal 455 Air Nozzle 456 Gas 460 Obstacles 471, 472 Corrugated sheet 480 Soaking tank 481 Corrugated sheet 484 Reflector 501 Cleaning fluid 600 Polishing Pad 602 Polished surface 620 Polishing Table 630 Top Ring 631 Shaft 634 Support Arm 640 Polishing fluid supply nozzle 642 Shaft 650 Cleaning fluid supply nozzle 710 Rotation Mechanism 711 Chuck jaws 712 Rotating drive shaft 720 Rinse liquid nozzle 730 Dry Gas Nozzle 740 Moving mechanism 741 Movable Arm 742 Movable axis 743 Power Source R Board rotation direction SP dripping position

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: A supply device having a nozzle and / or a pipe including a supply port for supplying a cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibration has been applied to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or a contact surface that comes into contact with the cleaning surface; a film thickness varying device for varying or setting a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven film thickness; The substrate processing apparatus includes:

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The film thickness variation device has a control device that varies a position of the supply port along a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a position of the supply port along a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies an orientation of the supply port with respect to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, and / or varies a pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, during supply of the cleaning liquid. Substrate processing equipment.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The control device has a lifting device that moves the supply port toward or away from the cleaning surface or the contact surface along a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface. Substrate processing equipment.

4. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The control device of the substrate processing apparatus includes a transport device that moves the supply port in a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

5. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The control device includes a rotation device that rotates the supply device about an axis parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface.

6. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, The film thickness varying device has a pump and / or a valve for controlling a flow rate or a pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied to the supply port. Substrate processing equipment.

7. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The film thickness variation device has a structure that contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface. Substrate processing equipment.

8. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, the structure has one or more obstacles that contact the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface; The one or more obstacles include block-shaped, plate-shaped, rod-shaped, and / or ring-shaped obstacles; Substrate processing equipment.

9. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, The structure is an uneven plate having an uneven surface, The textured surface contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface. Substrate processing equipment.

10. 10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, The corrugated plate is integrally provided with the supply device.

11. 11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, The corrugated plate is disposed at a distance from the supply device.

12. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The film thickness variation device is a control device which, during the supply of the cleaning liquid, varies a position of the supply port in a direction perpendicular to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a position of the supply port in a direction parallel to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies an orientation of the supply port relative to the cleaning surface or the contact surface, varies a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device, and / or varies a pressure of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply device; and a structure that contacts the cleaning liquid on the cleaning surface or the contact surface; The substrate processing apparatus has

13. 13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The supply device includes the nozzle, the supply port of which is a slit or a plurality of supply holes arranged in a slit shape.

14. 13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate polishing apparatus having a polishing pad and a substrate holder for holding a substrate and bringing the substrate into contact with the polishing surface of the polishing pad; the supplying device supplies the cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface; The object to be cleaned is the polishing pad or the substrate. Substrate processing equipment.

15. 15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14, and / or, while the substrate holder is in contact with the polishing surface, the supply device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface to clean the substrate with the cleaning liquid; the supplying device supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface while the substrate holder is in a state where the substrate is spaced from the polishing surface, thereby cleaning the polishing surface with the cleaning liquid. Substrate processing equipment.

16. 15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14, a supply device that supplies the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface while the substrate holder brings the substrate into contact with the polishing surface, thereby cleaning the substrate and the polishing pad with the cleaning liquid.

17. 13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate drying apparatus that dries a substrate, supplying the cleaning liquid to the substrate as a rinsing liquid to be supplied to the substrate, and varying a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the substrate to have an uneven non-uniform film thickness; Substrate processing equipment.

18. 18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, the substrate drying apparatus supplies the cleaning liquid from the supply device to the cleaning surface while blowing gas from a gas supply device onto the cleaning surface to dry the substrate; Substrate processing equipment.

19. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: an immersion tank for storing a cleaning liquid and accommodating a substrate as an object to be cleaned; an ultrasonic transducer disposed on a first end side of the substrate immersed in the immersion tank; one or more uneven members adjacent to one or more cleaning surfaces of the substrate at a predetermined distance; Equipped with A part or all of the one or more uneven members are composed of an uneven plate having an uneven surface, or an inner wall of the immersion tank having an uneven surface, Substrate processing equipment.

20. 20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 19, a reflector disposed on a second end side of the substrate opposite to the first end side, The reflecting plate reflects ultrasonic waves that have passed between the substrate and the uneven member so as to move the ultrasonic waves away from the gap between the substrate and the uneven member.

21. A cleaning method for cleaning an object to be cleaned, comprising the steps of: Supplying a cleaning liquid to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or to a contact surface that contacts the cleaning surface; Varying or setting the thickness of the cleaning solution on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven non-uniform thickness; Propagating ultrasonic vibrations into the cleaning liquid; A cleaning method comprising:

22. A storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling a substrate processing apparatus, Supplying a cleaning liquid to a cleaning surface of an object to be cleaned or to a contact surface that contacts the cleaning surface; Varying or setting the thickness of the cleaning solution on the cleaning surface or the contact surface to an uneven non-uniform thickness; Propagating ultrasonic vibrations into the cleaning liquid; A storage medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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