Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

To enhance the cleanliness of a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes a rotation holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate, a brush that cleans a process surface of the substrate in contact with the process surface, a brush clean liquid supply unit that supplies a clean liquid to the brush, and a cooling unit that discharges a coolant to the clean liquid included in the brush. The cooling unit solidifies the clean liquid at least on a surface of the brush in contact with the substrate out of the clean liquid included in the brush. The brush clean liquid supply unit melts the solidified clean liquid by supplying the clean liquid to the solidified clean liquid. In a first period, the brush cleans the process surface in a state that the cooling unit solidifies the clean liquid and in the second period, the brush cleans the process surface in a state where the clean liquid is in a liquid state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Substrate processing equipment is used in the manufacturing process of semiconductors, liquid crystal panels, etc. to process the surface of a substrate (e.g., a wafer or liquid crystal substrate) with a chemical solution, rinse the substrate with a rinsing solution after the chemical solution processing, and dry the substrate after rinsing. In this type of substrate processing equipment, a single-wafer method is used to process substrates one by one in terms of uniformity and reproducibility.

[0003] In a single-wafer processing apparatus, a substrate is placed on a turntable, and a processing liquid such as a chemical liquid is supplied to the substrate on the rotating turntable, and the substrate is processed with the processing liquid. After the substrate processing process using the processing liquid, the substrate is cleaned to maintain a high level of cleanliness of the substrate. When multiple substrate processing processes using several types of processing liquids are performed, substrate cleaning may be performed between each process to maintain a high level of cleanliness of the substrate.

[0004] A substrate cleaning method is scrubbing with a brush, in which the brush is stopped or rotated while the substrate is rotating, and the brush is moved horizontally while in contact with the surface of the substrate to be treated, to remove impurities (metals, organic matter, particles, etc.) on the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-283180 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when cleaning a substrate using such a brush, since the brush has a constant hardness, it is difficult to remove various particles adhering to the substrate, and it is difficult to improve the cleanliness of the substrate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of improving the cleanliness of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a rotating holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate, a brush that contacts a processed surface of the substrate to clean the processed surface, a brush cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to the brush, and a cooling unit that ejects a refrigerant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush, wherein the cooling unit solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in the brush, at least on a surface of the brush that contacts the substrate, the brush cleaning liquid supply unit melts the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid, and the brush cleans the processed surface with the cleaning liquid solidified by the cooling unit during a first period, and cleans the processed surface with the cleaning liquid in a liquid state during a second period.

[0009] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a substrate processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: a brush contacting a surface to be processed of a substrate to clean the surface to be processed; supplying a cleaning liquid to the brush; solidifying the cleaning liquid contained in the brush at least on a surface of the brush that contacts the substrate by ejecting a refrigerant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush; and melting the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid, wherein the step of cleaning the surface to be processed by the brush includes: in a first period, the brush cleans the surface to be processed with the cleaning liquid in a solidified state; and in a second period, the brush cleans the surface to be processed with the cleaning liquid in a liquid state. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of improving the cleanliness of a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment in which the cleaning head is located at a standby position. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment in which the cleaning head is located at the cleaning position. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment in which the cleaning head is located at the cooling position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of an example of a substrate cleaning process performed by the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush and the hardness of the brush. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position on the substrate and the hardness of the brush in the substrate cleaning process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a cooling unit and a melting unit provided inside the cleaning head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position on the substrate and the hardness of the brush in the substrate cleaning process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position on the substrate and the hardness of the brush in the substrate cleaning process according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (First embodiment) 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment performs a substrate cleaning process in which the substrate W is rotated and cleaned with a cleaning liquid and a brush. The substrate W is typically a semiconductor wafer, but may also be a liquid crystal substrate for a display device. In the following description, the substrate W will be described as a circular semiconductor wafer with a diameter of 300 mm, but the diameter of the substrate W is not limited to 300 mm.

[0014] For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a substrate cleaning process on the substrate W that is carried in. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a substrate cleaning process to clean the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 also performs a rinse process to rinse the substrate W after the substrate cleaning process with a rinse liquid. After the rinse process, the substrate processing apparatus 1 unloads the substrate W that has been subjected to the rinse process. When the next substrate W is loaded, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the various processes described above. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the various processes described above on the loaded substrate W every time a substrate W is loaded. The substrate cleaning process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described in detail below.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a spin holder 10, a cleaning head 20, a moving mechanism 30, a first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a, a second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b, a cooling unit 50, a temperature measurement unit 60, and a control unit 70. The spin holder 10 rotates the substrate W. Specifically, the spin holder 10 rotates the substrate W while holding it. The spin holder 10 includes a first holder 10a, a second holder 10b, a first drive unit 10c, and a second drive unit 10d. The first holder 10a and the second holder 10b are disposed at positions facing each other with the substrate W interposed therebetween.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2A to 2C, each of the first holding part 10a and the second holding part 10b has a pair of rollers 10e. The rollers 10e are provided rotatably about an axis perpendicular to the surface direction of the substrate W. Although not shown in Figures 2A to 2C, each roller 10e has a large diameter part and a small diameter part provided on the upper surface of the large diameter part, and the side surfaces of the large diameter part and the small diameter part are tapered so that the boundary where they meet each other reduces in diameter. The boundary part between the large diameter part and the small diameter part of each roller 10e comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate W, thereby holding the substrate W.

[0017] The first driving unit 10c supports the first holding unit 10a, and the second driving unit 10d supports the second holding unit 10b. Each of the first driving unit 10c and the second driving unit 10d rotates the roller 10e about its axis. A rotation mechanism (not shown) that drives the roller 10e is housed inside each of the first driving unit 10c and the second driving unit 10d.

[0018] The rotation mechanism is, for example, a belt drive mechanism. That is, a timing belt is stretched between the drive shaft of a motor serving as a drive source and a pulley provided on the drive shaft of one of the rollers 10e, and between the pulleys provided on the drive shafts of the pair of rollers 10e, so that the pair of rollers 10e can be rotated by the drive source. Note that the rotation mechanism is not limited to this, and for example, each roller 10e may be configured to rotate by a motor provided on each roller 10e.

[0019] The first driving unit 10c is provided with a driving mechanism 10f for moving the pair of rollers 10e in a direction toward and away from the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The second driving unit 10d is provided with a driving mechanism 10g for moving the pair of rollers 10e in a direction toward and away from the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The driving mechanism 10f has a rotary cylinder for moving a driving shaft provided at the lower end of the first driving unit 10c along a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate W. The driving mechanism 10g has a rotary cylinder for moving a driving shaft provided at the lower end of the second driving unit 10d along a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate W.

[0020] The two driving mechanisms 10f and 10g move the first holding unit 10a and the second holding unit 10b in directions away from each other, so that the two pairs of rollers 10e move away from the peripheral portion of the substrate W and the substrate W is released. The position of the two pairs of rollers 10e when the substrate W is in a released state is called an open position. The two driving mechanisms 10f and 10g move the first holding unit 10a and the second holding unit 10b in directions toward each other, so that the two pairs of rollers 10e come into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate W and hold the substrate W. The position of the two pairs of rollers 10e when the substrate W is held by the two pairs of rollers 10e is called a closed position. That is, in this embodiment, the rollers 10e are moved between the open position and the closed position by the driving mechanisms 10f and 10g.

[0021] The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a supplies (discharges) a cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. The cleaning liquid is, for example, ozone water, pure water, or SC-1 (a cleaning liquid made by mixing ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water). The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may be configured to be able to adjust the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied to the processing surface W1. The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may be configured to be able to supply a plurality of cleaning liquids set to different temperatures to the processing surface W1.

[0022] The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a is connected to a cleaning liquid supply device (not shown) having a liquid delivery device, a valve, and the like. The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may be connected to a plurality of supply devices. For example, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may be connected to a pure water production device (pure water storage tank), an ozone water production device (ozone water storage tank), and an SC-1 supply device. The cleaning liquid supplied to the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may be switched to any one of pure water, ozone water, and SC-1, and may be supplied to the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a.

[0023] The cleaning head 20 includes a body 20a, a support 20b, and a brush 20c. The cleaning head 20 cleans the processing surface W1 of the substrate W by contacting the rotating brush 20c or the non-rotating brush 20c with the processing surface W1 of the rotating substrate W. That is, in the substrate cleaning process, the substrate W is rotated, and while the substrate W is rotating, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a supplies the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, and the processing surface W1 of the substrate W is cleaned by the brush 20c. Here, as described above, in the substrate cleaning process, the brush 20c cleans the processing surface W1 of the rotating substrate W in a rotating or non-rotating state. Note that the contact referred to here includes the case where the brush 20c directly contacts the processing surface W1 of the substrate W and the case where the brush 20c contacts the processing surface W1 of the substrate W with the cleaning liquid interposed therebetween.

[0024] The body 20a is a cylindrical container that houses a motor therein. The motor is a drive source that rotates the brush 20c, and is a hollow motor with a cylindrical drive shaft.

[0025] The support 20b is a disk-shaped member attached to the drive shaft of the motor housed in the body 20a. The support 20b is provided so as to be rotatable independently of the body 20a. A brush 20c is fixed to the support 20b.

[0026] The brush 20c is a cylindrical member made of a material having flexibility and elasticity. The brush 20c is made of a porous material that is easily elastically deformed. For example, the brush 20c may be made of a sponge-like resin such as PVA (nylon resin) or PTFE (fluorine resin). For example, when the substrate W is cleaned with pure water, the brush 20c may be made of a brush made of PVA. When ozone water or SC-1 is used as the cleaning liquid, the brush 20c may be made of a brush made of PTFE. Since PTFE is resistant to chemicals, it can be used in combination with cleaning liquids such as ozone water and SC-1. The brush 20c may be made of a bristle brush made of a similar resin having high water absorption. That is, the brush 20c of this embodiment includes a sponge-like mass and a large number of densely packed hairs. The number of brushes 20c provided on the support 20b may be one or more.

[0027] The moving mechanism 30 moves the cleaning head 20 in a direction parallel to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (horizontal direction) and in a direction perpendicular to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. That is, the moving mechanism 30 swings and raises and lowers the cleaning head 20. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C, the moving mechanism 30 swings and raises and lowers the cleaning head 20 to move the cleaning head 20 to each of a standby position 20d, a cleaning position 20e, and a cooling position 20f, which will be described later. Note that the standby position 20d and the cooling position 20f may be the same position. Note that FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus 1 in which the cleaning head 20 according to the first embodiment is located at the standby position 20d, FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus 1 in which the cleaning head 20 according to the first embodiment is located at the cleaning position 20e, and FIG. 2C is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus 1 in which the cleaning head 20 according to the first embodiment is located at the cooling position 20f.

[0028] The moving mechanism 30 has an arm 30a and a driving mechanism 30b. The arm 30a is a member that extends linearly, and is supported by the driving mechanism 30b so as to be parallel to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. The cleaning head 20 is attached to one end of the arm 30a.

[0029] The drive mechanism 30b has a swing mechanism and a lift mechanism. The swing mechanism reciprocates the arm 30a in a direction parallel to the surface W1 of the substrate W along a circular arc trajectory with the end of the arm 30a opposite to the end where the cleaning head 20 is provided as an axis. For example, the swing mechanism swings the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 in a direction parallel to the surface W1 of the substrate W while the brush 20c is in contact with the surface W1. The swing mechanism has a support shaft (not shown) extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface W1 of the substrate W and a motor (not shown) which is a drive source for rotating the support shaft. The arm 30a is attached to the support shaft. By rotating the support shaft by the motor, the cleaning head 20 attached to the arm 30a is reciprocated in a direction parallel to the surface W1 of the substrate W along the above-mentioned circular arc trajectory. Furthermore, when the above-mentioned cleaning process of the substrate W is not being performed, as shown in FIG. 2A, the cleaning head 20 attached to the arm 30a is positioned at a standby position 20d outside the area in which the substrate W is held.

[0030] The lifting mechanism moves the arm 30a up and down (vertical direction) so that the cleaning head 20 approaches and moves away from the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. As the lifting mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, a cylinder, or the like that raises and lowers the support shaft of the arm 30a may be used.

[0031] The cleaning head 20, the moving mechanism 30, and the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a as described above are provided, for example, on the processing surface W1 side of the substrate W, thereby enabling the processing surface W1 of the substrate W to be cleaned. For example, in a substrate cleaning process, as shown in FIG. 2B, the moving mechanism 30 moves the cleaning head 20 to a position (cleaning position 20e) where the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 comes into contact with the processing surface W1 of the substrate W and the processing surface W1 can be cleaned by the brush 20c. The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a supplies the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. Then, the brush 20c cleans the processing surface W1 using the cleaning liquid supplied to the processing surface W1.

[0032] The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b is provided inside the cleaning head 20 as shown in FIG. 1, and supplies (discharges) the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b supplies the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c, thereby making the brush 20c absorb the cleaning liquid. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b also supplies the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c containing the cleaning liquid in a solidified state (solidified state), thereby melting the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. In this case, the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b is set so that the solidified cleaning liquid can be melted. The cleaning liquid supplied to the brush 20c by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be the same as or different from the cleaning liquid supplied to the substrate W by the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a.

[0033] The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b is connected to a cleaning liquid supply device (not shown) having a liquid delivery device, a valve, and the like, similarly to the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be connected to a plurality of supply devices. For example, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be connected to a pure water production device, an ozone water production device, and an SC-1 supply device. The cleaning liquid supplied to the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be switched to any one of pure water, ozone water, and SC-1, and may be supplied to the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b.

[0034] The cooling unit 50 cools and solidifies the cleaning liquid supplied to the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20. For example, the cooling unit 50 solidifies at least the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c on the surface of the brush 20c that comes into contact with the substrate W when cleaning the processing target surface W1 of the substrate W.

[0035] The cooling unit 50 includes a cup 50a and a discharge unit 50b. The cup 50a has an opening at its top. The cup 50a also has an accommodation space that is connected to the opening and is provided inside the cup 50a. The accommodation space is a space capable of accommodating the brush 20c. In other words, the accommodation space is a space formed by the cup 50a.

[0036] The discharge part 50b is provided in the cup 50a. Specifically, for example, the discharge part 50b is provided in the storage space of the cup 50a. The discharge part 50b discharges a refrigerant to the brush 20c and the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c contained in the cup 50a. The discharge part 50b discharges the refrigerant to the cleaning liquid, thereby cooling the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c and solidifying the cleaning liquid. For this reason, the temperature of the refrigerant is set to a temperature at which the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c can be solidified. As the refrigerant, N2 gas, liquid N2, CO2, etc. are used. In addition, it is preferable that a plurality of discharge parts 50b are provided. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2C, a position of the cleaning head 20 in the storage space where the refrigerant can be discharged to the brush 20c and the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is referred to as a cooling position 20f.

[0037] For example, the discharge portion 50b is connected to a refrigerant supply device (not shown) that supplies refrigerant. The refrigerant supply device has a supply device and a valve connected to a refrigerant manufacturing device (refrigerant storage tank), and can supply the refrigerant sent from the refrigerant manufacturing device to the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 accommodated in the accommodation space.

[0038] The temperature measuring unit 60 measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. For example, the temperature measuring unit 60 is provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20. To explain this by taking a specific example, the temperature measuring unit 60 measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid on the surface of the brush 20c that contacts the substrate W. Note that measuring the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c includes a mode of measuring the temperature of the brush 20c that contains the cleaning liquid. The temperature measuring unit 60 is, for example, a radiation thermometer that measures the temperature without contact. The temperature measuring unit 60 may also measure the temperature at a predetermined time interval during the substrate cleaning process. In this case, the temperature measuring unit 60 is provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from the side of the brush 20c. Then, the temperature measuring unit 60 transmits temperature information indicating the measured temperature to the control unit 70 every time the temperature is measured. As a result, the control unit 70 is notified of the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c at a predetermined time interval.

[0039] In this embodiment, the temperature measurement unit 60 measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c while the cleaning liquid containing the solidified cleaning liquid is being supplied to the brush 20c by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b.

[0040] The control unit 70 is connected to the above-mentioned components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (e.g., the spin holder 10, the cleaning head 20, the moving mechanism 30, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b, the cooling unit 50, and the temperature measurement unit 60) and controls the components. To realize various functions of the substrate processing apparatus 1, the control unit 70 has a processor that executes programs, a memory that stores various information such as programs and operating conditions, and a drive circuit that drives each component. For example, the memory stores a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c and the hardness of the brush 20c.

[0041] The control unit 70 controls the components of the substrate processing apparatus 1, whereby the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs each of the substrate cleaning process and rinsing process.

[0042] Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the substrate cleaning process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The substrate cleaning process shown in Fig. 3 is performed on each substrate W that is loaded in succession. The substrate cleaning process shown in Fig. 3 is started in a state in which the rollers 10e are in the open position and the cleaning head 20 is in the standby position 20d as shown in Fig. 2A.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, when the substrate W is carried in, the two pairs of rollers 10e move to the closed position, and the substrate W is held by the two pairs of rollers 10e (step S101).

[0044] Then, the second cleaning liquid supplier 40b starts supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c, causing the brush 20c to absorb the cleaning liquid (step S102).

[0045] Then, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b stops supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c after a predetermined time has elapsed since the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b started supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c. After the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped, as shown in Fig. 2C, the moving mechanism 30 moves the cleaning head 20 to the cooling position 20f in the accommodation space, and the cooling unit 50 starts discharging the refrigerant to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 (step S103).

[0046] As the refrigerant starts to be discharged in step S103, the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 becomes solidified (step S104).

[0047] In steps S103 and S104, the control unit 70 may determine whether the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has solidified based on the temperature (the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c) indicated by temperature information obtained from another temperature measurement unit having the same configuration as the temperature measurement unit 60. In this case, the temperature measurement unit is preferably provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 located at the cooling position 20f, on the surface of the brush 20c that contacts the substrate W. The temperature measurement unit 60 repeats the temperature measurement of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c until the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has solidified. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may proceed to step S105 when the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has solidified. This makes it possible to omit unnecessary cooling time and improve processing efficiency.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c and the hardness of the brush 20c. The horizontal axis indicates the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c, and the vertical axis indicates the hardness of the brush 20c. As shown in the graph of FIG. 4, when the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is equal to or lower than α degrees, the hardness of the brush 20c is maximum. On the other hand, when the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is equal to or higher than β degrees, the hardness of the brush 20c is minimum. Moreover, α degrees is a temperature lower than the freezing point of the cleaning liquid, and β degrees is a temperature higher than the melting point of the cleaning liquid. Moreover, when the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is higher than α degrees and lower than β degrees, the liquid cleaning liquid and the solidified cleaning liquid are mixed together. Therefore, when the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is higher than α degrees and lower than β degrees, the higher the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c, the lower the hardness of the brush 20c.

[0049] Therefore, the control unit 70 first obtains the temperature corresponding to the target hardness of the brush 20c (the target temperature (α degrees) at which the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c becomes solidified) from the graph shown in FIG. 4. Note that, as described above, such a graph is stored in the memory of the control unit 70. The control unit 70 then receives temperature information from the temperature measurement unit 60. If the temperature information received from the temperature measurement unit 60 is equal to or lower than α degrees, the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has become solidified. On the other hand, if the temperature information received from the temperature measurement unit 60 is higher than α degrees, the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has not become solidified.

[0050] Then, the cooling unit 50 stops discharging the refrigerant to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 (step S105).

[0051] Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, the moving mechanism 30 moves the cleaning head 20 to the cleaning position 20e (step S106).

[0052] Then, rotation of the substrate W is started (step S107). The first driving unit 10c and the second driving unit 10d rotate the two pairs of rollers 10e, thereby rotating the substrate W held by the rollers 10e.

[0053] Then, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a starts supplying the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (step S108). In step S108, the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied to the processing surface W1 by the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a is preferably close to the freezing point of the cleaning liquid. This is to make it difficult for the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c to melt.

[0054] Then, the cleaning head 20 starts to rotate the brush 20c, and the movement mechanism 30 starts to swing the brush 20c (step S109).

[0055] Then, the brush 20c performs the substrate cleaning process 1 in which the processing surface W1 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c in a solidified state (step S110). In the substrate cleaning process 1, the processing surface W1 is cleaned by the brush 20c containing the solidified cleaning liquid for a predetermined time. This removes particles attached to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, including relatively large particles that are firmly attached.

[0056] Then, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a stops supplying the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (step S111).

[0057] Then, the cleaning head 20 stops rotating the brush 20c, and the movement mechanism 30 stops swinging the brush 20c (step S112).

[0058] Then, the moving mechanism 30 raises the cleaning head 20 so that the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 is separated from the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. After the cleaning head 20 is raised, the temperature measuring unit 60 starts measuring the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20, and the second cleaning liquid supplying unit 40b starts supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c containing the cleaning liquid in a solidified state (step S113). In addition, the temperature measuring unit 60 measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from the surface of the brush 20c that contacts the substrate W.

[0059] In step S113, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b starts supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c containing the solidified cleaning liquid, whereby the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is melted (step S114).

[0060] Here, in step S114, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has entered a molten state (liquid state) based on the temperature (the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c) indicated by the temperature information obtained from the temperature measurement unit 60. Then, the temperature measurement unit 60 repeats measuring the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c until the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has entered a molten state. Then, when the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has entered a molten state, the substrate processing apparatus 1 proceeds to step S115.

[0061] A specific example of the process executed by the control unit 70 will be described. The control unit 70 first obtains a temperature corresponding to a target hardness of the brush 20c (a target temperature (β degrees) at which the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is in a melted state) from the graph shown in FIG. 4. The control unit 70 then receives temperature information from the temperature measurement unit 60. If the temperature information received from the temperature measurement unit 60 is equal to or higher than β degrees, the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is in a melted state. On the other hand, if the temperature information received from the temperature measurement unit 60 is less than β degrees, the control unit 70 determines that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is not in a melted state.

[0062] Then, when it is determined that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c has entered a molten state, the temperature measuring unit 60 stops measuring the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20, and the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b stops supplying the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c containing the solidified cleaning liquid (step S115).

[0063] Then, the moving mechanism 30 lowers the cleaning head 20 so that the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 comes into contact with the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. After the brush 20c of the cleaning head 20 comes into contact with the processing surface W1 of the substrate W, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a starts supplying the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (step S116). In step S116, the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied to the processing surface W1 by the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a is preferably close to β degrees, and more preferably the same as β degrees. This is to reduce the temperature change of the melted cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c and maintain the hardness of the brush 20c.

[0064] Then, the cleaning head 20 starts to rotate the brush 20c, and the movement mechanism 30 starts to swing the brush 20c (step S117).

[0065] Then, the brush 20c performs the substrate cleaning process 2 to clean the processing surface W1 while the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is in a molten state (step S118). In the substrate cleaning process 2, the processing surface W1 is cleaned by the brush 20c for a predetermined time. This removes particles, including relatively small particles, adhering to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W.

[0066] Then, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a stops supplying the cleaning liquid to the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (step S119).

[0067] Then, the cleaning head 20 stops rotating the brush 20c, and the movement mechanism 30 stops swinging the brush 20c (step S120).

[0068] Then, the moving mechanism 30 moves the cleaning head 20 to the standby position 20d (step S121).

[0069] Then, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped (step S122). The first driving unit 10c and the second driving unit 10d stop rotating the two pairs of rollers 10e, thereby stopping the rotation of the substrate W held by the rollers 10e.

[0070] Then, the two pairs of rollers 10e move to the open position, the substrate W is released from the two pairs of rollers 10e, and the substrate W is carried out (step S123).

[0071] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment has been described. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the spin holder 10, the brush 20c, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b, and the cooling unit 50. The spin holder 10 holds and rotates the substrate W. The brush 20c comes into contact with the processing surface W1 of the substrate W to clean the processing surface W1. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b supplies the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c. The cooling unit 50 ejects a refrigerant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. The cooling unit 50 solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c at least on the surface of the brush 20c that comes into contact with the substrate W. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b melts the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid. The brush 20c cleans the processing surface W1 in a first period when the cleaning liquid is solidified by the cooling unit 50, and cleans the processing surface W1 in a second period when the cleaning liquid is in a liquid state. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b is, for example, an example of a brush cleaning liquid supply unit.

[0072] 5 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position of the substrate and the hardness of the brush 20c in the substrate cleaning process according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis shows the radial position of the substrate (wafer) W, and the vertical axis shows the hardness of the brush 20c.

[0073] Line segment 75 shows the relationship between each radial position on the substrate W and the hardness of the brush 20c in substrate cleaning process 1 performed in step S110. Line segment 76 shows the relationship between each radial position on the substrate W and the hardness of the brush 20c in substrate cleaning process 2 performed in step S118.

[0074] As indicated by line 75, in substrate cleaning process 1, the hardness of brush 20c is constant and relatively high at all radial positions on substrate W. On the other hand, as indicated by line 76, in substrate cleaning process 2, the hardness of brush 20c is constant but relatively low at all radial positions on substrate W.

[0075] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment changes the hardness of the brush 20c in the substrate cleaning process to remove various particles adhering to the substrate W. The hardness of the brush 20c increases as the cleaning liquid contained in the surface of the brush 20c that contacts the substrate W solidifies. On the other hand, the hardness of the brush 20c decreases as the cleaning liquid contained in the surface of the brush 20c that contacts the substrate W melts. The brush 20c with high hardness is suitable for removing relatively large particles that are firmly attached to the substrate W because the brush 20c is difficult to deform. The brush 20c with low hardness is suitable for removing relatively small particles that are attached to recesses in the substrate W because the brush 20c can flexibly deform according to the shape of the substrate W. Thus, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the removal rate of various particles adhering to the substrate W can be increased, and the cleanliness of the substrate W can be improved.

[0076] Furthermore, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c, it is possible to change the hardness of the brush 20c while keeping constant the area of ​​the surface of the brush 20c that comes into contact with the substrate W. While keeping the area of ​​the brush 20c that cleans the substrate W constant, not only can the brush 20c with high hardness remove relatively large particles that are firmly attached, but also the brush 20c with low hardness can remove relatively small particles.

[0077] Moreover, the first period can be a period before the second period. That is, cleaning with the high hardness brush 20c is performed before cleaning with the low hardness brush 20c. Thus, relatively large particles can be removed first. As a result, the remaining relatively large particles can be prevented from being damaged on the processing surface of the substrate W by being moved by the brush 20c while being in contact with the substrate W.

[0078] Furthermore, the temperature measuring unit 60 measures the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the state of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c, which is difficult to confirm visually, can be determined based on the measured temperature information of the cleaning liquid.

[0079] Furthermore, the control unit 70 controls the brush 20c to start cleaning the processing surface W1 of the substrate W according to the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c measured by the temperature measurement unit 60. According to the substrate processing apparatus 1, it is possible to determine whether the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c is in a solidified or liquid state and start cleaning of the substrate W, so that unnecessary solidification or melting time can be omitted and processing efficiency can be improved.

[0080] The cooling unit 50 includes a cup 50a having an opening at the top and a storage space communicating with the opening and capable of storing the brush 20c, and a discharge unit 50b provided in the cup 50a and discharging a coolant onto the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c stored in the cup 50a. This allows the coolant to be discharged while covering the brush 20c containing the cleaning liquid. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1, the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c can be efficiently cooled, and processing efficiency can be improved.

[0081] A cooling section and a melting section may be further provided inside the cleaning head 20. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a cooling section 90e and a melting section 90f provided inside the cleaning head 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0082] The cooling unit 90e discharges the refrigerant from inside the cleaning head 20 to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. As shown in FIG. 6, the cooling unit 90e includes a refrigerant storage tank 90a in which the refrigerant is stored, a refrigerant supply pipe 90c connected to the refrigerant storage tank 90a, and a valve 90g provided on the refrigerant supply pipe 90c. Two through holes are formed in the support 20b, and the refrigerant supply pipe 90c is inserted into one of the through holes. When the valve 90g is open, the refrigerant stored in the refrigerant storage tank 90a passes through the refrigerant supply pipe 90c inserted into the through hole and is supplied to the brush 20c. On the other hand, when the valve 90g is closed, the supply of the refrigerant stored in the refrigerant storage tank 90a to the brush 20c is stopped. In this embodiment, the control unit 70 opens and closes the valve 90g. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the cooling unit 90e in addition to the cooling unit 50, so that the two cooling units 50, 90e can solidify the cleaning liquid from both the outside and the inside of the cleaning head 20. This can improve the processing efficiency. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may include the cooling unit 90e instead of the cooling unit 50. In this case, a coolant is discharged to the brush 20c only from the inside of the cleaning head 20, and the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c solidifies. In this case, the cooling position 20f where the brush 20c is cooled is not limited. Here, the cooling unit included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 may discharge a coolant to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from at least one of the outside and the inside of the cleaning head 20.

[0083] The cooling unit 90e may also discharge a coolant during the substrate cleaning process 1. This can prevent the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from undesired melting, and the hardness of the brush 20c can be maintained at a desired hardness. The temperature measuring unit 60 may also measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c at a predetermined time interval during the substrate cleaning process 1. In this case, the temperature measuring unit 60 is provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from the side of the brush 20c. The control unit 70 may then control the cooling unit 90e in accordance with the temperature of the cleaning liquid measured by the temperature measuring unit 60 so that the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c becomes a desired temperature.

[0084] The melting unit 90f discharges a heat medium for melting the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from at least one of the inside and the outside of the cleaning head 20 to the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. As a result, the melting unit 90f melts the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the melting unit 90f supplies the heat medium to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from the inside of the cleaning head 20. The melting unit 90f includes a heat medium storage tank 90b in which the heat medium is stored, a heat medium supply pipe 90d connected to the heat medium storage tank 90b, and a valve 90h provided on the heat medium supply pipe 90d. As described above, two through holes are formed in the support 20b, and the heat medium supply pipe 90d is inserted into the other through hole, which is not inserted with the refrigerant supply pipe 90c. When the valve 90h is open, the heat medium stored in the heat medium storage tank 90b is supplied to the brush 20c through the heat medium supply pipe 90d inserted in the through hole. On the other hand, when the valve 90h is closed, the supply of the heat medium stored in the heat medium storage tank 90b to the brush 20c is stopped. In this embodiment, the control unit 70 opens and closes the valve 90h. The temperature of the heat medium is set to a temperature higher than the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b. This allows the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c to be quickly melted, thereby improving the processing efficiency.

[0085] Second Embodiment Next, a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the following description of the second embodiment, differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of configurations similar to those of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0086] For example, after chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processing, the outer circumferential region of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W tends to have more particles attached thereto than the central region. For the substrate W having more particles attached to the outer circumferential region, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment controls the hardness of the brush 20c for cleaning the substrate W to be different between the outer circumferential region and the central region of the substrate W.

[0087] In the second embodiment, the control unit 70 controls the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b to melt the solidified cleaning liquid on the brush 20c according to the position of the brush 20c in the radial direction of the substrate W. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b operates as described below under the control of the control unit 70.

[0088] 7 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position of the substrate W and the hardness of the brush 20c in the substrate cleaning process according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 7, the horizontal axis indicates the radial position of the substrate (wafer) W, and the vertical axis indicates the hardness of the brush 20c.

[0089] For example, in substrate cleaning process 1, the outer peripheral region of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (the region that is more than 110 mm away from the center (0 mm) shown in FIG. 7) is cleaned by the high-hardness brush 20c. In substrate cleaning process 2, the central region of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W (the region that is 110 mm or less away from the center (0 mm) shown in FIG. 7) is cleaned by the low-hardness brush 20c.

[0090] In FIG. 7, line segment 77 indicates the relationship between each radial position of the substrate W and the hardness of the brush 20c in the substrate cleaning process. As indicated by line segment 77, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b melts the solidified cleaning liquid of the brush 20c so that the hardness of the brush 20c is reduced in the substrate cleaning process 2 for cleaning the central region of the substrate W. In this manner, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b melts the solidified cleaning liquid of the brush 20c depending on the radial position of the brush 20c of the substrate W. Therefore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, the cleanliness within the processing surface W1 of the substrate W can be made uniform.

[0091] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment may further include a cooling unit 90e that discharges a coolant from inside the cleaning head 20 to the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c. The control unit 70 controls the cooling unit 90e to solidify the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c according to the position of the brush 20c in the radial direction of the substrate W. Specifically, the cooling unit 90e solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c so that the harder the brush 20c becomes, as the brush 20c approaches the outer periphery of the substrate W, as shown by the line segment 77 in FIG. 7. The second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b melts the solidified cleaning liquid in the brush 20c so that the harder the brush 20c becomes, as the brush 20c approaches the central region of the substrate W, as shown by the line segment 77 in FIG. 7. That is, the brush 20c can be made to have a desired hardness according to the radial position of the substrate W while the brush 20c oscillates over the processing surface W1 of the substrate W by the cooling unit 90e and the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b. Therefore, the cleanliness within the processing surface W1 of the substrate W can be made uniform. In addition, since steps S113 to S120 in the flow chart of FIG. 3 can be omitted, the processing efficiency of the substrate W can be improved.

[0092] At this time, the temperature measuring unit 60 may measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c at a predetermined time interval during the substrate cleaning process. In this case, the temperature measuring unit 60 is provided so as to be able to measure the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c from the side surface of the brush 20c. Then, the control unit 70 may control the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b or the cooling unit 90e according to the temperature of the cleaning liquid measured by the temperature measuring unit 60 so that the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c becomes a desired temperature at a radial position of the substrate W.

[0093] In this embodiment, the area more than 110 mm away from the center of the substrate W is defined as the outer circumferential area, and the area less than 110 mm away is defined as the central area, but the threshold between the outer circumferential area and the central area is not limited to 110 mm.

[0094] (Third embodiment) Next, a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. In the following description of the third embodiment, differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of configurations similar to those of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment may be omitted.

[0095] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of cleaning heads 80, 81. The cleaning heads 80, 81 have the same configuration as the above-described cleaning head 20. For example, the cleaning heads 80, 81 each include a brush 80c, 81c. The brushes 80c, 81c have the same configuration as the above-described brush 20c. In addition, each of the plurality of cleaning heads 80, 81 is provided with a moving mechanism. This moving mechanism has the same configuration as the above-described moving mechanism 30.

[0096] 9 is a graph showing the relationship between each radial position of the substrate W and the hardness of the brushes 80c, 81c in the substrate cleaning process according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis shows the radial position of the substrate (wafer) W, and the vertical axis shows the hardness of the brushes 80c, 81c.

[0097] For example, in the substrate cleaning process 1, as shown by the line segment 85, the brush 80c having a relatively high hardness cleans the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. That is, before the substrate cleaning process 1 is performed, the cooling unit 50 solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in at least one of the brushes 80c, 81c. Then, in the substrate cleaning process 1, the one brush 80c cleans the processing surface W1 in a state in which the cleaning liquid contained in the one brush 80c is solidified by the cooling unit 50. In this way, the one brush 80c cleans the processing surface W1 in a state in which the cleaning liquid contained in the one brush 80c is solidified by the cooling unit 50 during the first period.

[0098] When the substrate cleaning process 1 is completed, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b melts the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the first brush 80c. Here, since it takes a relatively long time to melt the cleaning liquid, the substrate cleaning process 2 is performed before the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the first brush 80c is completely melted.

[0099] In the substrate cleaning process 2, as indicated by the line segment 86, the other brush 81c having a relatively low hardness first starts cleaning the processing surface W1 of the substrate W. Then, when the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the one brush 80c is completely melted, the one brush 80c starts cleaning the processing surface W1 with the cleaning liquid still in the melted state.

[0100] That is, in the substrate cleaning process 2, one brush 81c having a relatively low hardness cleans the processed surface W1 at the beginning, but from the middle, two brushes 80c, 81c having a relatively low hardness clean the processed surface W1. In this way, the substrate cleaning process 2 is performed by multiple brushes 80c, 81c instead of one brush from the middle, so that the processing efficiency can be improved. In this way, in the substrate cleaning process 2, the other brushes 81c other than the one brush 80c among the multiple brushes 80c, 81c clean the processed surface W1 in a third period that includes the second period and starts earlier than the second period. In addition, the one brush 80c cleans the processed surface W1 in a state in which the cleaning liquid is melted by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b in the second period after the cleaning of the processed surface W1 by the other brush 81c is started.

[0101] (Modification) Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to a modified example of the embodiment will be described. For example, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a may supply cleaning liquid not only to the processing surface W1 but also to the brush 20c, so that the cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c in a coagulated state may be melted by the cleaning liquid supplied from the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a. In this case, the temperature of the cleaning liquid supplied from the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a is set so as to be able to melt the cleaning liquid in a coagulated state. The first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a is, for example, an example of a substrate cleaning liquid supply unit.

[0102] In the first embodiment, cleaning with the brush 20c having a high hardness is followed by cleaning with the brush 20c having a low hardness, but cleaning with the brush 20c having a low hardness may be performed first. That is, cleaning with the brush 20c having a low hardness may be performed in the substrate cleaning process 1, and cleaning with the brush 20c having a high hardness may be performed in the substrate cleaning process 2.

[0103] Also, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be provided at any location as long as it can supply the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c before the coolant is discharged to the brush 20c. For example, the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may be provided in the accommodation space in the cup 50a of the cooling unit 50, and the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b may supply the cleaning liquid before the coolant is discharged to the brush 20c. In this case, after the substrate cleaning process 1, the moving mechanism 30 moves the brush 20c to the cooling position 20f again, and the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b discharges the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c to melt the solidified cleaning liquid on the brush 20c. Alternatively, the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a supplies the cleaning liquid to the brush 20c to melt the solidified cleaning liquid on the brush 20c.

[0104] Alternatively, the region of the substrate W where particles remain firmly may be obtained from the entire region of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W by experiments, simulations, or the like in advance. Then, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may clean the obtained region of the substrate W with the brush 20c containing the cleaning liquid in a solidified state. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may melt the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the brush 20c, and clean the remaining region of the processing surface W1 of the substrate W with the brush 20c containing the cleaning liquid in a molten state. That is, the control unit 70 may control the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b to melt the solidified cleaning liquid of the brush 20c according to the position of the brush 20c on the processing surface W1.

[0105] In addition, the brush 20c may clean the processing surface W1 of the substrate W with the cleaning liquid supplied to the brush 20c by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b. That is, the brush 20c may clean the processing surface W1 using the cleaning liquid supplied by the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b. This makes it possible to omit the first cleaning liquid supply unit 40a, thereby saving space and simplifying the structure. In addition, particles and the like attached to the brush 20c can be washed away.

[0106] In the substrate cleaning process, the substrate W may be carried in after the cleaning liquid contained in the brushes 20c is solidified. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may first perform the processes of steps S102 to S105, and then perform the processes of step S101 and step S106 and thereafter.

[0107] In addition, it is considered that the degree of adhesion of particles attached to the substrate W differs depending on the type of processing step in which the substrate W is processed with a chemical solution or the like. Therefore, the appropriate hardness of the brush 20c used when cleaning the substrate W also differs depending on the degree of adhesion of particles. Therefore, the memory provided in the control unit 70 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 stores in advance a table in which an identifier (processing identifier) ​​for identifying the type of processing step and an appropriate hardness of the brush 20c corresponding to the type of processing step are registered in association with each other. Then, the control unit 70 acquires information on the type of processing step of the loaded substrate W from a server that collectively manages various information related to the substrate W. Then, the control unit 70 acquires the appropriate hardness of the brush 20c corresponding to the type of processing step of the loaded substrate W from the table. Then, the control unit 70 controls each unit such as the second cleaning liquid supply unit 40b and the cooling unit 50 so that the brush 20c has the acquired appropriate hardness. Then, the control unit 70 controls the brush 20c so that the brush 20c with the appropriate hardness cleans the processing surface W1. This makes it possible to increase the removal rate of particles adhering to the substrate W, and therefore the cleanliness of the substrate W can be improved.

[0108] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 10 Rotational support part 20c Brush 40b Second cleaning liquid supply unit 50 Cooling section

Claims

1. a rotation holder that holds and rotates the substrate; a cleaning head having a brush that contacts the processing surface of the substrate to clean the processing surface; a brush cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the brush; A cooling unit that discharges a refrigerant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush; Equipped with The cooling unit solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in the brush at least on a surface of the brush that comes into contact with the substrate, the brush cleaning liquid supply unit melts the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid; the brush cleans the treatment surface in a first period when the cleaning liquid is solidified by the cooling unit, and cleans the treatment surface in a second period when the cleaning liquid is in a liquid state. Substrate processing equipment.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first period is a period before the second period.

3. a moving mechanism that moves the brush in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate while keeping the brush in contact with the surface; a control unit that controls the brush cleaning liquid supply unit so as to melt the solidified cleaning liquid of the brush in accordance with a position of the brush in a radial direction of the substrate; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 .

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit discharges a coolant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush during the first period.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit controls the cooling unit to solidify the cleaning liquid contained in the brush in accordance with a position of the brush in a radial direction of the substrate.

6. a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush; a control unit that controls the brush cleaning liquid supply unit or the cooling unit in accordance with the temperature of the cleaning liquid measured by the temperature measurement unit so that the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush becomes a desired temperature; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, comprising:

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a control unit that controls the brush to start cleaning the processing target surface in response to the temperature of the cleaning liquid contained in the brush measured by the temperature measuring unit.

9. The cooling unit includes: a cup having an opening at an upper portion and a storage space communicating with the opening and capable of storing the brush; a discharge part provided in the cup and configured to discharge the refrigerant onto the cleaning liquid contained in the brush accommodated in the cup; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 .

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a melting section that melts the solidified cleaning liquid by discharging a heat medium onto the solidified cleaning liquid.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit ejects the coolant from at least one of an exterior and an interior of the cleaning head onto the cleaning liquid contained in the brush.

12. a substrate cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid to the processing surface of the substrate; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate cleaning liquid supply unit melts the solidified cleaning liquid by supplying the cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid.

13. a moving mechanism for moving the brush relative to the surface to be treated while the brush is in contact with the surface to be treated; a control unit that controls the brush cleaning liquid supply unit to melt the solidified cleaning liquid of the brush according to a position of the brush on the treatment surface; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 .

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the brush cleans the processing surface with the cleaning liquid supplied by the brush cleaning liquid supply unit.

15. A plurality of the brushes are provided, the cooling unit solidifies the cleaning liquid contained in at least one of the brushes on a surface of the one brush that comes into contact with the substrate, the brush cleaning liquid supply unit supplies cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid contained in the one brush to melt the solidified cleaning liquid; the first period is a period prior to the second period, the first brush cleans the treatment surface in a state in which the cleaning liquid is solidified by the cooling unit during the first period; The brushes other than the one brush among the plurality of brushes clean the treatment surface during a third period that includes the second period and has a start point earlier than the second period; 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one brush cleans the processed surface during the second period after the other brush starts cleaning the processed surface with the cleaning liquid melted by the brush cleaning liquid supply unit.

16. a step of contacting a surface of a substrate with a brush to clean the surface; supplying a cleaning fluid to the brush; a step of solidifying the cleaning liquid contained in the brush at least on a surface of the brush that contacts the substrate by discharging a coolant into the cleaning liquid contained in the brush; supplying a cleaning liquid to the solidified cleaning liquid to melt the solidified cleaning liquid; Including, A substrate processing method, wherein the process of cleaning the treated surface with the brush includes, during a first period, the brush cleaning the treated surface with the cleaning liquid in a solidified state, and during a second period, the brush cleaning the treated surface with the cleaning liquid in a liquid state.

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