Support structure for substrate cleaning apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and cleaning tool

Abstract

To provide a substrate cleaning device that has stable quality and is equipped with low-cost, readily available connecting components. [Solution] The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a support structure that rotatably supports a cleaning tool 38, and a drive source that rotates the cleaning tool 38 supported by the support structure. The support structure includes a connecting member 68 that connects the drive source to the cleaning tool 38, and a sealing member 69 that seals the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 68. The connecting member 68 is composed of a base material made of resin and a hard material coating 80 applied to at least the sealing surface of the base material with respect to the sealing member 69, and the hardness of the connecting member 68 with the hard material coating is at least Rockwell hardness of HRC55 or higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning substrates such as wafers, glass substrates, and liquid crystal panels. Further, the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus equipped with such a substrate cleaning apparatus. In addition, the present invention relates to a support structure that rotatably supports a cleaning tool provided in the substrate cleaning apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as the high integration of semiconductor devices progresses, the wiring of circuits on substrates has become finer, and the distance between wirings is also becoming narrower. However, in the process of processing substrates, particles such as fine particles and dust may adhere to the surface of the substrates. In addition, crystalline protrusions may remain on the substrate surface. If there are particles on the substrate that are larger than the distance between wirings, problems such as short circuits may occur, so the particles present on the substrate must be sufficiently smaller than the distance between wirings. Such a situation is the same in the process processing of substrates such as glass substrates used for masks and liquid crystal panels. Along with such requirements, there is a need for a cleaning technique to remove finer sub-micron-level particles from the substrate surface.

[0003] For example, as a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate after polishing with a high degree of cleanliness, scrub cleaning (primary cleaning) is performed by rubbing a cleaning tool made of a brush or a sponge against the cleaning surface of the substrate, and then high-pressure water (high-speed jet flow) is sprayed toward the substrate to generate bubbles by cavitation for finish cleaning (secondary cleaning). An apparatus is known. In addition, a substrate processing apparatus equipped with both a polishing apparatus for performing a polishing process and a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the surface of a substrate after polishing is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In a substrate cleaning device mounted on a substrate processing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1, a cleaning tool that slides against the surface of the substrate to be cleaned is connected to the drive shaft of a drive source via a connecting member having a substantially cylindrical shape. When the drive source is driven, the driving force is transmitted to the cleaning tool via the drive shaft and the connecting member, and as a result the cleaning tool in contact with the substrate surface rotates, thereby cleaning the surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-318149 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In substrate cleaning equipment, a cleaning solution (e.g., a chemical solution) is used to clean the surface of the substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to seal the outer surface of the connecting member with a sealing member to prevent the cleaning solution from reaching the drive source. In order to reliably seal the outer surface of the connecting member, which rotates with the cleaning tool, from the cleaning solution, it is necessary to press the sealing member against the connecting member with a strong pressing force. For this reason, the connecting member is required to have a certain degree of hardness (e.g., a Rockwell hardness of HRC55 or higher) to withstand the pressing force of the sealing member.

[0007] Furthermore, since the cleaning solution comes into contact with the connecting member itself during substrate cleaning, the connecting member is required to have chemical resistance. In addition, to prevent metal ions leached from the connecting member in contact with the cleaning solution from adversely affecting the device formed on the substrate, the connecting member must have anti-elution properties that prevent metal ions from leaching out. To satisfy the above-mentioned hardness, chemical resistance, and anti-elution properties, conventional connecting members are made of ceramic (e.g., SiC).

[0008] In response to the recent increase in semiconductor demand, semiconductor equipment manufacturers are taking measures to secure parts, such as sourcing components from multiple suppliers. However, even with the ability to obtain parts from multiple suppliers, procuring ceramic connecting components has sometimes been difficult. Furthermore, when purchasing ceramic connecting components from multiple suppliers, variations in quality among the manufacturers of the connecting components have become a significant issue. For example, depending on the quality of the connecting component, it may be prone to breakage (e.g., cracking or chipping) when fixed to the drive shaft. Moreover, ceramic connecting components are inherently expensive, contributing to increased manufacturing and operating costs for substrate cleaning equipment (and substrate processing equipment). In particular, if ceramic connecting components are prone to breakage, the frequency of breakage increases, potentially leading to higher operating costs for substrate cleaning equipment (and substrate processing equipment).

[0009] Therefore, the present invention provides a substrate cleaning apparatus equipped with a connecting member that has stable quality, is low cost, and is readily available on the market. Furthermore, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus equipped with such a substrate cleaning apparatus. Furthermore, the present invention provides a support structure for rotatably supporting a cleaning tool provided in such a substrate cleaning apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one embodiment, a substrate cleaning apparatus is provided, comprising: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a cleaning tool for cleaning the surface of a substrate held in the substrate holder by sliding it against the surface of the substrate in the presence of a cleaning solution; a support structure for rotatably supporting the cleaning tool; and a drive source for rotating the cleaning tool supported by the support structure, wherein the support structure includes a connecting member for connecting the drive source to the cleaning tool and a sealing member for sealing the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member, the connecting member being composed of a base material made of resin and a hard material coating applied to at least the sealing surface of the base material with respect to the sealing member, and the hardness of the portion of the connecting member to which the hard material coating is applied is at least HRC55 on the Rockwell hardness scale.

[0011] In one embodiment, the base material of the connecting member is made of super engineering plastic. In one embodiment, the hard material coating is DLC. In one embodiment, the hard material coating is applied to the entire surface of the connecting member. In one embodiment, the sealing member is a lip seal having a lip that slides against the portion of the connecting member that is coated with a hard material.

[0012] In one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising a polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate and a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the substrate polished by the polishing apparatus, wherein the cleaning apparatus is the cleaning apparatus described above.

[0013] In one embodiment, a support structure is provided for rotatably supporting a cleaning tool that cleans a substrate by sliding it against the surface of the substrate in the presence of a cleaning solution, the support structure comprising: a connecting member connecting a drive source for rotating the cleaning tool to one end of the cleaning tool; and a sealing member sealing the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member, wherein the connecting member is composed of a base material made of resin and a hard material coating applied to at least the sealing surface of the base material with respect to the sealing member, and the hardness of the portion of the connecting member to which the hard material coating is applied is at least HRC55 on the Rockwell hardness scale. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] By applying a hard material coating to the resin base material of the connecting member, the hardness of the sealing surface can be increased to a Rockwell hardness of HRC55 or higher. As a result, connecting members can be manufactured using resin as the base material that is inexpensive, readily available on the market, and whose quality is guaranteed. The hard material coating can also be applied to a large number of connecting members in batch processing, which reduces the manufacturing cost of a single connecting member. Therefore, even if a hard material coating is applied to the base material of the connecting member, the increase in the manufacturing cost of the connecting member can be kept to a minimum. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate cleaning device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing a substrate holder of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment, and Figures 2(b) and 2(c) are schematic diagrams showing a substrate being cleaned by the substrate cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cutaway front view showing a portion of the substrate cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c). [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view showing a connecting member according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the connecting member shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the end of the shaft of the cleaning tool to which the connecting member shown in Figures 4 and 5 engages. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment described below, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a substantially rectangular housing 10 and a load port 12 on which a substrate cassette for storing substrates such as a large number of wafers is placed. The load port 12 is disposed adjacent to the housing 10. An open cassette, a SMIF (Standard Manufacturing Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be mounted on the load port 12. SMIF and FOUP are sealed containers that can store a substrate cassette inside and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering it with a partition wall.

[0017] Inside the housing 10, a plurality (four in this example) of polishing apparatuses 14a to 14d, a first substrate cleaning apparatus 16 and a second substrate cleaning apparatus 18 for cleaning the polished substrate, and a substrate drying apparatus 20 for drying the cleaned substrate are accommodated. The polishing apparatuses 14a to 14d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate cleaning apparatuses 16, 18 and the substrate drying apparatus 20 are also arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0018] A first substrate transfer robot 22 is disposed in a region surrounded by the load port 12, the polishing apparatus 14a, and the substrate drying apparatus 20. In the present embodiment, the first substrate transfer robot 22 has a function of inverting the substrate. Further, a substrate transfer unit 24 is disposed in parallel with the polishing apparatuses 14a to 14d. The first substrate transfer robot 22 receives a substrate before polishing with the polished surface of the substrate facing upward from the load port 12, and further inverts the substrate (that is, turns the polished surface of the substrate downward) and passes it to the substrate transfer unit 24. Further, the first substrate transfer robot 22 is configured to receive the dried substrate from the substrate drying apparatus 20 and return it to the load port 12. The substrate transfer unit 24 transports the substrate received from the first substrate transfer robot 22 and exchanges the substrate with each of the polishing apparatuses 14a to fourteen d.

[0019] At a predetermined position adjacent to the substrate transfer unit 24 and the second substrate transfer robot 26, there are provided an inverter / conveyor (not shown) having a substrate inversion function and a temporary placement table (not shown). The inverter / conveyor receives the polished substrate from the substrate transfer unit 24, inverts the received substrate, and delivers it to the temporary placement table (not shown). The second substrate transfer robot 26, which will be described later, is configured to receive the substrate placed on the temporary placement table.

[0020] The second substrate transfer robot 26 is disposed between the first substrate cleaning device 16 and the second substrate cleaning device 18. The second substrate transfer robot 26 transfers the substrate between the first substrate cleaning device 16 and the second substrate cleaning device 18. Also, the third substrate transfer robot 28 is disposed between the second substrate cleaning device 18 and the substrate drying device 20. The third substrate transfer robot 28 transfers the substrate between the second substrate cleaning device 18 and the substrate drying device 20. The housing 10 is provided with a control device 25. This control device 25 functions as an operation control device that controls the operations of the polishing devices 14a to 14d, the first substrate transfer robot 22, the first substrate cleaning device 16, the substrate transfer unit 24, the inverter / conveyor (not shown), the second substrate cleaning device 18, the substrate drying device 20, the second substrate transfer robot 26, and the third substrate transfer robot 28.

[0021] In the substrate processing apparatus configured as described above, the substrate taken out from the substrate cassette in the load port 12 is transferred to any one of the polishing devices 14a to 14d and polished. Then, after the polished substrate is cleaned (primary cleaning) by the first substrate cleaning device 16, it is further cleaned (finish cleaning) by the second substrate cleaning device 18. Then, the cleaned substrate is taken out from the second substrate cleaning device 18, carried into the substrate drying device 20 and spin-dried, and then the dried substrate is returned into the substrate cassette in the load port 12.

[0022] In one embodiment, the substrate removed from the substrate cassette in the load port 12 may be washed in the first substrate cleaning device 16 and / or the second substrate cleaning device 18 before being polished in one of the polishing devices 14a to 14d. In this case, the washed substrate is polished in one of the polishing devices 14a to 14d.

[0023] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing a substrate holder of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment, and Figures 2(b) and 2(c) are schematic diagrams showing a substrate being cleaned by the substrate cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment. The substrate cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c) is applied to the first substrate cleaning apparatus 16 and / or the second substrate cleaning apparatus 18 (see Figure 1). Below, an example in which the substrate cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c) is applied to the first substrate cleaning apparatus 16 will be described.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2(a), the substrate cleaning apparatus 16 has a substrate holder composed of a plurality of upright rollers 30 for holding the substrate. These rollers 30 constituting the substrate holder are installed around the substrate W so as to be openable and closable, and a holding groove 32 is formed at the top of each roller 30. The substrate W is rotated by rotating the rollers 30 while holding the edge of the substrate W with this holding groove 32. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b), a pair of cleaning tools 38 are provided on either side of the substrate W so as to be able to contact and retract from the substrate W. These cleaning tools 38 are roll cleaning tools composed of a cleaning member 36 made of sponge attached to the outer surface of a hollow shaft body 34. As shown in Figure 2(c), a cleaning tank 42 filled with cleaning liquid 40 is arranged in the retracted position of the cleaning tools 38. A cleaning liquid nozzle 44 is provided above this cleaning tank 42.

[0025] Figure 3 is a cutaway front view showing a part of the substrate cleaning apparatus shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c). As shown in Figure 3, the shaft 34 has a shaft hole 46 that extends axially along almost its entire length. The side connected to the drive unit that rotates the shaft 34 is closed, while the opposite side (open end) opens with an outward-expanding taper. Multiple cleaning fluid nozzles 48 are provided in the shaft hole 46, extending radially and opening at their tips on the outer surface of the shaft 34, and are distributed along the axial direction. The shaft 34 is made of a material having predetermined flexibility, sliding properties, and corrosion resistance, such as Teflon®.

[0026] The cleaning tool 38 is supported at both ends by a frame 50 arranged in parallel with it. The frame 50 moves up and down by a vertical movement mechanism (not shown), allowing the cleaning tool 38 to contact or retract from the substrate W. One end of the frame 50 is provided with a motor 52 and a pair of bevel gears 54a and 54b that convert the rotational output of the motor 52 in the horizontal direction. The driven bevel gear 54b is fixed to a transmission shaft 58 supported by a bearing 56. The transmission shaft 58 is connected to the closed end 51 of the shaft 34 of the cleaning tool 38 via a connecting member 68, and the rotation of the motor 52 rotates the cleaning tool 38.

[0027] In this embodiment, the substrate cleaning apparatus has a gearbox 78 in which bevel gears 54a and 54b and a transmission shaft 58 are arranged to transmit the driving force of the motor 52 to the cleaning tool 38. In this embodiment, the motor 52, the pair of bevel gears 54a and 54b, the transmission shaft 58, and the gearbox 78 constitute a drive source for driving the cleaning tool 38. The transmission shaft 58 functions as a drive shaft for rotating the cleaning tool 38. Hereinafter, the transmission shaft 58 may be referred to as the "drive shaft 58".

[0028] The configuration of the drive source can be freely selected as long as it can rotate the cleaning tool 38 via the drive shaft 58. For example, the drive source may omit the pair of bevel gears 54a and 54b. In this case, the drive shaft (transmission shaft) 58 is directly connected to the motor 52. Furthermore, the drive source may have another gear mechanism consisting of arbitrarily selected gears instead of the pair of bevel gears 54a and 54b.

[0029] A box-shaped shaft end holder 60 is attached to the other end of the frame 50, and a shaft end holder member 62 is housed inside this shaft end holder 60, slidably in the direction of the drive shaft 58 and with its rotation restricted. The shaft end holder member 62 is provided with a tailstock 66 having a tapered portion that narrows towards the tip of its shaft, and the shaft portion of this tailstock 66 protrudes from a hole formed on the inside of the shaft end holder 60. A compression coil spring 64 is positioned between the shaft end holder member 62 and the rear wall of the shaft end holder 60 to bias the shaft end holder member 62 in the direction of the drive shaft 58. As a result, the shaft end holder member 62 is pressed in the direction of the drive shaft 58 by the compression coil spring 64, and the tip of the tapered portion of the tailstock 66 is inserted into the shaft hole 46 of the shaft body 34, centering it while rotatably supporting the cleaning tool 38.

[0030] The tailstock 66 of the shaft end holding member 62 is made of a material with high hardness that does not leach metal ions, such as ceramics, while the shaft 34 is made of, as mentioned above, Teflon®. This creates a sliding part that maintains good sliding properties between the two, has excellent chemical resistance, and can prevent metal contamination.

[0031] A cleaning fluid passage 70 is provided inside the shaft end holding member 62, opening at the tip of the shaft portion of the tailstock 66. A cleaning fluid supply connector 72, which communicates with the cleaning fluid passage 70, is attached to the upper end of the shaft end holding member 62. As a result, cleaning fluid supplied from a pipe or the like connected to the cleaning fluid supply connector 72 flows from the cleaning fluid passage 70 into the shaft hole 46 of the shaft body 34 of the cleaning tool 38 and is ejected from the cleaning fluid outlet 48. The cleaning fluid supply connector 72 is flexible so as not to hinder the axial movement of the shaft end holding member 62. Furthermore, the cleaning tool 38 can be easily replaced by moving it in the direction of the shaft end holding member 62 and removing it from the connecting member 68.

[0032] Figure 4 is a side view showing a connecting member according to one embodiment, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the connecting member shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the end of the shaft of a cleaning tool with which the connecting members shown in Figures 4 and 5 engage.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connecting member 68 consists of a substantially cylindrical body 74 and a protrusion 73 that extends from the body 74. A screw hole 75 is formed at the end of the body 74. In this embodiment, the screw hole 75 is provided in a notch 74a formed at the end of the body 74. A screw (not shown) provided at the end of the drive shaft 58 (see Figure 3) on the connecting member 68 side is screwed into the screw hole 75. By screwing the screw into the screw hole 75, the connecting member 68 is fixed to the drive shaft 58.

[0034] The two sides 73a, 73a of the protrusion 73 of the connecting member 68 extend parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the connecting member 68, and these two sides 73a, 73a constitute a torque transmission surface that transmits torque from the drive source to the cleaning tool 38. The longitudinal direction of the connecting member 68 corresponds to the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the cleaning tool 38.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the closed end 51 of the shaft 34 of the cleaning tool 38 has a recess 81 and a groove 82 which is an engaged portion that is arranged radially on the shaft 34 of the cleaning tool 38 and intersects with the recess 81. The protrusion 73 engages with the inner surface of the groove 82 on both of its sides 73a, 73a.

[0036] By driving the drive source, the connecting member 68 fixed to the drive shaft 58 (see Figure 3) rotates. The torque generated by this is transmitted to the shaft body 34 (i.e., the cleaning tool 38) via grooves 82 that engage with the sides 73a, 73a of the protrusion 73, causing the cleaning tool 38 to rotate.

[0037] During cleaning of the substrate W, the outer circumference of the connecting member 68 is sealed by a sealing member 69 (see Figure 3) to prevent the cleaning fluid supplied to the front and back surfaces of the substrate W from reaching the drive source. In this embodiment, the sealing member 69 is fixed to the gearbox 78. The sealing member 69 seals the gap between the gearbox 78 and the connecting member 68, preventing the cleaning fluid from reaching the drive source (e.g., the transmission shaft 58, gears 54a, 54b, and motor 52).

[0038] Furthermore, the bearing 56 that supports the drive shaft 58 is also located within the gearbox 78. In this embodiment, the frame 50, shaft end holding portion 60, connecting member 68, sealing member 69, and gearbox 78 constitute a support structure that rotatably supports the cleaning tool 38.

[0039] The sealing member 69 is a readily available seal on the market, such as a DynaLip seal. In one embodiment, the sealing member 69 may be a different seal from a lip seal, such as an OmniSeal®. However, the sealing member 69 is not limited to the DynaLip seal or OmniSeal®. The type and configuration of the sealing member 69 can be freely selected as long as it prevents cleaning fluid from reaching the drive source through the gap between the rotating connecting member 68 and the sealing member 69.

[0040] Since the connecting member 68 rotates during the cleaning of the substrate W, the sealing member 69 must be firmly pressed against the connecting member 68 in order to reliably prevent the cleaning fluid from entering the drive source. Therefore, in order to prevent deformation and / or damage of the connecting member 68 due to the pressing force of the sealing member 69, the connecting member 68 must have a certain degree of hardness. For example, if the sealing member 69 is the DynaLip seal or OmniSeal (registered trademark) as exemplified, the connecting member 68 must have a Rockwell hardness of HRC55 or higher.

[0041] Materials with high hardness that are readily available on the market include metals such as stainless steel. However, if the connecting member 68 is made of metal, metal ions may leach from the connecting member 68 when it comes into contact with the cleaning solution, potentially adversely affecting the device formed on the substrate W. Therefore, the connecting member 68 cannot be made of metal.

[0042] In contrast, resin is an example of a material that does not leach metal ions, is inexpensive, and is readily available on the market. However, a connecting member 68 made of resin cannot achieve the required hardness of HRC55 or higher on the Rockwell hardness scale. Therefore, the inventors diligently researched materials for the connecting member 68 and found that by using resin as the base material for the connecting member 68 and further applying a hard material coating to at least the sealing surface of the connecting member 68 with the sealing member 69, a hardness of HRC55 or higher on the Rockwell hardness scale can be achieved.

[0043] In the example of the connecting member 68 shown in Figures 4 and 5, the main body 74 is made of resin. Furthermore, in Figures 4 and 5, hatching is applied to at least the sealing surface of the connecting member 68 with the sealing member 69 in order to aid in understanding the invention. Naturally, the entire connecting member 68 may be covered with a hard material coating 80. In this case, when applying the hard material coating 80, there is no need to mask the parts of the connecting member 68 other than the part covered by the hard material coating 80, so a connecting member 68 that can withstand the pressing force of the sealing member 69 can be manufactured at a lower cost than when only the sealing surface is coated.

[0044] The base material of the connecting member 68 to which the hard material coating 80 is applied (in this embodiment, the material constituting the main body 74) is, for example, a super engineering plastic such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone) and PI (polyimide). Such super engineering plastics are widely used in various industrial fields, so they are not only readily available on the market but also guarantee a certain level of quality. Furthermore, super engineering plastics are materials that have relatively high hardness among various resins. Therefore, even if the hard material coating 80 is applied relatively thinly to the main body 74, a hardness of HRC55 or higher on the Rockwell hardness scale can be easily achieved.

[0045] The hard material coating 80 applied to the base material of the connecting member 68 must also be made of a material that does not release metal ions when in contact with the cleaning solution. An example of such a hard material coating 80 is, for example, a diamond-like coating (DLC). The type and conditions of the hard material coating 80 can be freely selected, as long as it is made of a material that does not release metal ions when in contact with the cleaning solution, and as long as the connecting member 68 has a hardness of HRC55 or higher on the Rockwell hardness scale when applied to the base material of the connecting member 68.

[0046] The resin that forms the base material of the connecting member 68 does not have a Rockwell hardness of HRC 55 or higher, which is sufficient to withstand the pressing force from the sealing member 69. However, according to this embodiment, by applying a hard material coating 80 to at least the sealing surface, the hardness of the sealing surface can be increased to a Rockwell hardness of 55 or higher. As a result, it is possible to manufacture connecting members 68 using resin as the base material that is inexpensive, readily available on the market, and has a guaranteed level of quality. The hard material coating process can also be performed in batches of multiple connecting members 68 at once, which can reduce the manufacturing cost per connecting member 68.

[0047] Furthermore, the hard material coating applied to the sealing surface of the connecting member 68 with the sealing member 69 reduces the sliding resistance between the connecting member 68 and the sealing member 69. As a result, it is expected that the motor 52 can be operated with energy savings, and the torque of the motor 52 can be easily managed.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the cleaning tool 38 is a cleaning tool (sometimes referred to as a "roll sponge") configured by attaching a sponge-like cleaning member 36 to a shaft 34, but the cleaning tool 38 is not limited to this example. For example, the cleaning tool 38 may be a cleaning tool configured by attaching an abrasive cloth to a shaft 34. Such a cleaning tool 38 is a cleaning tool for finishing cleaning, sometimes referred to as a "buff roll," and is placed, for example, in the second cleaning device 18. Examples of abrasive cloths include abrasive cloths mainly composed of polyurethane having fine pores with a pore size of 10 to 200 μm, or abrasive cloths formed from nonwoven fabrics in which fibers are hardened with urethane resin.

[0049] The embodiments described above are intended to enable persons with ordinary skill in the art to implement the present invention. Various modifications of the above embodiments can be made naturally by those skilled in the art, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be applied to other embodiments as well. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but is to be interpreted in the broadest sense according to the technical idea defined by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 12 Load Ports 14a,14b,14c,14d Polishing equipment 16,18 Circuit board cleaning equipment 25 Control device 30 Laura 34 Axis 36 Cleaning member 38 Cleaning tools 58 Drive shaft (transmission shaft) 60 Shaft end holding part 69. Sealing member 74 Main unit 80 Hard Material Coating

Claims

1. A substrate holder that holds the substrate, A cleaning tool for cleaning the surface of a substrate held in the substrate holder by sliding it against the surface of the substrate in the presence of a cleaning solution, A support structure that rotatably supports the cleaning tool, The system comprises a drive source for rotating a cleaning tool supported by the aforementioned support structure, The aforementioned support structure is A connecting member that connects the drive source to the cleaning tool, It includes a sealing member that seals the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member, The connecting member is composed of a base material made of resin and a hard material coating applied to at least the sealing surface of the base material with respect to the sealing member. A substrate cleaning apparatus wherein the hardness of the portion of the connecting member coated with the hard material is at least HRC 55 on the Rockwell hardness scale.

2. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base material of the connecting member is made of super engineering plastic.

3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hard material coating is DLC.

4. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hard material coating is applied to the entire connecting member.

5. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is a lip seal having a lip that slides against the portion of the connecting member to which a hard material coating has been applied.

6. A polishing device for polishing circuit boards, The system includes a cleaning device for cleaning the substrate polished by the polishing device, The cleaning apparatus is the cleaning apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus.

7. A support structure that rotatably supports a cleaning tool that cleans by sliding it against the surface of a substrate in the presence of a cleaning solution, A connecting member connects a drive source for rotating the cleaning tool to one end of the cleaning tool, The connecting member includes a sealing member that seals the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member, The connecting member is composed of a base material made of resin and a hard material coating applied to at least the sealing surface of the base material with respect to the sealing member. The hardness of the portion of the connecting member coated with the hard material is at least HRC 55 on the Rockwell hardness scale, in this support structure.

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