Circuit board cleaning brush and circuit board processing apparatus

Abstract

This enables highly efficient cleaning of one side of a circuit board while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects. [Solution] The substrate cleaning brush 100 is used for cleaning substrates. The substrate cleaning brush 100 comprises a base portion 110, a cleaning portion 120, and a cleaning portion 130. The base portion 110 has a circular base upper surface. The cleaning portions 120 and 130 are formed to protrude upward from the base upper surface of the base portion 110. The cleaning portion 120 extends continuously or intermittently along the outer edge of the base upper surface. The cleaning portion 130 extends from one or more portions of the cleaning portion 120 toward the center of the base upper surface but does not reach the center of the base upper surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning brush for cleaning a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A substrate processing apparatus is used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, or solar cell substrates.

[0003] In a substrate processing apparatus, for example, a cleaning process of a substrate is performed. Patent Document 1 describes, as an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate cleaning apparatus that performs a cleaning process. In that substrate cleaning apparatus, the lower surface of the substrate is cleaned by a lower surface brush.

[0004] The lower surface brush includes a base portion having a disk shape and first and second cleaning portions that project upward from the upper surface of the base portion. The first cleaning portion extends in the radial direction of the base portion passing through the geometric center of the base portion in a plan view. The second cleaning portion is arranged along the outer edge of the base portion. By rotating the base portion in a state where the first and second cleaning portions of the lower surface brush are in contact with the lower surface of the substrate, contaminants adhering to the lower surface of the substrate are removed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] According to the bottom brush described in Patent Document 1, the cleaning efficiency of the substrate is improved compared to cleaning the bottom surface of the substrate using a cylindrical brush. However, even when using the bottom brush described in Patent Document 1, poor cleaning of the substrate sometimes occurred depending on the specifications of the substrate and the cleaning conditions of the substrate.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cleaning brush and a substrate processing apparatus that can clean one side of a substrate with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A substrate cleaning brush according to one aspect of the present invention is a substrate cleaning brush used for cleaning a substrate, comprising a base portion having a circular base upper surface, and a first cleaning portion and a second cleaning portion projecting upward from the base upper surface, wherein the first cleaning portion extends continuously or intermittently along the outer edge of the base upper surface, and the second cleaning portion extends from one or more portions of the first cleaning portion toward the center of the base upper surface but does not reach the center of the base upper surface.

[0009] A substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate and the substrate cleaning brush described above for cleaning the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to clean one side of a substrate with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view of a brush unit including a substrate cleaning brush according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the external appearance of the circuit board cleaning brush. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a plan view of the circuit board cleaning brush. [Figure 4]It is a longitudinal sectional view of a brush unit along the A-A line in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the brush unit. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example in which the washable range of the substrate changes according to the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing a first modification example of the substrate cleaning brush. [Figure 8] It is a plan view showing a second modification example of the substrate cleaning brush. [Figure 9] It is a plan view showing a third modification example of the substrate cleaning brush. [Figure 10] It is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the substrate cleaning process by the control unit in FIG. 10. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining a plurality of regions defined on the lower surface of the substrate W. [Figure 14] It is a diagram for explaining the details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus during the substrate cleaning process. [Figure 15] It is a diagram for explaining the details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus during the substrate cleaning process. [Figure 16] It is a diagram for explaining the details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus during the substrate cleaning process. [Figure 17] It is a time chart showing the change in the rotational speed of the brush unit during the substrate cleaning process shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. [Figure 18] It is a time chart showing the change in the rotational speed of the adsorption holding part during the substrate cleaning process shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. [Figure 19] It is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing the substrate cleaning test results. [Figure 21]The following is a bottom view of a substrate W showing an example of a non-cleanable area that may occur during cleaning of the central area on the bottom surface of the substrate. [Figure 22] This is a diagram for explaining a preferable dimension of the length of the cleaning portion. Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a substrate cleaning brush and a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate refers to a substrate for a FPD (Flat Panel Display) used in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, a ceramic substrate, a substrate for a solar cell, or the like.

[0013] The substrate described below has a circular shape in plan view except for the notch formation portion. The substrate also has a front surface which is a circuit formation surface and a back surface which is the opposite surface of the circuit formation surface. Further, in the following description, regardless of the front and back surfaces of the substrate, the upper-facing surface of the two surfaces of the substrate is referred to as the upper surface of the substrate, and the lower-facing surface of the two surfaces of the substrate is referred to as the lower surface of the substrate.

[0014] Also, the substrate cleaning brush described below is used to clean the lower surface of the substrate held in a horizontal posture or a substantially horizontal posture. Specifically, the substrate cleaning brush is pressed against the lower surface of the substrate from below and slid on the lower surface of the substrate to clean the lower surface of the substrate.

[0015] Furthermore, in the present invention, "the substrate cleaning brush contacts the substrate" means either that the substrate cleaning brush directly contacts the substrate or that the substrate cleaning brush is close to the substrate with a liquid film of a minute thickness interposed therebetween.

[0016] 1. First Embodiment <1> Configuration of Substrate Cleaning Brush Figure 1 is an external perspective view of a brush unit including a substrate cleaning brush according to a first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the brush unit 300 includes a substrate cleaning brush 100 and a brush base 200. The brush unit 300 is constructed by mounting the substrate cleaning brush 100 on the brush base 200.

[0017] In this example, the substrate cleaning brush 100 is a bottom brush that cleans the underside of the substrate. The substrate cleaning brush 100 may be made of a relatively soft resin material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). The brush base 200 may be made of a relatively hard resin such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PP (polypropylene).

[0018] Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the substrate cleaning brush 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the substrate cleaning brush 100 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the substrate cleaning brush 100 includes a base portion 110, a cleaning portion 120, and two cleaning portions 130. The base portion 110 has a disc shape. More specifically, the base portion 110 has a flat circular top surface and a certain thickness. In plan view, a geometric center point 101 (Figure 3) is defined on the top surface of the base portion 110. Also, a circular brush central region 102 (Figure 3) is defined on the top surface of the base portion 110, including the center point 101 and with the center point 101 as the reference point. In this example, the radius of the brush central region 102 is about half the radius of the base portion 110.

[0019] The cleaning sections 120 and 130 are formed on the upper surface of the base section 110 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the base section 110. The amount of protrusion of the cleaning sections 120 and 130 from the upper surface of the base section 110 is, for example, 5 mm or more and 6 mm or less. The upper surface of the cleaning sections 120 and 130 serves as a cleaning surface for cleaning the lower surface of the substrate.

[0020] The cleaning section 120 has a ring shape of a constant width that extends continuously along the outer edge of the upper surface of the base section 110. In a plan view, the cleaning section 120 surrounds the center point 101 and the brush central region 102. The two cleaning sections 130 are formed to extend toward the center point 101 from two portions of the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 that are opposite each other with the center point 101 in between, but not to reach the brush central region 102.

[0021] In a plan view, the width w1 of the cleaning section 120 in the radial direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100 (Figure 3) is, for example, 1 mm to 20 mm. Also, the two cleaning sections 130 have a common shape. In a plan view, the width w2 of each cleaning section 130 in the direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100 (Figure 3) is, for example, 1 mm to 20 mm. Furthermore, in a plan view, the length L of each cleaning section 130 in the radial direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100 (Figure 3) is, for example, 1 mm to 30 mm. The width w1 of the cleaning section 120 and the width w2 of each cleaning section 130 may be equal or different. Also, the two cleaning sections 130 may have different shapes. For example, the two cleaning sections 130 may be formed so that their lengths L are different from each other, or so that their widths w2 are different from each other.

[0022] Multiple through holes 111, 112, and 113 are formed in the base portion 110. Each through hole 111 to 113 extends in the vertical direction. The through holes 111 are used to connect the base portion 110 to the brush base 200 shown in Figure 1, and in this example, 10 are provided. Specifically, eight through holes 111 are arranged in the peripheral region of the base portion 110 at approximately equal angular intervals. Two through holes 111 are arranged in the central brush region 102 of the base portion 110 so as to face each other with the center point 101 in a plan view.

[0023] The brush base 200 is fixed on the motor's rotating shaft 400 (Figure 4), which will be described later. The rotating shaft 400 is positioned to extend from bottom to top. As a result, the brush base 200 rotates around the vertical axis when the motor is operating. The through holes 112 are used to connect the brush base 200 to the rotating shaft 400, and in this example, four holes are provided. The four through holes 112 are arranged in the brush central region 102 of the base 110 at approximately equal angular intervals, surrounding the center point 101 of the base 110.

[0024] When the brush unit 300 cleans the underside of the circuit board, a cleaning solution for the circuit board is used. In addition, a cleaning solution for the circuit board cleaning brush 100 is used to wet the circuit board cleaning brush 100 while it is in standby mode, and to clean the circuit board cleaning brush 100 while it is in standby mode. In the following description, the cleaning solution for the circuit board and the cleaning solution for the circuit board cleaning brush 100 will be collectively referred to simply as the cleaning solution.

[0025] If excess cleaning fluid remains on the substrate cleaning brush 100, the underside of the substrate cannot be properly cleaned. Therefore, the through holes 113, along with the through holes 203 of the brush base 200 (Figure 4), which will be described later, are used to drain excess cleaning fluid from the substrate cleaning brush 100. In this example, 10 through holes 113 are provided. The 10 through holes 113 are regularly arranged in the peripheral region of the base portion 110 so as to follow the inner edge of the cleaning portion 120.

[0026] The brush base 200 is a single component with a flattened cylindrical shape, and in plan view, it has the same external shape as the base portion 110 of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the brush unit 300 along line AA in Figure 1. In Figure 4, some of the components of Figure 1 (multiple screw members 310, 320, which will be described later) are omitted from the illustration in order to make the cross-sectional structure of the substrate cleaning brush 100 and the brush base 200 easier to understand.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, a recessed area 210 that is indented upward is formed in the central region of the lower surface of the brush base 200. In addition, a sloping portion 220 that is inclined downward outward is formed in the peripheral region of the lower surface of the brush base 200. Furthermore, the brush base 200 has a plurality of screw holes 201, a plurality of through holes 202 and a plurality of through holes 203.

[0028] Multiple screw holes 201 are provided on the upper surface of the brush base 200 so as to correspond to multiple through holes 111 of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Multiple through holes 202 extend vertically and are arranged so as to correspond to multiple through holes 112 of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Multiple through holes 203 extend vertically and are arranged so as to correspond to multiple through holes 113 of the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0029] When manufacturing the brush unit 300, the substrate cleaning brush 100 is positioned on the brush base 200 such that, in a plan view, each through-hole 111 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 aligns with the corresponding screw hole 201 of the brush base 200. In this state, multiple screw members 310 (Figure 1) are inserted from above into the multiple through-holes 111 of the substrate cleaning brush 100. The lower end (threaded portion) of each screw member 310 is attached to the screw hole 201 of the brush base 200. This connects the substrate cleaning brush 100 and the brush base 200, completing the brush unit 300.

[0030] In the brush unit 300, each through-hole 113 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 overlaps with the corresponding through-hole 203 of the brush base 200 in a plan view. Therefore, the internal spaces of the multiple through-holes 113 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 communicate with the internal spaces of the multiple through-holes 203 of the brush base 200.

[0031] When the brush unit 300 is attached to a rotating shaft 400 such as a motor, the rotating shaft 400 is fitted into the recess 210 of the brush base 200 from below. The rotating shaft 400 has multiple screw holes 401 that correspond to the through holes 202 of the brush base 200. Multiple screw members 320 (Figure 1) are inserted from above into multiple through holes 112 of the substrate cleaning brush 100. The lower end of each screw member 320 is attached to the corresponding screw hole 401 of the rotating shaft 400 through the corresponding through hole 202 of the brush base 200.

[0032] <2> Operation of brush unit 300 In this example, the brush unit 300 is used to clean the underside of the substrate. Hereinafter, the central portion of the underside of the substrate will be referred to as the central underside region. The region surrounding the central underside region of the substrate will be referred to as the outer underside region. The outer underside region will include the outer edge of the substrate.

[0033] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the brush unit 300. When cleaning the central region R1 on the lower surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is assumed to be held in a horizontal position without rotation. First, the brush unit 300 is rotated around an axis that extends vertically through the center point 101 of the base portion 110. The brush unit 300 is then moved to a position below the outer region R2 on the lower surface of the substrate W. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of Figure 5, the brush unit 300 is pressed against the outer region R2 on the lower surface. As a result, the cleaning surfaces of the cleaning portions 120, 130 (Figure 1) of the substrate cleaning brush 100, which are the upper ends of the brush unit 300, come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0034] In this state, as shown by the thick solid arrow in the upper part of Figure 5, the brush unit 300 moves to a position below the central region R1 of the lower surface, more specifically, to a position where the center point 101 coincides with the center of the substrate W in a plan view. As shown in the middle part of Figure 5, as the brush unit 300 moves to a position below the central region R1 of the lower surface, the substrate cleaning brush 100 slides on the lower surface of the substrate W, and contaminants adhering to the central region R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W are removed. In this example, the substrate W is not rotated when cleaning the central region R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W, but the substrate W may be rotated.

[0035] During cleaning of the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W, the substrate W is assumed to be rotated while being held in a horizontal position. First, the brush unit 300 is rotated around an axis that extends vertically through the center point 101 of the base portion 110. The brush unit 300 is then moved to a position below the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W. Furthermore, as shown in the lower part of Figure 5, the brush unit 300 is pressed against the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W. At this time, a part of the brush unit 300 protrudes slightly outward from the substrate W.

[0036] This causes the substrate cleaning brush 100 to slide on the underside of the substrate W, removing contaminants adhering to the outer underside region R2 of the substrate W. In this example, the brush unit 300 is rotated when cleaning the outer underside region R2 of the substrate W, but rotation of the brush unit 300 is not required.

[0037] The diameter of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is greater than 1 / 3 and less than 1 / 2 of the diameter of the substrate W. In this case, the entire underside of the substrate W is efficiently cleaned by the brush unit 300 moving between below the central region R1 and below the outer region R2 of the underside of the substrate W. Therefore, there is no need to make the substrate cleaning brush 100 excessively large. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, 300 mm. The diameter of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is, for example, 108 mm.

[0038] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, it is preferable that the area that can be cleaned when the brush unit 300 is moved below the central lower surface region R1 of the substrate W and the area that can be cleaned when the brush unit 300 is moved below the outer lower surface region R2 of the substrate W slightly overlap.

[0039] <3> Effects obtained by the circuit board cleaning brush 100 The substrate W is not a perfectly flat plate, and warping may occur in the substrate W. Furthermore, during cleaning of the substrate W, temporary deformation such as bending may occur in the substrate W due to the load from the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0040] In these cases, the range of the substrate W that can be cleaned by the substrate cleaning brush 100 may change depending on the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Figure 6 shows an example of how the range of the substrate W that can be cleaned changes depending on the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Here, we assume the case of cleaning the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W which has warping at the periphery.

[0041] If the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush 100 of the brush unit 300 is sufficiently low, the substrate cleaning brush 100 will elastically deform to follow the shape of the substrate W, as shown in the upper part of Figure 6. As a result, the entire lower outer region R2 will come into contact with the substrate cleaning brush 100 and be cleaned. On the other hand, if the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush 100 of the brush unit 300 is high, the amount of deformation of the substrate cleaning brush 100 may not be able to follow the shape of the substrate W, as shown in the lower part of Figure 6. In this case, as indicated by the white arrow in the lower part of Figure 6, a part of the cleaning surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100 will separate from the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W.

[0042] To reduce the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush 100, a configuration in which only the cleaning section 120 is formed on the base section 110 can be considered. However, in this case, the contact area of ​​the substrate cleaning brush 100 with respect to the substrate W becomes significantly smaller. Therefore, when cleaning the entire underside of the substrate W, it becomes necessary to move the substrate cleaning brush 100 a greater distance relative to the substrate W, thus reducing cleaning efficiency. Also, if the amount of movement of the substrate cleaning brush 100 relative to the substrate W is limited to improve cleaning efficiency, it may not be possible to adequately clean the entire underside of the substrate W.

[0043] Therefore, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to this embodiment, two additional cleaning sections 130 are provided inside the cleaning section 120. As a result, compared to the case where only the cleaning section 120 is formed on the base section 110, the contact area of ​​the substrate cleaning brush 100 with respect to the substrate W is increased, and the decrease in cleaning efficiency is suppressed.

[0044] As described above, each cleaning section 130 extends from the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 toward the center point 101. In this case, each cleaning section 130 functions substantially as a rib reinforcing the cleaning section 120.

[0045] Assuming that ribs are provided on the inside of the cleaning section 120, the degree of reinforcement of the cleaning section 120 is greater when the ribs are provided to connect two opposing parts of the cleaning section 120 with the center point 101 in between. On the other hand, if the ribs are divided in the central region 102 of the brush, the degree of reinforcement of the cleaning section 120 will be less than when the ribs are not divided.

[0046] Taking this into consideration, each cleaning section 130 is not formed to reach the brush central region 102 on the upper surface of the base section 110. Therefore, the overall rigidity of the cleaning sections 120 and 130 is reduced compared to the case where the cleaning section 130 is formed to pass through the center point 101. Consequently, the force acting on the substrate from the substrate cleaning brush 100 is reduced, and the cleaning sections 120 and 130 become more elastically deformable to conform to the shape of the substrate W.

[0047] As a result, it becomes possible to clean the underside of the substrate W with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects.

[0048] <4> Modified version of circuit board cleaning brush 100 In the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to this embodiment, a cleaning section 120 having an annular cleaning surface and two cleaning sections 130 extending from the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 toward the center point 101 are provided, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The substrate cleaning brush 100 may be provided with three cleaning sections 130, or with four cleaning sections 130.

[0049] Figure 7 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the substrate cleaning brush 100. In the plan view of Figure 7, the multiple through holes 111, 112, and 113 (Figure 3) formed in the base portion 110 are not shown. As shown in Figure 7, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first modified example, three cleaning portions 130 are provided so as to extend toward the center point 101 from three parts of the inner edge of the cleaning portion 120. Furthermore, each of the three cleaning portions 130 is formed so as not to reach the brush central region 102 on the upper surface of the base portion 110. In addition, the three cleaning portions 130 are arranged at equal angular intervals (120° intervals) with respect to the center point 101.

[0050] Figure 8 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the substrate cleaning brush 100. In the plan view of Figure 8, as with the plan view of Figure 7, the multiple through holes 111, 112, and 113 (Figure 3) formed in the base portion 110 are not shown. As shown in Figure 8, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the second modified example, four cleaning portions 130 are provided so as to extend from four parts of the inner edge of the cleaning portion 120 toward the center point 101. Furthermore, each of the four cleaning portions 130 is formed so as not to reach the brush central region 102 on the upper surface of the base portion 110. In addition, the four cleaning portions 130 are arranged at equal angular intervals (90° intervals) with respect to the center point 101.

[0051] According to the first and second modified versions of the substrate cleaning brush 100, the cleaning power of the substrate W is improved compared to the substrate cleaning brush 100 of Figure 1 due to the presence of three or four cleaning sections 130. Furthermore, since the three cleaning sections 130 are uniformly arranged in the circumferential direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100, it is reduced the likelihood of significant unevenness in the cleaning power applied to the substrate W in multiple parts of the substrate cleaning brush 100 in the circumferential direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, the number of cleaning units 130 provided inside the cleaning unit 120 in the substrate cleaning brush 100 is not limited to the example above. Only one cleaning unit 130 may be provided inside the cleaning unit 120, or five or more cleaning units 130 may be provided.

[0053] Furthermore, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to this embodiment, notches may be formed in multiple parts of the cleaning section 120. Figure 9 is a plan view showing a third modified example of the substrate cleaning brush 100. In the plan view of Figure 9, as with the plan view of Figure 7, the illustration of the multiple through holes 111, 112, 113 (Figure 3) formed in the base section 110 is omitted. As shown in Figure 9, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the third modified example, two cleaning sections 130 are provided so as to extend from two parts of the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 toward the center point 101, similar to the substrate cleaning brush 100 of Figure 1. In addition, in the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the third modified example, notches 121 are formed in six parts of the cleaning section 120. The six notches 121 are formed at equal angular intervals (60° intervals) with respect to the center point 101.

[0054] According to the third modified substrate cleaning brush 100, the rigidity of the cleaning section 120 can be further reduced by the multiple notches 121. This reduces the occurrence of poor cleaning of the substrate W due to a part of the substrate cleaning brush 100 separating from the substrate W when cleaning the underside of the substrate W. In addition, according to the third modified specification, each notch 121 functions as a drainage channel that guides excess cleaning liquid on the base section 110 to the outside of the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0055] In this embodiment, the number of notches 121 in the cleaning section 120 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is not limited to the example above. The cleaning section 120 may have one to five notches 121, or it may have seven or more notches 121. When the cleaning section 120 is provided with two or more notches 121, it is preferable that these multiple notches 121 are formed at equal angular intervals with respect to the center point 101.

[0056] 2. Second Embodiment <1> Configuration of a substrate processing apparatus As a second embodiment, the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus including the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. The substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment has a cleaning function that cleans the lower surface of the substrate W using the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0057] Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in Figure 10. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are defined to clarify the positional relationships. In Figure 10 and subsequent figures, the X, Y, and Z directions are indicated by arrows as appropriate. The X and Y directions are mutually orthogonal in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the up and down direction (vertical direction).

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which upper holding devices 10A, 10B, lower holding device 20, base device 30, transfer device 40, bottom surface cleaning device 50, cup device 60, top surface cleaning device 70, end surface cleaning device 80, and opening / closing device 90 are housed within a unit housing 2. In Figure 11, the unit housing 2 is shown by a dotted line.

[0059] The unit housing 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a rectangular base and four side walls extending upward from the four sides of the base. Two of the four side walls face each other in the Y direction. The other two side walls face each other in the X direction. An loading / unloading port 2x for the substrate W is formed in the center of one of the four side walls. An opening / closing device 90 is provided near the loading / unloading port 2x. The opening / closing device 90 includes a shutter 91 and is configured to open and close the loading / unloading port 2x using the shutter 91.

[0060] A base device 30 is provided on the bottom surface of the unit housing 2. The base device 30 includes a linear guide 31 and a movable base 32. The linear guide 31 includes two rails aligned in the X direction and extends in the Y direction so as to cross the central portion of the bottom surface in the X direction. The base device 30 is configured to allow the movable base 32 to be moved to multiple positions in the Y direction on the two rails of the linear guide 31.

[0061] The lower holding device 20 and the lower surface cleaning device 50 are arranged on the movable base 32 so as to be aligned in the Y direction. The lower holding device 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the movable base 32 and includes a suction holding part 21. The suction holding part 21 is a so-called spin chuck and has a circular suction surface capable of adsorbing and holding the lower surface of the substrate W. The suction holding part 21 is also configured to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction (axis in the Z direction). The lower holding device 20 adsorbs and holds the central region R1 (Figure 5) of the lower surface of the substrate W using the suction holding part 21, and rotates the adsorbed substrate W around the axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0062] A transfer device 40 is provided on the movable base 32 near the lower holding device 20. The transfer device 40 has a plurality of support pins 41 (three in this example) that surround the suction holding part 21 in a plan view and extend in the vertical direction. The plurality of support pins 41 are provided so as to be able to move up and down between a plurality of predetermined height positions.

[0063] As described later, the upper holding devices 10A and 10B are configured to hold the substrate W at a position above the lower holding device 20. The transfer device 40 can receive the substrate W held by the lower holding device 20 and transfer it to the upper holding devices 10A and 10B by raising and lowering a plurality of support pins 41. The transfer device 40 can also receive the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B and transfer it to the lower holding device 20.

[0064] The bottom cleaning device 50 includes a brush unit 300 according to the first embodiment, two substrate nozzles 51, two brush nozzles 52a and 52b, a gas ejection unit 53, a lifting and rotating support unit 54, and various drive units (not shown). The lifting and rotating support unit 54 is fixed to the upper surface of the movable base 32 so as to be adjacent to the lower holding device 20 in the Y direction.

[0065] The lifting and rotating support unit 54 includes a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the brush unit 300 and a brush drive mechanism for rotating the brush unit 300. The brush drive mechanism is, for example, a motor and has a rotating shaft 400 as shown in Figure 4. The lifting and rotating support unit 54 moves up and down with its lifting mechanism while the substrate W is held by the lower holding device 20 or the upper holding devices 10A, 10B. As a result, the lifting and rotating support unit 54 moves the brush unit 300 between three different height positions: a first height position, a second height position, and a third height position. The first height position is a height position lower than the second and third height positions, and is, for example, the lowest height position in the Z-direction range in which the brush unit 300 can be raised and lowered by the lifting device. The second height position is the height position of the brush unit 300 when the substrate cleaning brush 100 contacts the lower surface of the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A, 10B. The third height position is the height position of the brush unit 300 when the substrate cleaning brush 100 contacts the lower surface of the substrate W held by the lower holding device 20.

[0066] Furthermore, the lifting and rotating support unit 54 rotates (rotates on its own axis) the brush unit 300 around an axis extending in the vertical direction by its brush drive mechanism. As the brush unit 300 rotates while at the second or third height position, the contact area between the brush unit 300 and the lower surface of the substrate W is cleaned.

[0067] Each of the two substrate nozzles 51 is mounted on the upper surface of the lifting and rotating support unit 54 so as to be located near the brush unit 300 and with its liquid discharge port facing upward. A cleaning fluid supply system (not shown) is connected to the substrate nozzles 51. When the brush unit 300 is cleaning the underside of the substrate W, the substrate nozzles 51 discharge cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning fluid supply system onto the underside of the substrate W as needed.

[0068] The two brush nozzles 52a and 52b are used to clean the brush unit 300 and to wet the substrate cleaning brush 100 with cleaning fluid. One brush nozzle 52a is positioned on the upper surface of the lifting and rotating support unit 54, with its tip (liquid discharge port) facing the space above the brush unit 300. The other brush nozzle 52b is positioned on the upper surface of the lifting and rotating support unit 54, with its tip (liquid discharge port) facing the side (outer circumferential surface) of the brush unit 300. A cleaning fluid supply system (not shown) is connected to the brush nozzles 52a and 52b.

[0069] The brush nozzle 52a discharges cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning fluid supply system when the brush unit 300 is in standby position at a first height. In this case, the cleaning fluid discharged from the brush nozzle 52a is guided from a position to the side of the brush unit 300 in a parabolic trajectory to the center of the upper surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0070] Furthermore, the brush nozzle 52b discharges cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning fluid supply system when the brush unit 300 is in standby position at the first height. In this case, the cleaning fluid discharged from the brush nozzle 52b is guided from a position on the side of the substrate cleaning brush 100 to the side (outer surface) of the brush unit 300.

[0071] Even when in standby mode, the brush unit 300 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed by the lifting and lowering rotation support unit 54. As a result, when cleaning fluid is supplied to the brush unit 300 from the brush nozzles 52a and 52b, the cleaning fluid flows over the entire surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100. Therefore, at the first height position, contaminants adhering to the substrate cleaning brush 100 are smoothly removed. In addition, the substrate cleaning brush 100 is prevented from drying out as the cleaning fluid soaks into it. Furthermore, some of the excess cleaning fluid supplied onto the substrate cleaning brush 100 is discharged to the side or downward from the brush unit 300 through the multiple through holes 113 in the substrate cleaning brush 100 and the multiple through holes 203 in the brush base 200.

[0072] In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning solution supplied to the substrate nozzle 51 and the cleaning solution supplied to the brush nozzles 52a and 52b. Thus, when the same cleaning solution is used for cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W and the brush unit 300, a single cleaning solution supply system may be connected in common to the substrate nozzle 51 and the brush nozzles 52a and 52b.

[0073] The gas ejection unit 53 is a slit-shaped gas injection nozzle having a gas outlet extending in one direction. The gas ejection unit 53 is mounted on the lifting and rotating support unit 54 so as to be located between the brush unit 300 and the adsorption holding unit 21 in a plan view and with the gas injection port facing upward. A gas supply system (not shown) is connected to the gas ejection unit 53. In this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the gas supplied to the gas ejection unit 53. The gas ejection unit 53 injects the gas supplied from the gas supply system onto the underside of the substrate W when the substrate W is being cleaned by the brush unit 300 and when the underside of the substrate W is being dried (described later). As a result, a band-shaped gas curtain extending in the X direction is formed between the brush unit 300 and the adsorption holding unit 21.

[0074] The cup device 60 is located approximately in the center of the unit housing 2 and includes a cup 61. The cup 61 is positioned to surround the lower holding device 20 and the base device 30 in a plan view and is vertically movable. In Figure 11, the cup 61 is shown by a dotted line. The cup 61 moves between predetermined lower and upper cup positions depending on which part of the underside of the substrate W the brush unit 300 is cleaning. The lower cup position is a height position where the upper end of the cup 61 is below the substrate W that is held by the suction holding part 21. The upper cup position is a height position where the upper end of the cup 61 is above the suction holding part 21.

[0075] The upper holding devices 10A and 10B are positioned at a height above the cup 61. In a plan view, the upper holding devices 10A and 10B face each other with the base device 30 in between. The upper holding device 10A includes a lower chuck 11A and an upper chuck 12A. The upper holding device 10B includes a lower chuck 11B and an upper chuck 12B.

[0076] The lower chucks 11A and 11B are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane extending in the Y direction through the center of the suction holding portion 21 in a plan view, and are provided to be movable in the X direction within a common horizontal plane. Each of the lower chucks 11A and 11B has two support pieces capable of supporting the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W from below the substrate W. The upper chucks 12A and 12B are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane extending in the Y direction through the center of the suction holding portion 21 in a plan view, and are provided to be movable in the X direction within a common horizontal plane, similar to the lower chucks 11A and 11B. Each of the upper chucks 12A and 12B has two holding pieces configured to contact two portions of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W and to hold the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W.

[0077] In the upper holding devices 10A and 10B, the distance between the lower chuck 11A and upper chuck 12A and the lower chuck 11B and upper chuck 12B is adjusted. As a result, the upper holding devices 10A and 10B can hold the substrate W above the lower holding device 20 by sandwiching the substrate W between the lower chuck 11A and upper chuck 12A and the lower chuck 11B and upper chuck 12B. In addition, the upper holding devices 10A and 10B can release the held substrate W by moving the lower chuck 11A and upper chuck 12A and the lower chuck 11B and upper chuck 12B further apart from each other.

[0078] As shown in Figure 10, an upper surface cleaning device 70 is provided on one side of the cup 61 in the X direction. As shown in Figure 11, the upper surface cleaning device 70 includes a rotating support shaft 71, an arm 72, and a spray nozzle 73. The rotating support shaft 71 is provided to extend vertically, be vertically movable, and rotatably. The arm 72 is provided to extend horizontally from the upper end of the rotating support shaft 71 at a position above the upper holding devices 10A and 10B. A spray nozzle 73 is attached to the tip of the arm 72. A fluid supply system (not shown) is connected to the spray nozzle 73. Cleaning liquid and gas are supplied to the spray nozzle 73 from the fluid supply system (not shown). As a result, the cleaning liquid and gas are mixed in the spray nozzle 73 to produce a mixed fluid. The produced mixed fluid is sprayed downward from the spray nozzle 73.

[0079] In the top surface cleaning device 70, for example, with the substrate W held and rotated by the lower holding device 20, the height position of the rotation support shaft 71 is adjusted so that the spray nozzle 73 moves above the substrate W, and the rotation support shaft 71 rotates. In this state, the mixed fluid is sprayed from the spray nozzle 73 onto the substrate W. As a result, the entire top surface of the substrate W is cleaned.

[0080] As shown in Figure 10, an end cleaning device 80 is provided on the other side of the cup 61 in the X direction. As shown in Figure 11, the end cleaning device 80 includes a rotating support shaft 81, an arm 82, and a bevel brush 83. The rotating support shaft 81 is provided to extend vertically, be vertically movable, and rotatable. The arm 82 is provided to extend horizontally from the upper end of the rotating support shaft 81 at a position above the upper holding devices 10A and 10B. A bevel brush 83 is provided at the tip of the arm 82 so as to protrude downward and be rotatable around a vertical axis.

[0081] In the edge cleaning device 80, for example, with the substrate W held and rotated by the lower holding device 20, the height position of the rotation support shaft 81 is adjusted so that the bevel brush 83 contacts the outer edge of the substrate W, and the rotation support shaft 81 rotates. Furthermore, the bevel brush 83 provided at the tip of the arm 82 rotates around the vertical axis. As a result, the entire outer edge of the substrate W is cleaned.

[0082] As shown in Figure 10, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 9. The control unit 9 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory or a microcomputer. The memory stores a substrate cleaning program. The CPU of the control unit 9 controls the operation of each of the above components (10A, 10B, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) by executing the substrate cleaning program stored in memory. The CPU of the control unit 9 also controls the fluid supply system connected to the various nozzles (51, 52a, 52b, 53, 70).

[0083] <2> Basic flow of circuit board cleaning process In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the substrate cleaning process is performed by its cleaning function. The substrate cleaning process performed by the control unit 9 in Figure 10 in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described below. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the substrate cleaning process performed by the control unit 9 in Figure 10.

[0084] The substrate cleaning process according to this embodiment is performed by the CPU of the control unit 9 executing a substrate cleaning program stored in the memory device. In the initial state, the base device 30 is assumed to have the movable base 32 positioned such that the suction holding part 21 of the lower holding device 20 is located in the center of the cup 61 in a plan view.

[0085] First, the control unit 9 controls the opening / closing device 90 to open the loading / unloading port 2x and receive the substrate W loaded from outside the substrate processing device 1 into the unit housing 2 (step S1).

[0086] Next, the control unit 9 controls the transfer device 40 to receive the substrate W with the multiple support pins 41 and transfer the received substrate W to the upper holding devices 10A and 10B (step S2). At this time, the control unit 9 controls the upper holding devices 10A and 10B to hold the outer edge of the substrate W above the lower holding device 20 (step S3). If the substrate W brought in from outside the substrate processing device 1 can be placed on the lower chucks 11A and 11B, the process in step S2 may be omitted. The input / output port 2x, which was opened in step S1, is closed by the shutter 91 after the substrate W has been received by the transfer device 40.

[0087] Subsequently, the control unit 9 controls the base device 30 and the bottom surface cleaning device 50 to clean the central region R1 on the bottom surface of the substrate W (step S4). At this time, the brush unit 300 is raised from the first height position to the second height position. Details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 during the cleaning of the central region R1 on the bottom surface of the substrate W (during the process in step S4) will be described later.

[0088] During cleaning in step S4, the central region R1 on the underside of the substrate W is cleaned by the substrate cleaning brush 100 soaked in cleaning solution. As a result, the cleaning solution adheres to the central region R1 on the underside of the substrate W. The control unit 9 then dries the central region R1 on the underside of the substrate W by further controlling the base device 30 and the underside cleaning device 50 (step S5). Specifically, the control unit 9 controls the base device 30 while gas is being sprayed from the gas ejection unit 53 toward the underside of the substrate W (a state in which a gas curtain is generated), so that the gas ejection unit 53 moves relative to the underside of the substrate W so that it passes through the central region R1 on the underside in a plan view. As a result, the cleaning solution adhering to the central region R1 on the underside is pushed away by the gas curtain to a position away from the central region R1 on the underside, and the central region R1 on the underside dries. After the completion of step S5, the brush unit 300 is returned from the second height position to the first height position.

[0089] Next, the control unit 9 controls the transfer device 40 to receive the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B using the multiple support pins 41, and transfers the received substrate W to the lower holding device 20 (step S6).

[0090] Next, the control unit 9 controls the lower holding device 20 to hold the central region of the lower surface of the substrate W with the suction holding unit 21 (step S7). During steps S6 and S7, the base device 30 is positioned so that the center of the substrate W is located at the center of the suction holding unit 21 in a plan view. As a result, the substrate W is held by the suction holding unit 21 with its center located on the rotation center (rotation axis) of the suction holding unit 21.

[0091] Furthermore, the control unit 9 controls the lower holding device 20, the base device 30, the bottom surface cleaning device 50, the top surface cleaning device 70, and the edge cleaning device 80 to clean the entire top surface, the outer peripheral edge, and the outer bottom region R2 of the substrate W (step S8). At this time, the brush unit 300 is raised from a first height position to a third height position. Details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 during the cleaning of the outer bottom region R2 of the substrate W (during the processing in step S8) will be described later.

[0092] At the end of step S8, the spray nozzle 73 and bevel brush 83 are returned to their initial positions. The brush unit 300 is also returned from the third height position to the first height position.

[0093] Subsequently, the control unit 9 controls the lower holding device 20 to rotate the substrate W at high speed and dry the entire substrate W (step S9). This drying method, in which the entire substrate W is dried by rotating it at high speed, is called spin drying.

[0094] Finally, the control unit 9 opens the input / output port 2x by controlling the opening / closing device 90. As a result, the substrate W is transported to the outside of the substrate processing device 1 (step S10), and the substrate cleaning process is completed. After the substrate W is discharged, the input / output port 2x that was opened in step S10 is closed by the shutter 91.

[0095] Furthermore, during steps S8 and S9 of the above-described series of processes, the control unit 9 controls the cup device 60 to hold the cup 61 in the upper cup position. As a result, when cleaning the entire upper surface, outer peripheral edge, and lower outer region R2 of the substrate W, and when spin-drying the substrate W, droplets scattered from the substrate W are caught by the cup 61 and discharged to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1. In addition, during the processes other than steps S8 and S9 of the above-described series of processes (steps S1 to S7, S10), the control unit 9 controls the cup device 60 to hold the cup 61 in the lower cup position.

[0096] <3> Multiple regions defined on the lower surface of the substrate W To explain in detail the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 during cleaning of the central lower surface region R1 and the outer lower surface region R2 of the substrate W, we will first describe the multiple regions defined on the lower surface of the substrate W. These multiple regions include, in addition to the central lower surface region R1 and the outer lower surface region R2 described above, a contact region, a separated region, and a gap region.

[0097] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating multiple regions defined on the underside of the substrate W. The upper left of Figure 13 shows a view of the underside of the substrate W illustrating the central underside region R1. In this view, the central underside region R1 is indicated by hatching. As described above, the central underside region R1 is the central part of the underside of the substrate W and is the region that is adsorbed by the adsorption holding part 21. Therefore, the central underside region R1 has the same circular shape as the adsorption surface of the adsorption holding part 21. The center of the central underside region R1 coincides with, or approximately coincides with, the center WC of the substrate W.

[0098] In the upper left bottom view of Figure 13, the outer circumference of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is shown by a dashed line when the center of the substrate cleaning brush 100 (center point 101 in Figure 3) is aligned with the center WC of the substrate W, along with the central region R1 of the bottom surface. Note that the diameter of the suction holding part 21 is smaller than the diameter of the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0099] The lower left of Figure 13 shows a bottom view of the substrate W to illustrate the lower outer region R2. In this bottom view, the lower outer region R2 is indicated by hatching. As described above, the lower outer region R2 has an annular shape that includes the outer edge of the substrate W and surrounds the lower central region R1.

[0100] In the lower left bottom view of Figure 13, the outlines of the bottom central region R1 are shown by dotted lines, along with the bottom outer region R2. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the cleaning surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100 when its center is aligned with the center WC of the substrate W is shown by a dashed line. In this example, the inner diameter of the bottom outer region R2 is smaller than the outer diameter of the cleaning surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100. However, the inner diameter of the bottom outer region R2 and the outer diameter of the cleaning surface of the substrate cleaning brush 100 may be the same.

[0101] The upper right of Figure 13 shows a bottom view of the substrate W to illustrate the contact region R3 and the separation region R4. The contact region R3 refers to the position on the bottom surface of the substrate W when the substrate cleaning brush 100, which is separated from the substrate W, is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the substrate W when cleaning the central region R1 on the bottom surface of the substrate W. The separation region R4 in this embodiment refers to the position on the bottom surface of the substrate W when the substrate cleaning brush 100, which is in contact with the substrate W, is separated from the bottom surface of the substrate W when cleaning the central region R1 on the bottom surface of the substrate W.

[0102] In the upper right bottom view of Figure 13, the contact region R3 and the separation region R4 are indicated by hatching. In this embodiment, the contact region R3 and the separation region R4 are defined in a common position on the bottom surface of the substrate W. Furthermore, the contact region R3 and the separation region R4 are located on the bottom surface of the substrate W, between the outer edge of the substrate W and the bottom central region R1 mentioned above. In addition, in the upper right bottom view of Figure 13, the outer circle of the bottom central region R1 is shown by a dotted line, and the inner circle of the bottom outer region R2 is shown by a dashed line.

[0103] The lower right of Figure 13 shows a bottom view of the substrate W to illustrate the gap region R5. The gap region R5 is the area on the bottom surface of the substrate W located between a part of the outer edge of the substrate W and the contact region R3 and the separation region R4. In the bottom view of the lower right of Figure 13, the gap region R5 is shown with a dot pattern. Also in the bottom view of the lower right of Figure 13, the outer circles of the contact region R3 and the separation region R4 are shown with dotted lines.

[0104] <4> Details of the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 during substrate cleaning. Figures 14 to 16 are diagrams illustrating the detailed operation of each part of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 during the substrate cleaning process. Here, we focus on the processing performed during the period from the start of step S4 in Figure 12 to the end of step S9 in the substrate cleaning process. Each of Figures 14 to 16 shows the operating state of parts of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 (mainly the lower holding device 20, the base device 30, and the bottom surface cleaning device 50) at multiple points in time during the substrate cleaning process, arranged from left to right in chronological order. In addition, Figures 14 to 16 show the operating state of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 at each point in time in schematic plan views and schematic side views. The schematic side views shown in Figures 14 to 16 correspond to the schematic side views on the QQ line in Figure 9. Furthermore, Figures 14 to 16 show the cleaning state of the bottom surface of the substrate W at each point in time in bottom view views of the substrate W.

[0105] Figure 17 is a time chart showing the change in rotational speed of the brush unit 300 (substrate cleaning brush 100) during the substrate cleaning process shown in Figures 14 to 16. The time chart in Figure 17 is shown as a graph. In the graph in Figure 17, the vertical axis represents the rotational speed of the brush unit 300, and the horizontal axis represents time. Figure 18 is a time chart showing the change in rotational speed of the suction holding unit 21 during the substrate cleaning process shown in Figures 14 to 16. The time chart in Figure 18 is shown as a graph. In the graph in Figure 18, the vertical axis represents the rotational speed of the suction holding unit 21, and the horizontal axis represents time.

[0106] During the substrate cleaning process in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the movable base 32 of the base apparatus 30 moves in the Y direction on the linear guide 31 between a predetermined first horizontal position P1, a second horizontal position P2, and a third horizontal position P3. In the schematic side views of Figures 14 to 16, the point labeled "P1" indicates the position of the center of the movable base 32 when it is at the first horizontal position P1. The point labeled "P2" indicates the position of the center of the movable base 32 when it is at the second horizontal position P2. Furthermore, the point labeled "P3" indicates the position of the center of the movable base 32 when it is at the third horizontal position P3.

[0107] Furthermore, during the substrate cleaning process in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the brush unit 300 moves between predetermined first, second, and third height positions on the movable base 32, as described above.

[0108] The operation of the base device 30 and the bottom cleaning device 50 during the substrate cleaning process will be explained in detail below using Figures 14 to 16. As shown in the left part of Figure 14, at time t1, the substrate W loaded into the substrate processing device 1 is held in a horizontal position by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B and fixed inside the substrate processing device 1. The movable base 32 of the base device 30 is assumed to be in the first horizontal position P1. In this case, the rotation center (rotation axis) of the suction holding part 21 is located on the vertical axis passing through the center WC of the substrate W. Also, in plan view, most (part) of the cleaning surface of the brush unit 300 overlaps with the substrate W, and a small portion (the remaining part) of the cleaning surface of the brush unit 300 is located outside the outer edge of the substrate W. In the radial direction of the substrate W, the maximum amount of overhang of the cleaning surface of the brush unit 300 relative to the bottom surface of the substrate W is, for example, about 7 mm (see the symbol d1 in the upper left part of Figure 14).

[0109] Furthermore, at time t1, the brush unit 300 is held at a first height position below the substrate W. As a result, the brush unit 300 is separated from the substrate W by a predetermined distance. The brush unit 300 also rotates at a predetermined first brush rotation speed bv1 (see Figure 17), and cleaning fluid is supplied to the brush unit 300 from the brush nozzles 52a and 52b. The first brush rotation speed bv1 is set to such an extent that the cleaning fluid supplied to the brush unit 300 does not splash around the brush unit 300 (for example, between 60 rpm and 130 rpm), and in this embodiment, it is 60 rpm.

[0110] At time t1, the rotational speed of the adsorption holding unit 21, which was maintained at 0 rpm, increases toward the first chuck rotational speed cv1. Subsequently, the rotational speed of the adsorption holding unit 21 is maintained at the first chuck rotational speed cv1 until time t6 (see Figure 18). The first chuck rotational speed cv1 is set to a rotational speed (for example, 2400 rpm) that allows the adhering cleaning liquid to be shaken off the adsorbing holding unit 21, even if cleaning liquid adheres to it.

[0111] Next, in order to clean the central region R1 on the underside of the substrate W, the movable base 32 moves from the first horizontal position P1 to the second horizontal position P2 from time t1 to time t2. As shown in the central part of Figure 14, when the movable base 32 is at the second horizontal position P2 at time t2, the rotation center (rotation axis) of the suction holding part 21 is offset from the vertical axis passing through the center WC of the substrate W. Also, in a plan view, the entire cleaning surface of the brush unit 300 overlaps the substrate W. At this time, a gap is formed between the outer edge of the brush unit 300 and the outer edge of the substrate W in the radial direction of the substrate W. The minimum size of the gap between the outer edge of the brush unit 300 and the outer edge of the substrate W is, for example, about 3 mm (see the symbol d2 in the upper central part of Figure 14). When the movable base 32 is at the second horizontal position P2, the region on the underside of the substrate W that faces the cleaning surface of the brush unit 300 in the vertical direction becomes the contact region R3 in Figure 13.

[0112] Next, at time t2, the supply of cleaning fluid from the brush nozzles 52a and 52b to the brush unit 300 is stopped. Also from time t2, the brush unit 300 rises toward the lower surface of the substrate W. As a result, as shown in the right portion of Figure 14, at time t3, the brush unit 300 reaches a second height position and contacts the contact area R3 on the lower surface of the substrate W. Here, as shown in Figure 17, the rotational speed of the brush unit 300 increases from the first brush rotational speed bv1 to a predetermined second brush rotational speed bv2 as the brush unit 300 rises from time t2 to time t3. The second brush rotational speed bv2 is set within a predetermined speed range (for example, 100 rpm to 200 rpm) that is higher than the first brush rotational speed bv1, and in this embodiment it is about 150 rpm.

[0113] As described above, the substrate cleaning brush 100, soaked in cleaning solution, comes into contact with the underside of the substrate W, and the brush unit 300 rotates, cleaning a portion of the contact area R3. In the lower right section of Figure 14, the underside view of the substrate W shows the areas cleaned by the brush unit 300, indicated by hatching. At this time, the brush unit 300 does not come into contact with the gap area R5 between the outer edge of the substrate W and the contact area R3 in a plan view. As a result, contaminants removed by the brush unit 300 are prevented from spreading from the contact area R3 beyond the gap area R5 to the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, a decrease in the cleanliness of the outer edge of the substrate W and the upper surface of the substrate W is suppressed.

[0114] Next, with the substrate cleaning brush 100 in contact with the underside of the substrate W, the movable base 32 moves in the Y direction from the second horizontal position P2 to the third horizontal position P3 from time t3 to time t4. At this time, the rotational speed of the brush unit 300 is maintained at the second brush rotational speed bv2. As a result, as shown by the hatching in the lower left section of the underside view of the substrate W in Figure 15, a portion of the underside of the substrate W, including the central area R1 of the underside, is cleaned by the brush unit 300.

[0115] Furthermore, while the substrate cleaning brush 100 is in contact with the underside of the substrate W, the movable base 32 moves in the Y direction from the third horizontal position P3 to the second horizontal position P2 between time points t4 and t5. As a result, the brush unit 300 reaches the separated region R4 on the underside of the substrate W, as shown in the central part of Figure 15. Here, between time points t3 and t5, gas is ejected from the gas ejection section 53 toward the underside of the substrate W, forming a gas curtain. This prevents the cleaning liquid contained in the substrate cleaning brush 100 from remaining in the central region R1 of the underside of the substrate W, even if the cleaning liquid adheres to the underside of the substrate W.

[0116] At time t5, the brush unit 300 does not come into contact with the gap region R5 between the outer edge of the substrate W and the separation region R4 in a plan view. As a result, contaminants removed by the brush unit 300 are prevented from spreading from the separation region R4 beyond the gap region R5 to the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, a decrease in the cleanliness of the outer edge of the substrate W and the upper surface of the substrate W is suppressed.

[0117] Next, from time t5 to time t6, the brush unit 300 descends so as to move away from the substrate W. As a result, the brush unit 300 moves away from the separation region R4 of the substrate W, and at time t6, the brush unit 300 reaches a first height position, as shown in the right portion of Figure 15. At this point, as shown in Figure 10, the rotation speed of the brush unit 300 decreases from the second brush rotation speed bv2 to the first brush rotation speed bv1 as the brush unit 300 descends from time t5 to time t6. Also at time t6, the supply of cleaning fluid from the brush nozzles 52a and 52b to the brush unit 300 is resumed. As a result, contaminants adhering to the brush unit 300 are washed away by the supplied cleaning fluid.

[0118] Next, from time t6 to time t7, the movable base 32 moves from the second horizontal position P2 towards the first horizontal position P1. As a result, the brush unit 300 returns to the state at time t1 (see the left part of Figure 14), as shown in the left part of Figure 16. Also, between time t6 and time t7, the rotational speed of the suction holding unit 21 decreases from the first chuck rotational speed cv1 to 0 rpm. In other words, the rotation of the suction holding unit 21 stops.

[0119] Next, between time points t7 and t8, the substrate W is transferred from the upper holding devices 10A and 10B to the lower holding device 20 by the transfer device 40 shown in Figure 10. As a result, as shown in the central part of Figure 16, at time point t8, with the movable base 32 of the base device 30 in the first horizontal position P1, the central region R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W is held by the suction holding part 21 of the lower holding device 20.

[0120] Subsequently, the supply of cleaning fluid from the brush nozzles 52a and 52b to the brush unit 300 is stopped, and the rotation of the suction holding unit 21 begins, as shown in Figure 18. As a result, the rotation speed of the suction holding unit 21 increases from the stopped state (rotation speed 0 rpm) to the second chuck rotation speed cv2. This causes the substrate W held by the lower holding device 20 to rotate. The second chuck rotation speed cv2 is lower than the first chuck rotation speed cv1 and is set to a rotation speed suitable for cleaning the upper surface and outer edge of the substrate W by the upper surface cleaning device 70 and edge cleaning device 80 in Figure 10 (for example, 200 rpm to 500 rpm). In addition, cleaning fluid is supplied from the substrate nozzle 51 toward the lower surface of the substrate W that is rotating by the lower holding device 20.

[0121] Next, the brush unit 300 rises toward the lower surface of the substrate W. As a result, as shown in the right portion of Figure 16, the brush unit 300 reaches a third height position at time t9, causing it to contact the outer region R2 of the lower surface of the rotating substrate W.

[0122] From time t9 until time t10, after a certain period has elapsed, the rotation of the substrate W is maintained while the brush unit 300 remains in contact with the outer lower surface region R2 of the substrate W. As a result, the outer lower surface region R2 of the substrate W is cleaned. In the lower right section of Figure 16, the area cleaned by the brush unit 300 is indicated by hatching in the lower view of the substrate W.

[0123] During the period from time t9 to time t10, the upper surface of the rotating substrate W is further cleaned by the upper surface cleaning device 70. In addition, the outer edges of the rotating substrate W are further cleaned by the edge cleaning device 80. The side view in the middle right section of Figure 16 schematically shows the state of cleaning the upper surface and outer edges of the substrate W by the upper surface cleaning device 70 and the edge cleaning device 80. As a result, when cleaning the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W, even if contaminants wrap around from the outer edges of the substrate W to the upper surface of the substrate W, those contaminants are quickly removed.

[0124] Subsequently, from time t10 to time t11, the brush unit 300 is lowered away from the substrate W by the lifting and rotating support unit 54. Also, the top surface cleaning device 70 and the edge cleaning device 80 are returned to their initial state. This completes the process of step S8 in Figure 12.

[0125] Next, the rotation speed of the suction holding unit 21 increases from the second chuck rotation speed cv2 to the first chuck rotation speed cv1. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the suction holding unit 21, i.e., the rotation speed of the substrate W, is maintained at the first chuck rotation speed cv1 for a certain period. This allows the substrate W to be spin-dried. Finally, as shown in Figure 18, at time t12, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, and the cleaning and drying of the substrate W is completed.

[0126] <5> Effects obtained by the substrate processing apparatus 1 In the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment is pressed against the central lower surface region R1 and the outer lower surface region R2, respectively, and the central lower surface region R1 and the outer lower surface region R2 are cleaned. During this cleaning, the substrate cleaning brush 100 deforms to conform to the shape of the substrate W. This makes it possible to reduce the occurrence of cleaning defects across the entire lower surface of the substrate W.

[0127] 3. Third Embodiment Figure 19 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1X according to this embodiment has an indexer block 901 and a processing block 902. The indexer block 901 and the processing block 902 are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0128] The indexer block 901 includes multiple (four in this example) carrier mounting tables 910 and transport units 920. The multiple carrier mounting tables 910 are connected to the transport units 920 and are arranged in a row with some space between them. A carrier C that holds multiple substrates W is placed on each carrier mounting table 910.

[0129] The transport unit 920 is equipped with an indexer robot 931 and a control device 932. The indexer robot 931 includes a plurality (e.g., four) of hands and is configured to hold and transport the substrate W. The control device 932 includes a CPU and memory or a microcomputer and controls each component within the substrate processing apparatus 1X.

[0130] As shown in Figure 19, the processing block 902 includes cleaning units 941, 942 and a transport unit 943. The cleaning units 941, 943, and 942 are arranged adjacent to the transport unit 920 and in this order. In each cleaning unit 941, 942, a plurality (for example, four) of substrate processing devices 1 are stacked vertically. These substrate processing devices 1 are the substrate processing devices 1 shown in Figure 10. That is, in the substrate processing device 1X according to this embodiment, the substrate processing device 1 according to the second embodiment is provided as one processing unit constituting the substrate processing device 1X.

[0131] The transport unit 943 is equipped with a main robot 944. The main robot 944 includes multiple (for example, four) hands and is configured to hold and transport the substrate W.

[0132] Between the indexer block 901 and the processing block 902, multiple substrate mounting sections PASS are stacked vertically to facilitate the transfer of the substrate W between the indexer robot 931 and the main robot 944.

[0133] In the substrate processing apparatus 1X, the indexer robot 931 takes a substrate W before processing from one of the carriers C placed on the carrier mounting stage 910. The indexer robot 931 then places the substrate W before processing onto one of the substrate mounting sections PASS. Furthermore, the indexer robot 931 receives the processed substrate W placed on one of the substrate mounting sections PASS and places it into an empty carrier C.

[0134] The main robot 944 receives multiple unprocessed substrates W placed on multiple substrate mounting sections PASS. The main robot 944 then transports the multiple unprocessed substrates W into multiple substrate processing devices 1 in the cleaning sections 941 and 942. Furthermore, the main robot 944 unloads the multiple processed substrates W from the multiple substrate processing devices 1. Finally, the main robot 944 places the processed substrates W onto one of the multiple substrate mounting sections PASS.

[0135] Each substrate processing device 1, cleaning units 941 and 942, cleans the bottom surface, top surface, and outer edge of the substrate W that has been brought in. In this way, a series of operations of each component of the substrate processing device 1X are repeated, allowing a large quantity of substrates W to be cleaned with high efficiency.

[0136] 4. Circuit board cleaning test The inventors conducted the following substrate cleaning test to confirm the cleaning performance of the substrate W by the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment. First, the inventors prepared substrate cleaning brushes of an embodiment, comparative example 1, and comparative example 2, each having a different configuration.

[0137] Furthermore, the inventors prepared three untreated substrates W that were contaminated to a common degree. Then, using the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the inventors performed substrate cleaning on the three substrates W using the substrate cleaning brushes of Example, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2. The diameter of the substrates W was 300 mm. The inventors also checked the contamination status of the underside of the substrates W that had been cleaned with the substrate cleaning brushes of Example, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 using a particle counter.

[0138] Figure 20 shows the results of the substrate cleaning test. In Figure 20, schematic plan views of the substrate cleaning brushes for the embodiment, comparative example 1, and comparative example 2 are shown in the upper, middle, and lower sections of the left column, respectively. The substrate cleaning brush of the embodiment is composed of a base section 110, a cleaning section 120, and two cleaning sections 130, similar to the example of the substrate cleaning brush 100 in Figures 1 to 3.

[0139] The substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 1 has the same configuration as the substrate cleaning brush of the embodiment, except that two cleaning sections 130 are formed to connect. That is, in the substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 1, one cleaning section 130 is formed on the base section 110 so as to pass through the center point 101. This cleaning section 130 connects two parts of a cleaning section 120 that are opposite each other with the center point 101 in between.

[0140] The substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 2 consists of a base portion 110 and a cleaning portion 120. In other words, the substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 2 does not have a cleaning portion 130 formed on the base portion 110. Note that the base portion 110 of each substrate cleaning brush has multiple through holes corresponding to the multiple through holes 111 to 113 in Figure 3, but these are omitted from the plan view in Figure 20.

[0141] The diameter of each circuit board cleaning brush was 108 mm. The width w1 of the cleaning section 120 of each circuit board cleaning brush was 3 mm. Furthermore, in the circuit board cleaning brush of this embodiment, the length L of each of the two cleaning sections 130 was 7 mm.

[0142] The upper, middle, and lower sections of the right column of Figure 20 show contamination distribution diagrams of the substrate W after cleaning with the substrate cleaning brushes of the Example, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, respectively. In these contamination distribution diagrams, the distribution of contaminants adhering to the lower surface of the substrate W is shown by multiple black dots. As shown in the contamination distribution diagram of Figure 20, in the substrate W cleaned with the substrate cleaning brush of the Example, chuck marks from the adsorption holding part 21 are observed around the outer periphery of the central region R1 on the lower surface and its vicinity, but the amount of contaminants adhering to other areas is relatively small.

[0143] On the other hand, in the case of the substrate W cleaned with the substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 1, in addition to chuck marks in the central region R1 of the lower surface, a large amount of contaminants remained on the peripheral edge of the substrate W. This result is thought to be due to the shape of the cleaning section 130. That is, the cleaning section 130, which is formed to pass through the center point 101, is thought to have improved the rigidity of the substrate cleaning brush. As a result, the substrate cleaning brush 100 became less prone to elastic deformation, and it is thought that a part of the substrate W separated from the substrate cleaning brush when cleaning the outer region R2 of the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0144] The contamination level of the substrate W cleaned with the substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 2 is almost the same as the contamination level of the substrate W cleaned with the substrate cleaning brush of the Example. However, a cluster of contaminants (contaminant group) is observed slightly offset from the central region R1 on the bottom surface (see the white arrow in the lower right column of Figure 20).

[0145] The substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 2 does not have a cleaning section 130, so even when the substrate cleaning brush rotates while in contact with the substrate W, the area that can be cleaned is small. Therefore, when cleaning the central region R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W when it is not rotating, it is necessary to move the substrate cleaning brush and the substrate W relatively by a distance roughly equal to the diameter of the substrate cleaning brush. However, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, due to the throughput of substrate processing, it is not always possible to perform sufficient relative movement. In this case, a part of the lower surface of the substrate W will be left uncleaned by the substrate cleaning brush. The group of contaminants observed on the substrate W cleaned with the substrate cleaning brush of Comparative Example 2 is thought to have been generated for this reason.

[0146] As a result of the above, it was confirmed that the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment can clean the lower surface of the substrate W with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects, compared to the substrate cleaning brushes having the configurations of Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

[0147] 5. Preferred dimensions and shape of the substrate cleaning brush 100 In the circuit board cleaning brush 100, there is no cleaning section in the central brush region 102 of the base portion 110. Therefore, even when the circuit board cleaning brush 100 rotates and is pressed against the underside of the circuit board W, the cleaning section does not come into contact with the portion of the circuit board W opposite the central brush region 102.

[0148] Taking this into consideration, when the central region R1 on the lower surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the rotating substrate cleaning brush 100 moves horizontally on the lower surface of the substrate W. However, the range in which the substrate cleaning brush 100 can move on the lower surface of the substrate W may be limited by the throughput of the substrate processing and interference between peripheral members of the brush unit 300. In this case, when cleaning the central region R1 on the lower surface of the substrate W, an island-like area that cannot be cleaned (hereinafter referred to as the "uncleanable area") may occur near the central region R1 on the lower surface.

[0149] Figure 21 is a bottom view of substrate W showing an example of an area that may not be cleanable during cleaning of the central region R1 on the bottom surface of substrate W. In Figure 21, the areas that were cleaned during cleaning of the central region R1 on the bottom surface of substrate W are indicated by hatching.

[0150] As shown in Figure 21, the non-cleanable area RX is formed in an island-like shape, for example, at a location outside the central area R1 of the lower surface. If the non-cleanable area RX is not cleaned when the outer area R2 of the lower surface is cleaned, the non-cleanable area RX will not be cleaned by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of the non-cleanable area RX, it is preferable that the length L (Figure 3) of each cleaning section 130 in the radial direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100 be set to satisfy the following conditions.

[0151] Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating the preferred dimensions of the length L of the cleaning section 130. In Figure 22, the bottom view of the substrate W is shown in the upper section, and the plan view of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is shown in the lower section. In the bottom view of the substrate W, multiple regions (r1, r2, r3, r4, r5) defined on the underside of the substrate W are shown. In addition, in the plan view of the substrate cleaning brush 100, the illustration of multiple through holes (111, 112, 113) formed in the base section 110 is omitted.

[0152] As shown by the multiple dimension lines inserted in Figure 22, the radius of the substrate W to be cleaned is "rw", and the minimum gap between the contact area R3 and the separation area R4 and the outer edge of the substrate W is "g". The radius of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is "rb". Note that "g" is equal to the gap value indicated by the symbol d2 in the upper center of Figure 14.

[0153] In this case, it is preferable that the length L of the cleaning section 130 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 is determined using the width w1 of the cleaning section 120 and the above-mentioned "rw", "rb", and "g" to satisfy the following formula (1).

[0154] L≧(1 / 2)×(3rb+g-2w1-rw)…(1) When the length L of the cleaning section 130 satisfies the above formula (1), no uncleanable area RX is generated when the substrate processing apparatus 1 cleans the central area R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment makes it possible to clean the lower surface of the substrate W without any leakage.

[0155] Furthermore, even if an uncleanable area RX occurs during cleaning of the lower central area R1, it is sufficient if the uncleanable area RX can be cleaned during cleaning of the lower outer area R2. In this case, it is preferable to set the length L of the cleaning portion 130 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 by further considering the positional relationship between the substrate W and the substrate cleaning brush 100 during cleaning of the lower outer area R2.

[0156] 6. Other Embodiments

[0157] (a) The plurality of cleaning sections 130 of the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment are formed to extend from a plurality of portions of the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 toward the center point 101 and not reach the brush central region 102. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each cleaning section 130 may be formed to extend from a portion of the inner edge of the cleaning section 120 to a position inside the brush central region 102, provided that it does not reach the center point 101.

[0158] (b) In the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment, the cleaning portion 130 extends radially from a part of the inner edge of the cleaning portion 120 toward the center point 101, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cleaning portion 130 only needs to be formed to protrude toward the inside of the cleaning portion 120. Therefore, the cleaning portion 130 may be formed to extend in a direction slightly offset from the radial direction of the substrate cleaning brush 100.

[0159] (c) In the substrate cleaning brush 100 according to the first embodiment, for example, a plurality of cleaning sections 130 are formed within the cleaning section 120. In this case, the plurality of cleaning sections 130 may be provided at equal angular intervals with respect to the center point 101, or they may be provided at different angular intervals with respect to the center point 101.

[0160] (d) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the base device 30 and the lifting and rotating support unit 54 move the brush unit 300 relative to the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B, thereby cleaning the central region R1 of the lower surface of the substrate W. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The upper holding devices 10A and 10B may be configured to move relative to the brush unit 300, which is stationary while holding the substrate W.

[0161] (e) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the lower outer region R2 of the substrate W is cleaned by the base device 30 and the lifting and rotating support unit 54 moving the brush unit 300 relative to the substrate W held by the lower holding device 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The lower holding device 20 may be configured to be movable relative to the brush unit 300 which is in a stationary state while holding the substrate W.

[0162] (f) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, a substrate nozzle 51 is provided on the lifting and rotating support section 54, but the substrate nozzle 51 may be provided as a back rinse nozzle on a part other than the lifting and rotating support section 54.

[0163] (g) In the first embodiment, the substrate cleaning brush 100 is a bottom brush that cleans the bottom surface of the substrate W, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The substrate cleaning brush 100 may also be a top brush that cleans the top surface of the substrate W.

[0164] (h) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, the upper holding devices 10A and 10B are configured to be able to hold and release the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The upper holding devices 10A and 10B may be configured to adsorb, hold and release the lower peripheral edge of the substrate W.

[0165] 7. Correspondence between each part of the embodiment and each component of the claim The following describes examples of the correspondence between each component of the claim and each component of the embodiment. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claim can also be used as each component of the claim.

[0166] In the above embodiment, the substrate cleaning brush 100 is an example of a substrate cleaning brush, the upper surface of the base portion 110 is an example of the upper surface of the base portion, the base portion 110 is an example of the base portion, the cleaning portion 120 is an example of the first cleaning portion, the cleaning portion 130 is an example of the second cleaning portion, the center point 101 is an example of the center of the upper surface of the base portion, the brush central region 102 is an example of the brush central region, and the multiple cleaning portions 130 provided within the cleaning portion 120 are examples of multiple cleaning pieces.

[0167] Furthermore, the upper holding devices 10A, 10B and the lower holding device 20 are examples of substrate holding parts, the substrate processing devices 1, 1X are examples of substrate processing devices, the lower central region R1 is an example of a lower central region, the lower holding device 20 is an example of a first substrate holding part, and the rotating shaft 400 and the lifting and lowering rotating support part 54 are examples of brush rotation drive parts.

[0168] Furthermore, the lower outer region R2 is an example of the lower outer region, the lifting and rotating support part 54 and the base device 30 are examples of relative movement parts, and the upper holding devices 10A and 10B are examples of the second substrate holding part.

[0169] Furthermore, the state of the brush unit 300 held at a first height position in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example of the standby state of the substrate cleaning brush, the state of the brush unit 300 held at a second height position in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example of the second cleaning state of the substrate cleaning brush, and the state of the brush unit 300 held at a third height position in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is an example of the first cleaning state of the substrate cleaning brush.

[0170] 8. Summary of Embodiments

[0171] (Article 1) The substrate cleaning brush referred to in Article 1 is A circuit board cleaning brush used for cleaning circuit boards, A base section having a circular top surface, It comprises a first cleaning section and a second cleaning section that protrude upward from the upper surface of the base, The first cleaning section extends continuously or intermittently along the outer edge of the upper surface of the base, The second cleaning section extends from one or more parts of the first cleaning section toward the center of the upper surface of the base, but does not reach the center of the upper surface of the base.

[0172] With this substrate cleaning brush, one surface of a substrate can be cleaned by pressing a first cleaning section and a second cleaning section against that surface. Here, the first and second cleaning sections are formed on the upper surface of a base. In a plan view, the first cleaning section extends continuously or intermittently along the outer edge of the upper surface of the base, surrounding the center of the upper surface of the base. In a plan view, the second cleaning section is located inside the first cleaning section. In this case, the contact area of ​​the substrate cleaning brush with the substrate is increased compared to the case where only the first cleaning section is formed on the upper surface of the base. Therefore, the area that can be cleaned at one time on one surface of the substrate is increased, and the cleaning efficiency of the substrate is improved.

[0173] If the force acting on one surface of the circuit board from the first and second cleaning sections becomes too strong during cleaning, the circuit board may deform. If a portion of the circuit board separates from the cleaning brush due to this deformation, the portion of the circuit board that should be cleaned will not be cleaned.

[0174] The second cleaning section is located inside the first cleaning section and functions as a rib that substantially reinforces the first cleaning section. The degree of reinforcement of the first cleaning section by the second cleaning section is significantly greater when the second cleaning section is formed to pass through the center of the base.

[0175] According to the above configuration, in a plan view, the second cleaning section is not formed to reach the center of the upper surface of the base. Therefore, the overall rigidity of the first and second cleaning sections is reduced compared to the case where the second cleaning section is formed to pass through the center of the upper surface of the base in a plan view. Consequently, the force acting on the substrate from the first and second cleaning sections is reduced, and the first and second cleaning sections become more elastically deformable to conform to the shape of the substrate.

[0176] As a result, it becomes possible to clean one side of the substrate with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects.

[0177] (Article 2) In the substrate cleaning brush relating to Article 1, On the upper surface of the base, a circular brush central region is defined in plan view, which includes the center of the upper surface of the base and is surrounded by the first cleaning section. The second cleaning section may be formed in such a way that, in a plan view, it does not overlap with the central area of ​​the brush on the upper surface of the base.

[0178] In this case, the central area of ​​the brush has a certain size or larger, which sufficiently reduces the overall rigidity of the first and second cleaning sections. As a result, during substrate cleaning, the first and second cleaning sections become more elastically deformable to conform to the shape of the substrate.

[0179] (Article 3) In the substrate cleaning brush relating to Article 1 or Article 2, The second cleaning unit may include a plurality of cleaning pieces extending from a plurality of parts of the first cleaning unit toward the center of the upper surface of the base.

[0180] This improves the cleaning power of the substrate compared to when the substrate cleaning brush contains only one cleaning piece, and when the substrate cleaning brush does not contain any cleaning piece.

[0181] (Article 4) In the substrate cleaning brush relating to Article 3, The plurality of cleaning pieces may be arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the center of the upper surface of the base when viewed from above.

[0182] In this case, multiple cleaning pieces are uniformly arranged in the circumferential direction of the substrate cleaning brush. This reduces the likelihood of significant unevenness in the cleaning force applied to the substrate across multiple parts of the substrate cleaning brush in the circumferential direction.

[0183] (Paragraph 5) The substrate processing apparatus relating to Paragraph 5 is: A substrate holding section that holds the substrate, A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate cleaning brush according to any one of the first to fourth paragraphs for cleaning the substrate held by the substrate holding part.

[0184] In this case, the substrate held by the substrate holder is cleaned by the substrate cleaning brush described above. Therefore, one side of the substrate is cleaned with high efficiency while reducing the occurrence of cleaning defects.

[0185] (Paragraph 6) In the substrate processing apparatus relating to Paragraph 5, The substrate holding portion includes a first substrate holding portion that holds the central region of the lower surface of the substrate by suction while rotating the substrate around a vertical axis, The substrate processing apparatus is A brush rotation drive unit that rotates the substrate cleaning brush around an axis in the vertical direction, A relative movement unit moves at least one of the substrate cleaning brush and the first substrate holding unit to transition the substrate cleaning brush between a standby state in which the substrate cleaning brush is separated from the substrate and a first cleaning state in which the substrate cleaning brush is in contact with the outer lower surface region surrounding the central lower surface region of the lower surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding unit, The system may further include a cleaning fluid supply unit that supplies cleaning fluid to the lower surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding unit, and to at least one of the substrate cleaning brushes.

[0186] In this case, the substrate cleaning brush transitions, for example, from a standby state to a first cleaning state. As a result, the substrate cleaning brush comes into contact with the outer lower surface region of the substrate, which is held and rotated by the first substrate holding unit, and the outer lower surface region of the substrate is cleaned. At this time, the first and second cleaning units deform to conform to the shape of the substrate. This makes it possible to reduce the occurrence of cleaning defects in the outer lower surface region of the substrate.

[0187] (Paragraph 7) In the substrate processing apparatus relating to Paragraph 6, The substrate holding portion further includes a second substrate holding portion that holds the outer peripheral end or periphery of the substrate without rotating the substrate, The relative movement unit may be configured to move at least one of the substrate cleaning brush and the second substrate holding unit, thereby enabling the substrate cleaning brush to transition to a second cleaning state in which the substrate cleaning brush contacts the central region of the lower surface of the substrate held by the second substrate holding unit.

[0188] In this case, the substrate cleaning brush transitions, for example, from a standby state to a second cleaning state. As a result, the substrate cleaning brush comes into contact with the central region of the underside of the substrate held by the second substrate holding unit, and the central region of the underside of the substrate is cleaned. At this time, the first and second cleaning units deform to conform to the shape of the substrate. This makes it possible to reduce the occurrence of cleaning defects across the entire underside of the substrate.

[0189] According to the substrate cleaning brush and substrate processing apparatus of the above embodiment, the manufacturing yield of substrates due to inadequate cleaning is improved. This reduces the wasteful consumption of cleaning solution. Therefore, resource utilization efficiency is improved, and it becomes possible to contribute to the preservation of the global environment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0190] 1,1X…Substrate processing device, 2…Unit housing, 2x…Loading / unloading port, 9…Control unit, 10A,10B…Upper holding device, 11A,11B…Lower chuck, 12A,12B…Upper chuck, 20…Lower holding device, 21…Suction holding part, 30…Base device, 31…Linear guide, 32…Movable base, 40…Transfer device, 41…Support pin, 50…Bottom cleaning device, 51…Substrate nozzle, 52a,52b…Brush nozzle, 53…Gas ejection Part, 54…Lifting and Rotating Support Part, 60…Cup Device, 61…Cup, 70…Top Surface Cleaning Device, 71…Rotating Support Shaft, 72, 82…Arms, 73…Spray Nozzle, 80…End Cleaning Device, 81…Rotating Support Shaft, 83…Bevel Brush, 90…Opening and Closing Device, 91…Shutter, 100…Substrate Cleaning Brush, 101…Center Point, 102…Brush Central Region, 110…Base Part, 111, 112, 113, 202, 203…Through Hole, 120 ,130...Cleaning section,121...Notch,200...Brush base,201,401...Screw hole,210...Recess,220...Inclined section,300...Brush unit,310,320...Screw member,400...Rotating shaft,901...Indexer block,902...Processing block,910...Carrier mounting platform,920,943...Conveying section,931...Indexer robot,932...Control device,941,942...Cleaning section,944...Main robot Bot, C...Carrier, P1...First horizontal position, P2...Second horizontal position, P3...Third horizontal position, PASS...Substrate mounting area, R1...Bottom central area, R2...Bottom outer area, R3...Contact area, R4...Separated area, R5...Gap area, W...Substrate, WC...Center, bv1...First brush rotation speed, bv2...Second brush rotation speed, cv1...First chuck rotation speed, cv2...Second chuck rotation speed, RX...Non-cleanable area

Claims

1. A circuit board cleaning brush used for cleaning circuit boards, A base section having a circular top surface, It comprises a first cleaning section and a second cleaning section that protrude upward from the upper surface of the base, The first cleaning section extends continuously or intermittently along the outer edge of the upper surface of the base, The second cleaning unit is a substrate cleaning brush that extends from one or more parts of the first cleaning unit toward the center of the upper surface of the base, but does not reach the center of the upper surface of the base.

2. On the upper surface of the base, a circular brush central region is defined in plan view, which includes the center of the upper surface of the base and is surrounded by the first cleaning section. The substrate cleaning brush according to claim 1, wherein the second cleaning section is formed so as not to overlap with the central region of the brush on the upper surface of the base in a plan view.

3. The substrate cleaning brush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second cleaning section includes a plurality of cleaning pieces extending from a plurality of parts of the first cleaning section toward the center of the upper surface of the base.

4. The substrate cleaning brush according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of cleaning pieces are arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the center of the upper surface of the base in a plan view.

5. A substrate holding section that holds the substrate, A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate cleaning brush according to claim 1 or 2 for cleaning the substrate held by the substrate holding portion.

6. The substrate holding portion includes a first substrate holding portion that holds the central region of the lower surface of the substrate by suction while rotating the substrate around a vertical axis. The substrate processing apparatus is A brush rotation drive unit that rotates the substrate cleaning brush around an axis in the vertical direction, A relative movement unit that moves at least one of the substrate cleaning brush and the first substrate holding unit to transition the substrate cleaning brush between a standby state in which the substrate cleaning brush is separated from the substrate and a first cleaning state in which the substrate cleaning brush is in contact with the outer lower surface region surrounding the central lower surface region of the lower surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding unit, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies cleaning liquid to the lower surface of the substrate held by the first substrate holding unit and to at least one of the substrate cleaning brushes.

7. The substrate holding portion further includes a second substrate holding portion that holds the outer peripheral end or periphery of the substrate without rotating the substrate, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the relative moving part is configured to move at least one of the substrate cleaning brush and the second substrate holding part, thereby enabling the substrate cleaning brush to transition to a second cleaning state in which the substrate cleaning brush contacts the central region of the lower surface of the substrate held by the second substrate holding part.

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