Substrate Cleaning Equipment

Abstract

To provide a substrate cleaning device capable of maintaining a cleaning level of a brush without deteriorating a throughput.SOLUTION: A substrate cleaning device 1 comprises: a substrate holding part; a lower surface brush 51; and a first liquid nozzle 52a and a second liquid nozzle 52b. The substrate holding part holds a substrate W in a horizontal posture. The lower surface brush 51 is constructed so as to be moved between a processing position for cleaning the substrate W and a stand-by position that is overlapped on the substrate W held by the substrate holding part in a vertical direction. In addition, the lower surface brush 51 is constructed so as to rotate around ab axis in the vertical direction. The lower surface brush 51 cleans a lower surface of the substrate W by coming into contact with the lower surface of the substrate W at the processing position. The first liquid nozzle 52a discharges a cleaning liquid to a center part of the lower surface brush 51 at the stand-by position. The second liquid nozzle 52b discharges the cleaning liquid to an end part of the lower surface brush 51 at the stand-by position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning the underside of a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on various substrates, such as FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, semiconductor substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates. Substrate cleaning apparatuses are used to clean substrates.

[0003] For example, the substrate cleaning apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes two suction pads that hold the peripheral edge of the back surface of the wafer, a spin chuck that holds the central part of the back surface of the wafer, and a brush that cleans the back surface of the wafer. The two suction pads hold the wafer and move laterally. In this state, the central part of the back surface of the wafer is cleaned with the brush. The spin chuck then receives the wafer from the suction pads and rotates while holding the central part of the back surface of the wafer. In this state, the peripheral part of the back surface of the wafer is cleaned with the brush. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5904169 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a substrate cleaning apparatus, the cleanliness of the brush gradually deteriorates as substrate cleaning is repeated. When the cleanliness of the brush deteriorates, the substrate cannot be cleaned efficiently. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the brush at a certain level or higher. However, it is not easy to maintain the cleanliness of the brush without reducing throughput.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of maintaining the cleanliness of the brush without reducing throughput. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The substrate cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in a horizontal position, a lower surface brush that is configured to be movable between a processing position for cleaning the substrate and a standby position in which the lower surface brush is vertically overlapped with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and that at the processing position rotates around a vertical axis while contacting the underside of the substrate, a first liquid nozzle that at the standby position sprays cleaning liquid onto the center of the lower surface brush, and a second liquid nozzle that at the standby position sprays cleaning liquid onto the end of the lower surface brush.

[0008] In this substrate cleaning apparatus, the lower surface of the substrate is cleaned by the lower surface brush rotating and contacting the lower surface of the substrate at the processing position. Bottom surface Even if the brush is contaminated, the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle respectively discharge cleaning liquid onto the center and end of the rotating lower-surface brush at the standby position. With this configuration, the lower-surface brush can be cleaned entirely.

[0009] Furthermore, because the standby position of the lower brush overlaps vertically with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the footprint hardly increases even if the lower brush is relatively large. Therefore, by using a relatively large lower brush, it is possible to clean the underside of the substrate in a short time. Therefore, even if a process for cleaning the lower brush is added, the throughput hardly changes. This allows the cleanliness of the lower brush to be maintained without reducing throughput. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a support portion that supports the lower-surface brush. The first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle are each attached to the support portion. The first liquid nozzle ejects cleaning liquid in a parabolic curve from diagonally above so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center of the lower-surface brush. In this case, the center of the lower-surface brush can be easily cleaned without interfering with the cleaning of the underside of the substrate by the lower-surface brush.

[0010] (2 ) No. Each of the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle may be attached to the support part so that the cleaning liquid outlet faces diagonally upward, which allows the lower surface brush to be easily cleaned without interfering with cleaning of the underside of the substrate by the lower surface brush.

[0012] ( 3 ) The lower surface brush may be made of a fluororesin. In this case, the wettability of the lower surface brush is relatively low. This makes it less likely for the lower surface brush to become contaminated. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle respectively eject cleaning liquid onto the center and end portions of the lower surface brush, the lower surface brush is uniformly wetted even when the wettability of the lower surface brush is relatively low. This prevents the lower surface brush from hardening partially. As a result, the underside of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned.

[0013] ( 4 ) The substrate holder and the lower brush may each have a circular outer shape, and the diameter of the lower brush may be larger than the diameter of the substrate holder. In this case, the lower brush is relatively large. Therefore, the underside of the substrate can be efficiently cleaned. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle respectively eject cleaning liquid onto the center and end portions of the lower brush, the lower brush is uniformly wetted even when the lower brush is relatively large. This prevents the lower brush from partially hardening. As a result, the underside of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned.

[0014] ( 5 ) The substrate and the lower brush each may have a circular outer shape, and the diameter of the lower brush may be greater than one-third the diameter of the substrate. In this case, the lower brush is relatively large. Therefore, the underside of the substrate can be efficiently cleaned. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle eject cleaning liquid to the center and end portions of the lower brush, respectively, the lower brush is uniformly wetted even when the lower brush is relatively large. This prevents the lower brush from partially hardening. As a result, the underside of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned. (6) The substrate cleaning apparatus may further include an upper surface cleaning device that cleans the upper surface of the substrate, and during the cleaning period of the upper surface of the substrate, cleaning of the substrate with the lower surface brush and cleaning of the lower surface brush may be performed alternately. (7) The substrate cleaning apparatus may further include a brush for cleaning the upper surface of the substrate, and during a period for cleaning the upper surface of the substrate, cleaning of the substrate with the lower surface brush and cleaning of the lower surface brush may be performed alternately. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, the cleanliness of the lower brush can be maintained without reducing throughput. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the internal configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the substrate cleaning apparatus. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 14] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 15] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 18] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 19] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the general operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus in FIG. 12. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the term "substrate" refers to a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display) such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, 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, or a substrate for a solar cell. The substrate used in this embodiment has at least a partially circular outer periphery. For example, the outer periphery excluding a positioning notch has a circular shape.

[0018] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing equipment FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the internal configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. In the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are defined to clarify the positional relationships. In FIG. 1 and certain figures following FIG. 2, the X, Y, and Z directions are indicated by appropriate arrows. The X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0019] 1, the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 includes upper holding devices 10A and 10B, a lower holding device 20, a base device 30, a delivery device 40, a lower surface cleaning device 50, a cup device 60, an upper surface cleaning device 70, an edge cleaning device 80, and an opening / closing device 90. These components are provided in a unit housing 2. In FIG. 2, the unit housing 2 is indicated by a dotted line.

[0020] The unit housing 2 has a rectangular bottom surface 2a and four side walls 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e extending upward from the four sides of the bottom surface 2a. The side walls 2b and 2c face each other, and the side walls 2d and 2e face each other. A rectangular opening is formed in the center of the side wall 2b. This opening is an loading / unloading opening 2x for the substrate W, and is used when loading and unloading the substrate W into and from the unit housing 2. In FIG. 2, the loading / unloading opening 2x is indicated by a thick dotted line. In the following description, the direction in the Y direction from the inside of the unit housing 2 through the loading / unloading opening 2x toward the outside of the unit housing 2 (the direction from the side wall 2c toward the side wall 2b) is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction (the direction from the side wall 2b toward the side wall 2c) is referred to as the rear.

[0021] An opening / closing device 90 is provided in the portion of the side wall 2b where the loading / unloading opening 2x is formed and in the area nearby. The opening / closing device 90 includes a shutter 91 configured to be able to open and close the loading / unloading opening 2x, and a shutter driver 92 that drives the shutter 91. In FIG. 2, the shutter 91 is indicated by a thick two-dot chain line. The shutter driver 92 drives the shutter 91 to open the loading / unloading opening 2x when the substrate W is loaded into and unloaded from the substrate cleaning apparatus 1. The shutter driver 92 also drives the shutter 91 to close the loading / unloading opening 2x when the substrate W is cleaned in the substrate cleaning apparatus 1.

[0022] A pedestal device 30 is provided in the center of the bottom surface portion 2a. The pedestal device 30 includes a linear guide 31, a movable pedestal 32, and a pedestal drive unit 33. The linear guide 31 includes two rails and is provided to extend in the Y direction from near the side wall portion 2b to near the side wall portion 2c in a plan view. The movable pedestal 32 is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction on the two rails of the linear guide 31. The pedestal drive unit 33 includes, for example, a pulse motor, and moves the movable pedestal 32 in the Y direction on the linear guide 31.

[0023] The lower holding device 20 and the lower surface cleaning device 50 are provided on the movable base 32 so as to be aligned in the Y direction. The lower holding device 20 includes a suction holding unit 21 and a suction holding drive unit 22. The suction holding unit 21 is a so-called spin chuck, and has a circular suction surface that can suction-hold the lower surface of the substrate W, and is configured to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction (axis in the Z direction). In the following description, when the substrate W is suction-held by the suction holding unit 21, the region of the lower surface of the substrate W that should be suctioned by the suction surface of the suction holding unit 21 is referred to as a lower surface central region. On the other hand, the region of the lower surface of the substrate W that surrounds the lower surface central region is referred to as a lower surface outer region.

[0024] The suction hold driving unit 22 includes a motor. The motor of the suction hold driving unit 22 is provided on the movable base 32 so that the rotation shaft protrudes upward. The suction hold unit 21 is attached to the upper end of the rotation shaft of the suction hold driving unit 22. A suction path is formed on the rotation shaft of the suction hold driving unit 22 to allow the suction hold unit 21 to suction and hold the substrate W. The suction path is connected to an air suction device (not shown). The suction hold driving unit 22 rotates the suction hold unit 21 around the rotation shaft.

[0025] A delivery device 40 is further provided on the movable base 32 near the lower holding device 20. The delivery device 40 includes a plurality of (three in this example) support pins 41, a pin connecting member 42, and a pin lifting / lowering drive unit 43. The pin connecting member 42 is formed so as to surround the suction holding unit 21 in a plan view and connects the plurality of support pins 41. The plurality of support pins 41 extend upward by a certain length from the pin connecting member 42 while being connected to one another by the pin connecting member 42. The pin lifting / lowering drive unit 43 raises and lowers the pin connecting member 42 above the movable base 32. As a result, the plurality of support pins 41 rise and lower relative to the suction holding unit 21.

[0026] The lower surface cleaning device 50 includes a lower surface brush 51, two liquid nozzles 52, liquid nozzles 52a and 52b, a gas ejection unit 53, a lifting support unit 54, a moving support unit 55, a lower surface brush rotation drive unit 55a, a lower surface brush lifting drive unit 55b, and a lower surface brush moving drive unit 55c. The moving support unit 55 is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction relative to the lower holding device 20 within a certain area on the movable base 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the lifting support unit 54 is provided on the moving support unit 55 so as to be able to move up and down. The lifting support unit 54 has an upper surface 54u that slopes obliquely downward in a direction away from the suction holding unit 21 (rearward in this example).

[0027] 1, the lower surface brush 51 has a circular outer shape in a plan view, and is formed to be relatively large in this embodiment. Specifically, the diameter of the lower surface brush 51 is larger than the diameter of the suction surface of the suction holding unit 21, for example, 1.3 times the diameter of the suction surface of the suction holding unit 21. The diameter of the lower surface brush 51 is also larger than 1 / 3 and smaller than 1 / 2 of the diameter of the substrate W. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, 300 mm.

[0028] The lower brush 51 is preferably made of a material with relatively low wettability, such as a fluororesin. In this case, adhesion of contaminants to the lower brush 51 is reduced. This makes the lower brush 51 less susceptible to contamination. In this example, the lower brush 51 is made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), but the embodiment is not limited to this. The lower brush 51 may also be made of a relatively soft resin material, such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol).

[0029] The lower surface brush 51 has a cleaning surface that can come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate W. The lower surface brush 51 is attached to the upper surface 54u of the lifting support part 54 so that the cleaning surface faces upward and so that the cleaning surface can rotate around an axis that passes through the center of the cleaning surface and extends in the vertical direction.

[0030] Each of the two liquid nozzles 52 is attached to the upper surface 54u of the lifting support part 54 so as to be located near the lower surface brush 51 and so that the liquid discharge port faces upward. A lower surface cleaning liquid supply part 56 (FIG. 3) is connected to the liquid nozzle 52. The lower surface cleaning liquid supply part 56 supplies cleaning liquid to the liquid nozzle 52. When the substrate W is cleaned by the lower surface brush 51, the liquid nozzle 52 discharges the cleaning liquid supplied from the lower surface cleaning liquid supply part 56 onto the lower surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid supplied to the liquid nozzle 52.

[0031] Each of the two liquid nozzles 52a, 52b is attached to the upper surface 54u of the lift support part 54 so as to be located near the lower surface brush 51 and so that the liquid outlet faces diagonally upward. A brush cleaning liquid supply part 57 (FIG. 3) is connected to the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b. The brush cleaning liquid supply part 57 supplies cleaning liquid to the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b. When cleaning the lower surface brush 51, the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b discharge the cleaning liquid supplied from the brush cleaning liquid supply part 57 onto the center and edge parts of the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51, respectively. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid supplied to the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b.

[0032] In this way, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzles 52a and 52b onto the center and edge of the cleaning surface of the lower-surface brush 51. Therefore, even if the lower-surface brush 51 is relatively large or is made of a material with relatively low wettability (PTFE in this example), the cleaning surface of the lower-surface brush 51 is uniformly wetted. This prevents the lower-surface brush 51 from partially hardening. As a result, the lower surface of the substrate W can be uniformly cleaned by the lower-surface brush 51.

[0033] The gas ejection unit 53 is a slit-shaped gas injection nozzle having a gas ejection port extending in one direction. The gas ejection unit 53 is attached to the upper surface 54u of the lifting support unit 54 so that it is located between the lower surface brush 51 and the suction holding unit 21 in a plan view and has its gas ejection port facing upward. A jet gas supply unit 58 (FIG. 3) is connected to the gas ejection unit 53. The jet gas supply unit 58 supplies gas to the gas ejection unit 53. In this embodiment, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is used as the gas supplied to the gas ejection unit 53. The gas ejection unit 53 ejects gas supplied from the jet gas supply unit 58 onto the lower surface of the substrate W when the lower surface brush 51 cleans the substrate W and when drying the lower surface of the substrate W, which will be described later. In this case, a band-shaped gas curtain extending in the X direction is formed between the lower surface brush 51 and the suction holding unit 21.

[0034] The lower surface brush rotation drive unit 55a includes a motor, and rotates the lower surface brush 51 when the lower surface brush 51 cleans the substrate W. The lower surface brush lift drive unit 55b includes a stepping motor or an air cylinder, and lifts and lowers the lift support unit 54 relative to the moving support unit 55. The lower surface brush movement drive unit 55c includes a motor, and moves the moving support unit 55 in the Y direction on the movable base 32. Here, the position of the lower holding device 20 on the movable base 32 is fixed. Therefore, when the lower surface brush movement drive unit 55c moves the moving support unit 55 in the Y direction, the moving support unit 55 moves relative to the lower holding device 20. In the following description, the position of the lower surface cleaning device 50 when it is closest to the lower holding device 20 on the movable base 32 is referred to as the approach position, and the position of the lower surface cleaning device 50 when it is farthest from the lower holding device 20 on the movable base 32 is referred to as the separated position.

[0035] A cup device 60 is further provided in the center of the bottom surface portion 2a. The cup device 60 includes a cup 61 and a cup drive unit 62. The cup 61 is provided so as to surround the lower holding device 20 and the pedestal device 30 in a plan view and is capable of being raised and lowered. In FIG. 2, the cup 61 is indicated by a dotted line. The cup drive unit 62 moves the cup 61 between a lower cup position and an upper cup position depending on which portion of the underside of the substrate W is to be cleaned by the lower surface brush 51. The lower cup position is a height position where the upper end of the cup 61 is below the substrate W that is sucked and held by the suction holding unit 21. The upper cup position is a height position where the upper end of the cup 61 is above the suction holding unit 21.

[0036] A pair of upper holding devices 10A, 10B are provided at a height position above cup 61 so as to face each other across base device 30 in a plan view. Upper holding device 10A includes a lower chuck 11A, an upper chuck 12A, a lower chuck driving unit 13A, and an upper chuck driving unit 14A. Upper holding device 10B includes a lower chuck 11B, an upper chuck 12B, a lower chuck driving unit 13B, and an upper chuck driving unit 14B.

[0037] The lower chucks 11A and 11B are disposed symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane extending in the Y direction (front-rear direction) through the center of the suction holding unit 21 in a plan view, and are provided so as 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 peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate W from below the substrate W. The lower chuck driving units 13A and 13B move the lower chucks 11A and 11B so that the lower chucks 11A and 11B approach each other or move away from each other.

[0038] Like the lower chucks 11A and 11B, the upper chucks 12A and 12B are disposed symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane extending in the Y direction (front-rear direction) through the center of the suction holding unit 21 in a plan view, and are provided so as to be movable in the X direction within a common horizontal plane. Each of the upper chucks 12A and 12B has two holding pieces configured to abut against two portions of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W and to be able to hold the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. The upper chuck driving units 14A and 14B move the upper chucks 12A and 12B so that the upper chucks 12A and 12B approach each other or move away from each other.

[0039] 1, an upper surface cleaning device 70 is provided on one side of the cup 61 so as to be located near the upper holding device 10B in a plan view. The upper surface cleaning device 70 includes a rotary support shaft 71, an arm 72, a spray nozzle 73, and an upper surface cleaning drive unit 74.

[0040] The rotation support shaft 71 is supported on the bottom surface portion 2a by an upper surface cleaning drive unit 74 so as to extend in the vertical direction and to be movable up and down and rotatable. As shown in Fig. 2, the arm 72 is provided at a position above the upper holding device 10B and extends horizontally from the upper end of the rotation support shaft 71. A spray nozzle 73 is attached to the tip of the arm 72.

[0041] An upper surface cleaning fluid supply unit 75 (FIG. 3) is connected to the spray nozzle 73. The upper surface cleaning fluid supply unit 75 supplies a cleaning liquid and a gas to the spray nozzle 73. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid supplied to the spray nozzle 73, and an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is used as the gas supplied to the spray nozzle 73. When cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, the spray nozzle 73 mixes the cleaning liquid and the gas supplied from the upper surface cleaning fluid supply unit 75 to generate a mixed fluid, and sprays the generated mixed fluid downward.

[0042] The upper surface cleaning drive unit 74 includes one or more pulse motors, air cylinders, etc., and raises and lowers the rotary support shaft 71 and rotates the rotary support shaft 71. According to the above configuration, by moving the spray nozzle 73 in an arc over the upper surface of the substrate W that is suction-held and rotated by the suction holding unit 21, it is possible to clean the entire upper surface of the substrate W.

[0043] 1, an edge cleaning device 80 is provided on the other side of cup 61 so as to be located near upper holding device 10A in a plan view. Edge cleaning device 80 includes a rotary support shaft 81, an arm 82, a bevel brush 83, and a bevel brush driving unit 84.

[0044] The rotation support shaft 81 is supported by a bevel brush drive unit 84 on the bottom surface portion 2a so as to extend in the vertical direction and to be movable up and down and rotatable. As shown in Fig. 2, the arm 82 is provided at a position above the upper holding device 10A and extends horizontally from the upper end of the rotation support shaft 81. A bevel brush 83 is provided at the tip of the arm 82 so as to protrude downward and to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0045] The upper half of the bevel brush 83 has an inverted truncated cone shape, and the lower half has a truncated cone shape. With this bevel brush 83, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W can be cleaned at the central portion in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral surface.

[0046] The bevel brush driving unit 84 includes one or more pulse motors, air cylinders, etc., and raises and lowers the rotary support shaft 81 and rotates the rotary support shaft 81. According to the above configuration, by bringing the central portion of the outer circumferential surface of the bevel brush 83 into contact with the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W that is being sucked and held by the sucking and holding unit 21 and rotated, the entire outer circumferential edge of the substrate W can be cleaned.

[0047] Here, the bevel brush driving unit 84 further includes a motor built into the arm 82. The motor rotates the bevel brush 83 provided at the tip of the arm 82 around an axis extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, when cleaning the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W, the rotation of the bevel brush 83 improves the cleaning power of the bevel brush 83 at the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W.

[0048] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of substrate cleaning apparatus 1. Control device 9 in Figure 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device. The RAM is used as a working area for the CPU. The ROM stores a system program. The storage device stores a control program.

[0049] 3, the control device 9 includes, as functional units, a chuck control unit 9A, a suction control unit 9B, a base control unit 9C, a delivery control unit 9D, a lower surface cleaning control unit 9E, a cup control unit 9F, an upper surface cleaning control unit 9G, a bevel cleaning control unit 9H, and a carry-in / carry-out control unit 91. The functional units of the control device 9 are realized by a CPU executing, on a RAM, a substrate cleaning program stored in a storage device. Some or all of the functional units of the control device 9 may be realized by hardware such as electronic circuits.

[0050] The chuck control unit 9A receives the substrate W carried into the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 and controls the lower chuck driving units 13A, 13B and the upper chuck driving units 14A, 14B to hold the substrate W at a position above the suction holding unit 21. The suction control unit 9B controls the suction holding driving unit 22 to suction-hold the substrate W by the suction holding unit 21 and rotate the suction-held substrate W.

[0051] The pedestal control unit 9C controls the pedestal drive unit 33 to move the movable pedestal 32 relative to the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B. The delivery control unit 9D controls the pin lift drive unit 43 to move the substrate W between the height position of the substrate W held by the upper holding devices 10A and 10B and the height position of the substrate W held by the suction holder 21.

[0052] The lower surface cleaning control unit 9E controls the lower surface brush rotation drive unit 55a, the lower surface brush up / down drive unit 55b, the lower surface brush movement drive unit 55c, the lower surface cleaning liquid supply unit 56, and the jet gas supply unit 58 in order to clean the lower surface of the substrate W. The lower surface cleaning control unit 9E also controls the brush cleaning liquid supply unit 57 in order to clean the lower surface brush 51. The cup control unit 9F controls the cup drive unit 62 in order to use a cup 61 to catch the cleaning liquid splashed from the substrate W when the substrate W sucked and held by the suction holding unit 21 is cleaned.

[0053] The upper surface cleaning control unit 9G controls the upper surface cleaning drive unit 74 and the upper surface cleaning fluid supply unit 75 to clean the upper surface of the substrate W sucked and held by the suction holder 21. The bevel cleaning control unit 9H controls the bevel brush drive unit 84 to clean the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W sucked and held by the suction holder 21. The loading / unloading control unit 9I controls the shutter drive unit 92 to open and close the loading / unloading opening 2x of the unit housing 2 when the substrate W is loaded into and unloaded from the substrate cleaning apparatus 1.

[0054] (2) Outline of operation of substrate cleaning equipment 4 to 15 are schematic diagrams illustrating the overall operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. In each of FIGS. 4 to 15, a plan view of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 is shown in the upper part. The middle part shows a side view of the lower holding device 20 and its surroundings as viewed along the Y direction, and the lower part shows a side view of the lower holding device 20 and its surroundings as viewed along the X direction. The side view in the middle part corresponds to the side view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the side view in the lower part corresponds to the side view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. To facilitate understanding of the shapes and operating states of each component of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1, the scale of some components is different between the plan view in the upper part and the side views in the middle and lower parts. In addition, in FIGS. 4 to 15, the cup 61 is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the outline of the substrate W is indicated by a thick dashed line.

[0055] In an initial state before the substrate W is loaded into the substrate cleaning apparatus 1, the shutter 91 of the opening / closing device 90 closes the loading / unloading opening 2x. As shown in Fig. 1 , the lower chucks 11A and 11B are maintained in a state where the distance between them is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The upper chucks 12A and 12B are also maintained in a state where the distance between them is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the substrate W.

[0056] Furthermore, the movable pedestal 32 of the pedestal device 30 is positioned so that the center of the suction holding part 21 is located at the center of the cup 61 in a plan view. The lower surface cleaning device 50 is positioned at the approach position on the movable pedestal 32. The lifting support part 54 of the lower surface cleaning device 50 is positioned so that the cleaning surface (upper end) of the lower surface brush 51 is lower than the suction holding part 21. The position of the lower surface brush 51 in this initial state is called the standby position. When the substrate W is held by the suction holding part 21, the standby position is below the substrate W.

[0057] In addition, in the delivery device 40, the multiple support pins 41 are positioned below the suction holding unit 21. Furthermore, in the cup device 60, the cup 61 is in the lower cup position. In the following explanation, the center position of the cup 61 in a planar view is referred to as the planar reference position rp. In addition, the position of the movable base 32 on the bottom surface portion 2a when the center of the suction holding unit 21 is at the planar reference position rp in a planar view is referred to as the first horizontal position.

[0058] A substrate W is loaded into the unit housing 2 of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1. Specifically, the shutter 91 opens the loading / unloading opening 2x immediately before the substrate W is loaded. Thereafter, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a1 in Fig. 4, a hand (substrate holding part) RH of a substrate transport robot (not shown) loads the substrate W through the loading / unloading opening 2x into a position approximately in the center of the unit housing 2. At this time, the substrate W held by the hand RH is positioned between the lower chuck 11A and upper chuck 12A and the lower chuck 11B and upper chuck 12B, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0059] Next, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a2 in Fig. 5, the lower chucks 11A and 11B approach each other so that the support pieces of the lower chucks 11A and 11B are positioned below the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate W. In this state, the hand RH descends and exits through the loading / unloading opening 2x. As a result, multiple portions of the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate W held by the hand RH are supported by the support pieces of the lower chucks 11A and 11B. After the hand RH exits, the shutter 91 closes the loading / unloading opening 2x.

[0060] Next, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a3 in Fig. 6, the upper chucks 12A and 12B approach each other so that the holding pieces of the upper chucks 12A and 12B come into contact with the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. As the holding pieces of the upper chucks 12A and 12B come into contact with multiple portions of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W, the substrate W supported by the lower chucks 11A and 11B is further held by the upper chucks 12A and 12B. Furthermore, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a4 in Fig. 6, the suction holder 21 is shifted a predetermined distance from the planar reference position rp and the movable base 32 moves forward from the first horizontal position so that the center of the lower surface brush 51 is positioned at the planar reference position rp. At this time, the position of the movable base 32 located above the bottom surface portion 2a is referred to as the second horizontal position.

[0061] Next, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a5 in Fig. 7, the lifting support part 54 rises so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 in the standby position comes into contact with the central region of the lower surface of the substrate W. The position of the lower surface brush 51 at this time is called the processing position. Also, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a6 in Fig. 7, the lower surface brush 51 rotates (spins) around an axis in the vertical direction. As a result, contaminants adhering to the central region of the lower surface of the substrate W are physically peeled off by the lower surface brush 51.

[0062] The lower part of FIG. 7 shows an enlarged side view of the portion where the lower-surface brush 51 contacts the underside of the substrate W in a bubble. As shown in the bubble, with the lower-surface brush 51 in contact with the substrate W, the liquid nozzle 52 and the gas ejection unit 53 are held in positions close to the underside of the substrate W. At this time, the liquid nozzle 52 ejects cleaning liquid toward the underside of the substrate W at a position near the lower-surface brush 51, as indicated by the outline arrow a51. As a result, the cleaning liquid supplied from the liquid nozzle 52 to the underside of the substrate W is guided to the contact portion between the lower-surface brush 51 and the substrate W, and contaminants removed from the back surface of the substrate W by the lower-surface brush 51 are washed away by the cleaning liquid. In this way, in the lower-surface cleaning device 50, the liquid nozzle 52 and the lower-surface brush 51 are attached to the lifting support unit 54. This allows the cleaning liquid to be efficiently supplied to the portion of the underside of the substrate W cleaned by the lower-surface brush 51. This reduces the amount of cleaning liquid consumed and suppresses excessive splashing of the cleaning liquid.

[0064] Here, the upper surface 54u of the lifting support member 54 is inclined obliquely downward in a direction away from the suction holder 21. In this case, when the cleaning liquid containing contaminants falls from the lower surface of the substrate W onto the lifting support member 54, the cleaning liquid received by the upper surface 54u is guided in a direction away from the suction holder 21.

[0065] Furthermore, when the lower surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the lower surface brush 51, the gas ejection unit 53 ejects gas toward the lower surface of the substrate W at a position between the lower surface brush 51 and the suction holder 21, as indicated by the outlined arrow a52 in the blowout in FIG. 7 . In this embodiment, the gas ejection unit 53 is attached to the lifting support unit 54 so that its gas ejection port extends in the X direction. In this case, when gas is ejected from the gas ejection unit 53 toward the lower surface of the substrate W, a band-shaped gas curtain extending in the X direction is formed between the lower surface brush 51 and the suction holder 21. This prevents the cleaning liquid containing contaminants from splashing toward the suction holder 21 when the lower surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the lower surface brush 51. Therefore, when the lower surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the lower surface brush 51, the cleaning liquid containing contaminants is prevented from adhering to the suction holder 21, and the suction surface of the suction holder 21 is kept clean.

[0066] 7, the gas jetting part 53 jets gas obliquely upward from the gas jetting part 53 toward the lower surface brush 51 as shown by the outline arrow a52, but the present invention is not limited to this. The gas jetting part 53 may jet gas from the gas jetting part 53 toward the lower surface of the substrate W along the Z direction.

[0067] 7, when cleaning of the central region of the lower surface of the substrate W is completed, the rotation of the lower surface brush 51 is stopped, and the lifting support part 54 is lowered so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 is spaced a predetermined distance from the substrate W. In addition, the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the liquid nozzle 52 onto the substrate W is stopped. At this time, the spray of gas from the gas ejection part 53 onto the substrate W continues.

[0068] 8, the movable base 32 moves backward so that the suction holder 21 is positioned at the planar reference position rp. That is, the movable base 32 moves from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position. At this time, the gas ejection unit 53 continues to eject gas onto the substrate W, so that the central region of the lower surface of the substrate W is gradually dried by the gas curtain.

[0069] Next, as shown by a thick solid arrow a8 in Fig. 9, the lifting support part 54 descends so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 is positioned below the suction surface (upper end) of the suction holding part 21. This causes the lower surface brush 51 to move to the standby position. Furthermore, as shown by a thick solid arrow a9 in Fig. 9, the upper chucks 12A and 12B move away from each other so that the multiple holding pieces of the upper chucks 12A and 12B move away from the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W. At this time, the substrate W is supported by the lower chucks 11A and 11B.

[0070] 9, the pin connecting member 42 is raised so that the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41 are positioned slightly above the lower chucks 11A and 11B. As a result, the substrate W supported by the lower chucks 11A and 11B is received by the plurality of support pins 41.

[0071] Next, the lower chucks 11A and 11B move away from each other as indicated by the thick solid arrow a11 in Fig. 10. At this time, the lower chucks 11A and 11B move to positions where they do not overlap the substrate W supported by the multiple support pins 41 in a plan view. As a result, both the upper holding devices 10A and 10B return to their initial states.

[0072] 11, the pin connecting member 42 is lowered so that the upper ends of the plurality of support pins 41 are positioned below the suction holder 21. As a result, the substrate W supported on the plurality of support pins 41 is received by the suction holder 21. In this state, the suction holder 21 suction-holds the central region of the underside of the substrate W. Simultaneously with the descent of the pin connecting member 42 or after the descent of the pin connecting member 42 is completed, the cup 61 is raised from the lower cup position to the upper cup position as shown by the thick solid arrow a13 in FIG.

[0073] 12, the suction holding part 21 rotates around the vertical axis (the axis of the rotation axis of the suction holding drive part 22), thereby rotating the substrate W suction-held by the suction holding part 21 in a horizontal position.

[0074] Next, the rotary support shaft 71 of the upper surface cleaning device 70 rotates and descends. As a result, the spray nozzle 73 moves to a position above the substrate W, as shown by a thick solid arrow a15 in FIG. 12, and descends so that the distance between the spray nozzle 73 and the substrate W becomes a predetermined distance. In this state, the spray nozzle 73 sprays a mixed fluid of a cleaning liquid and a gas onto the upper surface of the substrate W. The rotary support shaft 71 also rotates. As a result, the spray nozzle 73 moves to a position above the rotating substrate W, as shown by a thick solid arrow a16 in FIG. The mixed fluid is sprayed onto the entire upper surface of the substrate W, thereby cleaning the entire upper surface of the substrate W.

[0075] Furthermore, when the upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the spray nozzle 73, the rotary support shaft 81 of the edge cleaning device 80 also rotates and descends. As a result, the bevel brush 83 moves to a position above the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a17 in FIG. 12 . The central portion of the outer circumferential surface of the bevel brush 83 descends so as to come into contact with the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W. In this state, the bevel brush 83 rotates (spins) around its vertical axis. As a result, contaminants adhering to the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W are physically peeled off by the bevel brush 83. The contaminants peeled off from the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W are washed away by the cleaning liquid of the mixed fluid sprayed onto the substrate W from the spray nozzle 73.

[0076] Furthermore, when the upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the spray nozzle 73, the lifting support part 54 is raised so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 in the standby position comes into contact with the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W. This causes the lower surface brush 51 to move to the processing position. Also, as shown by the thick solid arrow a18 in FIG. 12, the lower surface brush 51 rotates (spins) around an axis extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the liquid nozzle 52 ejects cleaning liquid toward the lower surface of the substrate W, and the gas ejection part 53 sprays gas toward the lower surface of the substrate W. This allows the lower surface brush 51 to clean the entire outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W that is being sucked and held by the suction holding part 21 and rotated.

[0077] The rotation direction of the lower surface brush 51 may be opposite to the rotation direction of the suction holding unit 21. In this case, the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W can be efficiently cleaned. If the lower surface brush 51 is not relatively large, the moving support unit 55 may be moved forward and backward between the close position and the separated position on the movable base 32, as shown by the thick solid arrow a19 in Fig. 12. Even in this case, the entire outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W that is rotated while being sucked and held by the suction holding unit 21 can be cleaned by the lower surface brush 51.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W using the spray nozzle 73 takes a relatively long time, whereas cleaning the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W using the relatively large lower surface brush 51 can be completed in a relatively short time. Therefore, during the cleaning period of the upper surface of the substrate W, cleaning of the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W with the lower surface brush 51 is alternately performed with cleaning of the lower surface brush 51 using the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b in Figure 1. Details of the cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 in Figure 12 will be described later.

[0079] Next, when cleaning of the upper surface, outer peripheral edge, and outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W is completed, spraying of the mixed fluid from the spray nozzle 73 to the substrate W is stopped. Also, as shown by the thick solid arrow a20 in FIG. 13, the spray nozzle 73 moves to a position on one side of the cup 61 (initial state position). Also, as shown by the thick solid arrow a21 in FIG. 13, the bevel brush 83 moves to a position on the other side of the cup 61 (initial state position). Furthermore, the rotation of the lower surface brush 51 is stopped, and the lifting support part 54 is lowered so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 is spaced a predetermined distance from the substrate W. As a result, Bottom brush 51 moves to the standby position. Also, the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the liquid nozzle 52 onto the substrate W and the spray of the gas from the gas blowout part 53 onto the substrate W are stopped. In this state, the suction and holding part 21 rotates at high speed, so that the cleaning liquid adhering to the substrate W is shaken off, and the entire substrate W is dried.

[0080] Next, the cup 61 descends from the upper cup position to the lower cup position as shown by a thick solid arrow a22 in Fig. 14. Furthermore, in preparation for a new substrate W being carried into the unit housing 2, the lower chucks 11A and 11B approach each other to positions where they can support the new substrate W as shown by a thick solid arrow a23 in Fig. 14.

[0081] Finally, the substrate W is unloaded from the unit housing 2 of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1. Specifically, the shutter 91 opens the loading / unloading opening 2x just before the substrate W is unloaded. Thereafter, as indicated by the thick solid arrow a24 in FIG. 15, a hand (substrate holder) RH of a substrate transport robot (not shown) enters the unit housing 2 through the loading / unloading opening 2x. Next, the hand RH receives the substrate W on the suction holder 21 and exits through the loading / unloading opening 2x. After the hand RH exits, the shutter 91 closes the loading / unloading opening 2x.

[0082] (3) Cleaning operation of the bottom brush Figures 16 to 21 are schematic diagrams for explaining the overall operation of the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 in Figure 12. As shown in Figure 16, when cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W in Figure 12, the suction and holding part 21 rotates around the vertical axis while suction-holding the substrate W, and the spray nozzle 73 is moved above approximately the center of the substrate W. In this state, a mixed fluid of a cleaning liquid and a gas is sprayed from the spray nozzle 73 onto the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0083] 12 starts cleaning the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. At this time, the contamination level of the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W is 100%, and the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 is 0%. Here, the contamination level is an index showing the low level of cleanliness, and a high contamination level means a low level of cleanliness.

[0084] Next, as shown in Fig. 17, the spray nozzle 73 is moved outward above the rotating substrate W. This movement of the spray nozzle 73 continues until the spray nozzle 73 reaches above the outer periphery of the substrate W. Furthermore, the lower surface brush 51 is raised from the standby position to an upper processing position while rotating so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 comes into contact with the outer region of the underside of the substrate W. Furthermore, a cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzle 52 of Fig. 12 onto the underside of the substrate W. This cleans the outer region of the underside of the substrate W. When cleaning the outer region of the underside of the substrate W, gas is ejected from the gas ejection part 53 of Fig. 12 toward the underside of the substrate W.

[0085] 17, it is assumed that contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 60%, for example, are transferred to the lower surface brush 51. It is also assumed that, of the contaminants adhering to the substrate W, contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 20%, for example, are washed away by the cleaning liquid. In this case, the contamination level of the lower surface outer region of the substrate W decreases to 20%, and the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 increases to 60%.

[0086] 18, the lower surface brush 51 is lowered from the processing position to the standby position while rotating so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 is separated from the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W. Furthermore, at the standby position, cleaning liquid is discharged from the liquid nozzle 52a toward the center of the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51, and cleaning liquid is discharged from the liquid nozzle 52b toward the edge of the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51. This cleans the lower surface brush 51.

[0087] Since the lower surface brush 51 is located below the substrate W, the cleaning liquid discharged onto the lower surface brush 51 falls downward due to gravity. In this case, the cleaning liquid does not scatter around the lower surface brush 51, preventing it from adversely affecting the cleaning of the substrate W. In this example, the cleaning liquid discharged from the liquid nozzle 52a is supplied to the center of the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 from obliquely above in a parabolic shape. Ultrasonic cleaning may also be used to clean the lower surface brush 51.

[0088] 18, it is assumed that contaminants adhering to the lower surface brush 51, for example, contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 20%, are washed away by the cleaning liquid. In this case, the contamination level of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W remains at 20%, and the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 drops to 40%.

[0089] 19, the lower surface brush 51 is raised from the standby position to the upper processing position while rotating so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 comes into contact with the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby again cleaning the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W. The cleaning operation of the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W in FIG. 19 is the same as the cleaning operation of the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W in FIG.

[0090] 19, contaminants are transferred between the lower surface outer region of the substrate W and the lower surface brush 51. However, at this point in time, the degree of contamination of the lower surface brush 51 is greater than the degree of contamination of the lower surface outer region of the substrate W. Therefore, the amount of contaminants transferred from the lower surface brush 51 to the lower surface outer region of the substrate W is greater than the amount of contaminants transferred from the lower surface outer region of the substrate W to the lower surface brush 51. Therefore, essentially, the contaminants adhering to the lower surface brush 51 are transferred to the lower surface outer region of the substrate W.

[0091] Suppose that, of the contaminants adhering to the lower surface brush 51, contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 20% are transferred to the outer lower surface region of the substrate W. Also, suppose that contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 20% are washed away by the cleaning liquid. In this case, the contamination level of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W remains at 20%, and the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 decreases to 20%.

[0092] 20, the lower surface brush 51 is cleaned again by being lowered from the processing position to a lower standby position while rotating so that the cleaning surface of the lower surface brush 51 is separated from the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W. The cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 in FIG. 20 is the same as the cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 in FIG.

[0093] 20, it is assumed that contaminants adhering to the lower surface brush 51, for example, contaminants corresponding to a contamination level of 20%, are washed away by the cleaning liquid. In this case, the contamination level of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W remains at 20%, and the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 drops to 0%.

[0094] The cleaning operation of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W in Figure 19 and the cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 in Figure 20 are repeated. In this case, during the cleaning operation of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W, contaminants are transferred between the outer lower surface region of the substrate W and the lower surface brush 51. Here, the degree of contamination of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W is currently greater than the degree of contamination of the lower surface brush 51. Therefore, the contaminants adhering to the outer lower surface region of the substrate W are essentially transferred to the lower surface brush 51. As a result, the degree of contamination of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W decreases.

[0095] Furthermore, even if the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51 increases during the cleaning operation of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W, the subsequent cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 reduces the contamination level of the lower surface brush 51. Therefore, by repeating the cleaning operation of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W and the cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51, it is possible to reduce both the contamination levels of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W and the lower surface brush 51 to 0%. Furthermore, since the cleaning operation of the outer lower surface region of the substrate W and the cleaning operation of the lower surface brush 51 are repeated during the cleaning period of the upper surface of the substrate W, throughput does not decrease.

[0096] 21 , the spray nozzle 73 reaches above the outer periphery of the substrate W. The spray of the fluid mixture from the spray nozzle 73 onto the substrate W is stopped, thereby completing cleaning of the upper surface of the substrate W. Furthermore, the rotation of the lower surface brush 51 is stopped, and the lower surface brush 51 is moved to the standby position, thereby completing cleaning of the outer region of the lower surface of the substrate W and cleaning of the lower surface brush 51.

[0097] In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid used to clean the lower surface brush 51 is pure water, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The cleaning liquid used to clean the lower surface brush 51 may also be warm water, functional water, weak alkaline water, or a chemical liquid. When the cleaning liquid is a chemical liquid, the type of chemical liquid may be changed appropriately depending on the type of contaminant to be removed.

[0098] Furthermore, the liquid nozzles 52a and 52b stop discharging the cleaning liquid when the lower surface brush 51 is in the processing position, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The liquid nozzles 52a and 52b may also discharge the cleaning liquid when the lower surface brush 51 is in the processing position, i.e., while the outer lower surface region of the substrate W is being cleaned. In this case, the liquid nozzles 52a and 52b may also discharge the cleaning liquid when the lower surface brush 51 is in the processing position, i.e., while the outer lower surface region of the substrate W is being cleaned. cleaning solution Furthermore, the liquid nozzles 52a and 52b may also discharge the cleaning liquid while the lower surface brush 51 is moving up and down between the standby position and the processing position.

[0099] (4) Effects In the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the lower surface brush 51 rotates at the processing position and comes into contact with the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W. Bottom surface Even if the brush is contaminated, cleaning liquid is discharged from liquid nozzles 52a and 52b to the center and end portions of rotating lower surface brush 51 at the standby position. With this configuration, lower surface brush 51 can be cleaned entirely.

[0100] Furthermore, since the standby position of the lower surface brush 51 overlaps vertically with the substrate W held by the suction holder 21, the footprint hardly increases even if the lower surface brush 51 is relatively large. Therefore, by using a relatively large lower surface brush 51, it is possible to clean the underside of the substrate W in a short time. Therefore, even if a step of cleaning the lower surface brush 51 is provided, there is almost no change in throughput. This makes it possible to maintain the cleanliness of the lower surface brush 51 without reducing throughput.

[0101] Furthermore, the lower surface brush 51 is supported by a lifting support part 54, and each of the liquid nozzles 52a, 52b is attached to the lifting support part 54 so that the cleaning liquid outlet faces obliquely upward near the lower surface brush 51. In this case, the lower surface brush 51 can be easily cleaned without interfering with the cleaning of the underside of the substrate W by the lower surface brush 51. In particular, the liquid nozzle 52a ejects the cleaning liquid in a parabolic shape from obliquely upward so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center of the lower surface brush 51. This allows the center of the lower surface brush 51 to be easily cleaned without interfering with the cleaning of the underside of the substrate W by the lower surface brush 51.

[0102] (5) Other embodiments (a) In the above embodiment, after the upper holding devices 10A, 10B clean the central region of the underside of the substrate W, the lower holding device 20 cleans the outer region of the underside of the substrate W and cleans the lower surface brush 51, but the embodiment is not limited to this. After the lower holding device 20 cleans the outer region of the underside of the substrate W and cleans the lower surface brush 51, the upper holding devices 10A, 10B may clean the central region of the underside of the substrate W. Also, cleaning of the central region of the underside of the substrate W may not be performed. In this case, the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 does not include the upper holding devices 10A, 10B and the passing device 40.

[0103] (b) In the above embodiment, the upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned using the spray nozzle 73, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The upper surface of the substrate W may be cleaned using a brush or a rinse nozzle that ejects a rinse liquid. Also, the upper surface of the substrate W does not have to be cleaned. In this case, the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 does not include the upper surface cleaning apparatus 70. Similarly, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W does not have to be cleaned. In this case, the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 does not include the edge cleaning apparatus 80.

[0104] (c) In the above embodiment, substrate cleaning apparatus 1 includes control device 9, but the embodiment is not limited to this. If substrate cleaning apparatus 1 is configured to be controllable by an external information processing device, substrate cleaning apparatus 1 does not need to include control device 9.

[0105] (d) In the above embodiment, cleaning of the outer region of the underside of the substrate W at the processing position and cleaning of the lower surface brush 51 at the standby position are repeated multiple times, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Cleaning of the outer region of the underside of the substrate W at the processing position and cleaning of the lower surface brush 51 at the standby position do not have to be repeated.

[0106] (6) Correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment Below, examples of correspondence between each element of the claims and each element of the embodiments will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can also be used as each element of the claims.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the substrate W is an example of a substrate, the suction holding portion 21 is an example of a substrate holding portion, the lower surface brush 51 is an example of a lower surface brush, the liquid nozzles 52a and 52b are examples of the first and second liquid nozzles, respectively, the substrate cleaning apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate cleaning apparatus, and the lifting support portion 54 is an example of a support portion. (7) Reference form (7-1) The substrate cleaning apparatus according to this reference embodiment includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in a horizontal position, a lower surface brush that is configured to be movable between a processing position for cleaning the substrate and a standby position where it overlaps vertically with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and that rotates around a vertical axis and contacts the underside of the substrate at the processing position, a first liquid nozzle that ejects cleaning liquid onto the center of the lower surface brush at the standby position, and a second liquid nozzle that ejects cleaning liquid onto the end of the lower surface brush at the standby position. In this substrate cleaning apparatus, the lower-surface brush rotates at the processing position and comes into contact with the underside of the substrate, thereby cleaning the underside of the substrate. Even if the lower-surface brush becomes contaminated while cleaning the underside of the substrate, the first and second liquid nozzles eject cleaning liquid onto the center and end portions of the rotating lower-surface brush at the standby position. This configuration allows the entire lower-surface brush to be cleaned. Furthermore, because the standby position of the lower brush overlaps vertically with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the footprint hardly increases even if the lower brush is relatively large. Therefore, by using a relatively large lower brush, it is possible to clean the underside of the substrate in a short time. Therefore, even if a process for cleaning the lower brush is added, the throughput hardly changes. This allows the cleanliness of the lower brush to be maintained without reducing throughput. (7-2) The substrate cleaning apparatus may further include a support part that supports the lower-surface brush, and each of the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle may be attached to the support part so that the cleaning liquid outlet faces diagonally upward. In this case, the lower-surface brush can be easily cleaned without interfering with cleaning of the underside of the substrate by the lower-surface brush. (7-3) The first liquid nozzle may discharge the cleaning liquid so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center of the lower-surface brush from an obliquely upward direction in a parabolic curve. In this case, the cleaning of the underside of the substrate by the lower-surface brush is not hindered, and the center of the lower-surface brush can be easily cleaned. (7-4) The lower surface brush may be made of a fluororesin. In this case, the wettability of the lower surface brush is relatively low. This makes it less likely for the lower surface brush to become contaminated. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle respectively eject cleaning liquid onto the center and end portions of the lower surface brush, the lower surface brush is uniformly wetted even when the wettability of the lower surface brush is relatively low. This prevents the lower surface brush from partially hardening. As a result, the underside of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned. (7-5) The substrate holder and the lower brush may each have a circular outer shape, and the diameter of the lower brush may be larger than the diameter of the substrate holder. In this case, the lower brush is relatively large. Therefore, the underside of the substrate can be efficiently cleaned. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle eject cleaning liquid onto the center and end portions of the lower brush, respectively, the lower brush is uniformly wetted even when the lower brush is relatively large. This prevents the lower brush from partially hardening. As a result, the underside of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned. (7-6) The substrate and the lower-surface brush each may have a circular outer shape, and the diameter of the lower-surface brush may be larger than 1 / 3 of the diameter of the substrate. In this case, the lower-surface brush is relatively large. Therefore, the lower surface of the substrate can be efficiently cleaned. Furthermore, since the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle eject cleaning liquid to the center and end portions of the lower-surface brush, respectively, the lower-surface brush is uniformly wetted even if the lower-surface brush is relatively large. This prevents the lower-surface brush from partially hardening. As a result, the lower surface of the substrate can be uniformly cleaned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1...substrate cleaning apparatus, 2...unit housing, 2a...bottom surface portion, 2b to 2e...side wall portions, 2x...loading / unloading port, 9...control device, 9A...chuck control unit, 9B...suction control unit, 9C...pedestal control unit, 9D...delivery control unit, 9E...lower surface cleaning control unit, 9F...cup control unit, 9G...upper surface cleaning control unit, 9H...bevel cleaning control unit, 9I...loading / unloading control unit, 10A, 10B...upper holding device, 11 A, 11B... lower chuck, 12A, 12B... upper chuck, 13A, 13B... lower chuck drive unit, 14A, 14B... upper chuck drive unit, 20... lower holding device, 21... suction holding unit, 22... suction holding drive unit, 30... base device, 31... linear guide, 32... movable base, 33... base drive unit, 40... transfer device, 41... support pin, 42... pin connecting member, 43... pin lifting drive unit 50...underside cleaning device, 51...underside brush, 52, 52a, 52b...liquid nozzle, 53...gas ejection section, 54...lifting support section, 54u...upper surface, 55...movement support section, 55a...underside brush rotation drive section, 55b...underside brush lifting drive section, 55c...underside brush movement drive section, 56...underside cleaning liquid supply section, 57...brush cleaning liquid supply section, 58...jet gas supply section, 60...cup device, 61... Cup, 62...cup drive unit, 70...upper surface cleaning device, 71, 81...rotating support shaft, 72, 82...arm, 73...spray nozzle, 74...upper surface cleaning drive unit, 75...upper surface cleaning fluid supply unit, 80...edge cleaning device, 83...bevel brush, 84...bevel brush drive unit, 90...opening / closing device, 91...shutter, 92...shutter drive unit, RH...hand, rp...plane reference position, W...substrate

Claims

1. a substrate holder that holds the substrate in a horizontal position; a lower surface brush that is movable between a processing position for cleaning the substrate and a standby position where the brush is vertically overlapped with the substrate held by the substrate holder and that is rotatable about a vertical axis, and that cleans the lower surface of the substrate by contacting the lower surface of the substrate at the processing position; a first liquid nozzle that, at the standby position, ejects cleaning liquid onto a center portion of the lower surface brush; a second liquid nozzle that discharges cleaning liquid onto an end of the lower surface brush at the standby position; a support portion for supporting the lower surface brush, each of the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle is attached to the support; The substrate cleaning device, wherein the first liquid nozzle discharges the cleaning liquid in a parabolic shape from obliquely above so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to a center portion of the lower surface brush.

2. A substrate cleaning apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein each of the first liquid nozzle and the second liquid nozzle is attached to the support part so that the cleaning liquid outlet faces diagonally upward.

3. 3. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lower surface brush is made of a fluorine-based resin.

4. each of the substrate holding portion and the lower surface brush has a circular outer shape; 4. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the lower surface brush is larger than the diameter of the substrate holder.

5. The substrate and the lower brush each have a circular outer shape; 4. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the lower brush is greater than one-third of the diameter of the substrate.

6. Further comprising an upper surface cleaning device for cleaning an upper surface of the substrate, 2. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cleaning of the substrate by the lower surface brush and cleaning of the lower surface brush are alternately performed during a period in which the upper surface of the substrate is cleaned.

7. Further comprising a brush for cleaning the upper surface of the substrate; 2. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cleaning of the substrate by the lower surface brush and cleaning of the lower surface brush are alternately performed during a period in which the upper surface of the substrate is cleaned.

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