Substrate cleaning apparatus and inversion apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate cleaning apparatus and an inverting device thereof. The substrate inverting device includes a tank, a lifting mechanism, and an inverting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is disposed on one side of the tank and configured to receive the substrate and drive it to lift and lower. The inverting mechanism is disposed in the tank and is used to invert the substrate and configured to move between a substrate receiving position and a substrate unloading position relative to the lifting mechanism. The substrate receiving position is a position where the inverting mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism, and the substrate unloading position is a position where the substrate is unloaded from the inverting mechanism. In the present invention, a plurality of substrates that have completed the tank cleaning can be transported to the lifting mechanism in one step, and are quickly transported to a process manipulator in several steps by the inverting mechanism. This can not only improve the efficiency of the substrate cleaning apparatus by shortening the residence time of the substrates that have completed the tank cleaning in the substrate cleaning tank, but also improve the transport speed of the substrate inverting device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and particularly to a substrate cleaning apparatus and its inversion apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In substrate cleaning processes, in consideration of cleaning efficiency and effect, usually, batch cleaning processes and single-substrate cleaning processes are combined.

[0003] A substrate cleaning apparatus has a plurality of substrate cleaning tanks, a plurality of single-substrate cleaning chambers, an inversion apparatus, and a plurality of manipulators. The plurality of manipulators includes a first manipulator, a second manipulator, and a process manipulator. The first manipulator is responsible for transporting substrates to the plurality of substrate cleaning tanks. The second manipulator is responsible for taking substrates out of the substrate cleaning tanks and transporting them to the inversion apparatus. The process manipulator is responsible for taking substrates out of the inversion apparatus and transporting them to the single-substrate cleaning chambers.

[0004] The plurality of substrate cleaning tanks are configured to batch-process a plurality of vertically arranged substrates. The single-substrate cleaning chambers are configured to process horizontally arranged substrates one by one at a time. The inversion apparatus is configured to rotate a substrate that has completed tank cleaning in the substrate cleaning tank from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, making it easier for the process manipulator to horizontally transport the substrate to the single-substrate cleaning chamber.

[0005] Based on factors such as cost and transfer stability, usually, the process manipulator is provided with two robot arms for transporting two substrates at a time. Inside the inversion apparatus, a plurality of substrates are exposed to air, and contaminants such as airborne particulate matter are likely to adhere to the substrate surfaces. To minimize the waiting time for multiple substrates in the inversion device, the number of substrates the inversion device inverts at one time does not exceed the number of substrates retrieved by the process manipulator. In other words, the inversion device inverts one or two substrates at a time. Therefore, by having the second manipulator remove one or two substrates at a time from the substrate cleaning tank and place them in the inversion device, multiple substrates transported to the inversion device by the second manipulator can be transported to a single substrate cleaning chamber by the process manipulator in a timely manner. However, the substrate cleaning tank is a batch processing facility, processing seven, thirteen, twenty-five, or more substrates at a time. Therefore, after the cleaning of one batch of substrates is completed in the substrate cleaning tank, it is necessary to repeatedly remove multiple substrates using a second manipulator, invert them using an inversion device, and transport the multiple substrates using a process manipulator, so that multiple substrates from one batch can be transported to multiple single substrate cleaning chambers. When multiple circuit boards occupy a circuit board cleaning tank for extended periods, the efficiency of transporting the boards decreases, affecting the output of the circuit board cleaning equipment per unit time. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to provide a substrate inversion device. This substrate inversion device can solve the problem that conventional substrate inversion devices have low substrate transport efficiency, which affects the output of the substrate cleaning device per unit time. Furthermore, the substrate inversion device ensures that the substrate is reliably kept in a moist state, thereby suppressing the adhesion of contaminants such as fine particles.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a substrate inversion apparatus. This substrate inversion apparatus is A tank for holding liquid, tank Lateral A lifting mechanism is positioned to receive the circuit board and move it up and down to immerse the circuit board in the liquid in the tank or to lift it out of the tank, The inversion mechanism is positioned in a tank for inverting a substrate and is configured to move between a substrate receiving position and a substrate removal position relative to a lifting mechanism, wherein the substrate receiving position is the position in which the inversion mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism, and the substrate removal position is the position in which the substrate is removed from the inversion mechanism.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus that improves the transport efficiency and output per unit time of the substrate cleaning apparatus. To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a substrate inversion apparatus. This substrate inversion apparatus is A tank cleaning module comprising a first inversion device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, at least one manipulator, and a second inversion device, wherein the at least one substrate cleaning tank is used to perform a tank cleaning process on a substrate, the first inversion device is used to invert the substrate from a horizontal to a vertical direction, the at least one manipulator is responsible for vertically transporting the substrate to the first inversion device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, and the second inversion device, and the second inversion device is used to invert the substrate, after tank cleaning is complete, from a vertical to a horizontal direction. A single-substrate cleaning module comprising at least one single-substrate cleaning chamber for performing single-substrate cleaning and drying processes on a substrate, and The system includes a process manipulator that removes the substrate from the second inversion device and horizontally transports the substrate to at least one single substrate cleaning chamber of a single substrate cleaning module, The present invention provides a substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that the second inversion device employs a substrate inversion device according to any of the above.

[0009] In this invention, multiple substrates after tank cleaning are transported to the lifting mechanism at once, thereby shortening the residence time of multiple substrates in the substrate cleaning tank and improving the output of the substrate cleaning apparatus.

[0010] Furthermore, the inversion mechanism is configured not only to rotate the substrate from vertical to horizontal, but also to move parallel to the lifting mechanism. By moving back and forth at the substrate receiving and unremoving positions, it is configured to quickly transport multiple substrates from the lifting mechanism to the process manipulator in just a few steps. This is advantageous for improving the transport speed of the substrate inversion device.

[0011] Furthermore, when the inversion mechanism transports multiple substrates to the process manipulator, the multiple substrates that were remaining in the lifting mechanism can be lowered and immersed in the tank along with the lifting mechanism, keeping them in a moist state. This reduces the exposure time of the substrates to the air and prevents contaminants such as airborne particles from contaminating the substrate surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a substrate inversion apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a magnified view of section A in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a magnified view of section B in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the housing of the inversion mechanism is hidden. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the reversing mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the housing of the reversing mechanism is hidden. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the reversal mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the reversal mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, from yet another viewpoint. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a substrate holder according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holder in the X direction of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a partially enlarged view of part C in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the state where the manipulator places the substrate on the support base when the substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is in the initial state. [Figure 14] Figures 14(a) to 14(h) show the operation flow of transporting the substrate to the process manipulator by the substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the substrate holder first receives the substrate from the support base. [Figure 15] Figures 15(a) to 15(h) show the operation flow of transporting the substrate to the process manipulator by the substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the substrate holder receives the substrate from the support base for the second time. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a plan view of the substrate cleaning device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0013] In order to explain in detail the technical content, structural features, achieved objects and effects of the present invention, the following will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and drawings.

[0014] First Embodiment Figures 1 to 12 disclose a substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The substrate inversion device is arranged between the tank cleaning module and the single substrate cleaning module in order to invert the vertically oriented substrate to the horizontal direction, thereby facilitating the process manipulator to horizontally transport the substrate to the single substrate cleaning module. Figure 1 shows a structural diagram of the substrate inversion device in the present embodiment. The substrate inversion device mainly includes a tank 10, a lifting mechanism 20, and an inversion mechanism 30.

[0015] The tank 10 is used to hold liquid. The lifting mechanism 20 is located in the tank 10. Lateral It is provided in a position where it receives the substrate and drives it up and down, thereby immersing the substrate in the liquid in the tank 10 or lifting it out of the tank 10. The inversion mechanism 30 is positioned in the tank 10 to invert the substrate. The reversing mechanism 30 is preferably located at the top of the tank 10. The inversion mechanism 30 is configured to move between a substrate receiving position and a substrate removal position relative to the lifting mechanism 20. The substrate receiving position is the position where the inversion mechanism 30 receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism 20, and the substrate removal position is the position where the substrate is removed from the inversion mechanism 30.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the upper opening of the tank 10 is generally square. It also includes a first side wall 10a and a second side wall 10b, and a third side wall 10c and a fourth side wall 10d, which are arranged opposite each other. Tank 10 is used to hold liquids such as deionized water or carbon dioxide-deionized water.

[0017] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the tank. As shown in Figure 2, the tank 10 has an inner tank 101, an outer tank 102, and a liquid supply line 103. Liquid is supplied to the inner tank 101 through the liquid supply line 103. The inner tank 101 is located inside the outer tank 102. The upper edge of the inner tank 101 is lower than the upper edge of the outer tank 102, allowing the liquid in the inner tank 101 to overflow into the outer tank 102 from the upper edge of the inner tank 101. Furthermore, a first liquid discharge pipe 1011, which is connected to the outer tank 102, is provided at the bottom of the inner tank 101. A second liquid discharge pipeline 1021, connected to the equipment liquid discharge system, is provided at the bottom of the outer tank 102. The liquid in the inner tank 101 can be quickly discharged through the first liquid discharge pipe 1011 and the second liquid discharge pipe 1021.

[0018] To ensure the cleanliness of the internal area of ​​the tank 10, the tank 10 is further provided with an exhaust port. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, an exhaust port 104 is provided on the outer tank 102. This exhaust port 104 is connected to the equipment exhaust system and continuously discharges air from the internal region of the tank 10. Since tank 10 contains a liquid such as deionized water, there is a possibility that water mist exists in the internal region of tank 10. When water mist is drawn into the equipment exhaust system, it can cause damage to the pipes and fans in the equipment exhaust system. To solve this problem, the exhaust port 104 has a two-layer structure as shown in Figure 3, and has a first exhaust plate 1041 and a second exhaust plate 1042. A cavity is formed between the first exhaust plate 1041 and the second exhaust plate 1042, and multiple exhaust holes 1043 are provided in a staggered pattern on both the first and second exhaust plates 1041 and 1042. This plays a certain role in blocking water mist from the air, and can suppress water mist being drawn into the exhaust system.

[0019] Figure 4 shows the structure of the lifting mechanism. As shown in Figure 4, the lifting mechanism 20 includes a support base 201, a support rod 202, and a first drive assembly 203. Support stand 20 1 is Used to receive the circuit board, end It is fixed to the support rod 202. The first drive assembly 203 drives the support base 201 up and down via the support rod 202, thereby immersing the support base 201 in the liquid in the tank 10 or lifting it out of the tank 10. In the first embodiment, the first drive assembly 203 includes a drive motor and a lead screw. The drive motor drives the support base 201 up and down via the lead screw and a support rod 202. In other embodiments, the first drive assembly 203 can of course also use other linear transmission mechanisms such as a linear motor.

[0020] The support stand 201 is used to receive multiple circuit boards being transported from the manipulator. Typically, the support stand 201 can receive seven, thirteen, or twenty-five circuit boards. When the first drive assembly 203 drives the support base 201 and lowers it into the tank 10, the substrate placed on the support base 201 is immersed in the liquid such as deionized water in the tank 10, and the surface of the substrate is reliably made wet.

[0021] The lifting mechanism 20 is further provided with a fine-tuning assembly. Through this, the installation positions of the lifting mechanism 20 and the support base 201 can be finely adjusted so that the support base 201 faces the substrate placement position, enabling the support base 201 to accurately receive multiple substrates transported by the manipulator. The board placement position is the position where the support base 201 receives the board from the manipulator. According to Figure 4, the fine-tuning assembly may have a first fine-tuning assembly 204 and / or a second fine-tuning assembly 205. The lifting mechanism 20 is integrally attached to the mounting plate 40 by the first fine adjustment assembly 204, and the mounting position of the lifting mechanism 20 in the first direction is adjusted so that the support base 201 faces the substrate placement position. The mounting plate 40 may be positioned parallel to the side wall of the tank 10. The support base 201 is attached to the support rod 202 by the second fine adjustment assembly 205, and the mounting position of the support base 201 in the second direction is adjusted so that the support base 201 faces the substrate placement position.

[0022] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the fine-tuning assembly includes a first fine-tuning assembly 204 and a second fine-tuning assembly 205. The mounting plate 40 is positioned parallel to the outside of the first side wall 10a of the tank 10. The first and second directions are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane. Specifically, the first direction is the horizontal X direction, and the second direction is the horizontal Y direction. According to Figures 4 and 5, the first fine adjustment assembly 204 is positioned on the mounting plate 40. It also includes a lateral guide rail 2041, a slider 2042, a first fastener 2043, and a fine adjustment set screw 2044. The lateral guide rail 2041 is positioned on the mounting plate 40 along the horizontal X direction. The lifting mechanism 20 is mounted on a lateral guide rail 2041 so that it can slide via a slider 2042. The fine adjustment set screw 2044 is located on the mounting plate 40, with one end in contact with the lifting mechanism 20. The fine adjustment set screw 2044 can be moved along the lateral guide rail 2041 by pushing the lifting mechanism 20. Once the lifting mechanism 20 is adjusted to a predetermined position in the horizontal X direction, the lifting mechanism 20 is fixed in that predetermined position by the first fastener 2043. In other words, the adjustment of the installation position of the lifting mechanism 20 in the horizontal X direction is completed. To improve the mounting stability of the lifting mechanism 20 to the mounting plate 40, it is possible to provide multiple lateral guide rails 2041, or to provide multiple lateral guide rails 2041 in parallel. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, two lateral guide rails 2041 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction of the mounting plate 40.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 4 again. The second fine-tuning assembly 205 has a first adjustment member 2051 and a second adjustment member 2052 arranged in the horizontal Y direction. One end of the first adjustment member 2051 is fixed to the support rod 202. One end of the second adjustment member 2052 is fixed to the support base 201. Both the first adjustment member 2051 and the second adjustment member 2052 are provided with adjustment holes 2053, and the two are fixed to each other by passing the second fastener through the overlapping portion of the adjustment holes 2053 of the first adjustment member 2051 and the second adjustment member 2052. Multiple adjustment holes 2053 are provided as elongated holes. By changing the overlap length between the first adjustment member 2051 and the second adjustment member 2052, the position of the support base 201 in the horizontal Y direction is changed, thereby enabling adjustment of the mounting position of the support base 201 in the horizontal Y direction.

[0024] Figure 6 shows the overall structure of the substrate inversion device, with the housing of the inversion mechanism hidden. Figure 7 shows the internal structure of the reversal mechanism. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the reversing mechanism 30 includes a substrate holder 301, a second drive assembly 302, and a third drive assembly 303. A substrate holder 301 for holding the substrate is positioned horizontally at the top of the tank 10. As shown in Figure 6, the substrate holder 301 rests on the upper opening of the tank 10 and is parallel to the first side wall 10a or the second side wall 10b of the tank 10. The substrate holder 301 is connected to a second drive assembly 302 for rotational driving of the substrate holder 301. In this embodiment, the second drive assembly 302 is attached to the third drive assembly 303. The third drive assembly 303 drives the second drive assembly 302 to move it in parallel, thereby driving the substrate holder 301 to move in parallel between the substrate receiving position and the substrate removal position.

[0025] The circuit board holder 301 receives the circuit board from the support base 201 at the circuit board receiving position. Specifically, when the substrate holder 301 moves to the substrate receiving position under the drive of the third drive assembly 303, the substrate holder 301 is located below the support base 201 and faces at least a portion of the substrate on the support base 201. As the support stand 201 descends, at least a portion of the substrate is transported to the substrate holder 301. When the third drive assembly 303 drives the substrate holder 301 to the substrate removal position, the substrate holder 301 moves away from the support base 201. The substrate holder 301 and the support base 201 do not interfere with each other. The substrate holder 301 can perform a substrate inversion operation at the substrate removal position. Specifically, the substrate holder 301 rotates the substrate from a vertical to a horizontal direction, which allows the process manipulator to horizontally remove the substrate from the substrate holder 301 and transport it to the single substrate cleaning module. In other embodiments, the substrate holder 301 can be moved to a position between the substrate receiving position and the substrate removal position to perform the substrate inversion operation. Alternatively, the substrate holder 301 may perform a substrate inversion operation simultaneously with the process of moving from the substrate receiving position to the substrate removal position.

[0026] The reversal mechanism 30 is further provided with a second liquid receiving slot 306 on the side of the tank 10 closest to the substrate removal position. The second liquid receiving slot 306 can be fixed to the side wall of the tank 10. As shown in Figure 6, the second liquid receiving slot 306 is fixed to the upper part of the second side wall 10b. When the substrate holder 301 rotates the substrate from a vertical to a horizontal direction, or when the process manipulator removes the substrate from the substrate holder 301, the second liquid receiving slot 306 can catch any liquid dripping from the substrate, thereby keeping the internal environment of the apparatus clean.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the second drive assembly 302 may include a second drive motor 3021 and a reduction coupling 3022. The third drive assembly 303 may include a third drive motor 3031, a third slide rail 3032, a third slide seat 3033, and a third feed screw 3034. The second drive motor 3021 is connected to the rotation shaft 3014 of the substrate holder 301 via a reduction coupling 3022, and rotates the substrate holder 301. The third drive assembly 303 consists of two third slide rails 3032, each fixed to two sides of the water tank 10. Specifically, the two third slide rails 3032 are positioned outside the third side wall 10c and the fourth side wall 10d of the tank 10, respectively, and a third slide sheet 3033 is provided. In the first embodiment, the third drive motor 3031 drives the third slide seat 3033 via a pulley and a third feed screw 3034 to move it parallel along the third slide rail 3032. The substrate holder 301 and the second drive assembly 302 are integrally fixed to the third slide sheet 3033 by the mounting bracket 3020. As a result, the substrate holder 301 and the second drive assembly 302 are driven by the third drive assembly 303 to move in parallel.

[0028] Figures 8 and 9 show the structural diagrams of the reversal mechanism. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the reversing mechanism 30 further comprises a housing 304 in which a second drive assembly 302 and a third drive assembly 303 are housed. Therefore, the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303 can be prevented from being corroded by the chemical solution. As shown in Figure 6, the third slide rail 3032 of the third drive assembly 303 is located outside the third side wall 10c and the fourth side wall 10d of the tank 10. To protect the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303, the housing 304 is divided into two parts, which are denoted as the first housing 304a and the second housing 304b, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the first housing 304a is located outside the fourth side wall 10d, and the second housing 304b is located outside the third side wall 10c.

[0029] Please refer again to Figures 8 and 9. To further suppress damage to the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303 by the external environment, the housing 304 is further provided with an intake pipe 305 for supplying positive pressure gas to the housing 304. This prevents external environmental gases from entering the housing 304. Furthermore, the housing 304 is equipped with an exhaust port 3041 that is connected to the equipment exhaust system and exhausts gases from inside the housing 304, thereby keeping the microenvironment inside the housing 304 clean.

[0030] The upper part of the housing 304, particularly the upper part of the first housing 304a, which is located below the transport path of the manipulator, can be recessed inward to form the first liquid receiving slot 3042. A flow guide tank 3043 is formed on the side wall of the housing 304, separate from the tank 10. The flow guide tank 3043 is connected to the first liquid receiving slot 3042, which guides the liquid in the first liquid receiving slot 3042 out of the substrate inversion device. In the first embodiment, one side of the substrate inversion device is a substrate cleaning tank. The flow guide tank 3043 guides the liquid in the first liquid receiving slot 3042 to the substrate cleaning tank. In this embodiment, the area opposite the substrate inversion device is an electronically controlled equipment area belonging to the drying region. Therefore, the second housing 304b is not provided with the first liquid receiving slot 3042 and the flow guide tank 3043. In other embodiments, depending on the equipment layout requirements, the first liquid receiving slot 3042 and the flow guide tank 3043 can be provided in two parts of the housing 304, namely the first housing 304a and the second housing 304b.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 10 to 12. The substrate holder 301 has a connecting member 3011 and a pair of clamping parts 3012. The connecting member 3011 has side walls that are arranged to face each other. The paired clamp portions 3012 are detachably attached to the ends of the two side walls of the connecting member 3011. At least one pair of clamp slots 3013 are provided in each of the two clamp portions 3012, facing each other. Each pair of clamp slots 3013 is used to receive one circuit board. Rotating shafts 3014 are provided on the back surfaces of the two side walls of the connecting member 3011, and the second drive assembly 302 rotates the substrate holder 301 via multiple rotating shafts 3014. Some chemical solution or contaminants may accumulate in the clamp slots 3013 of the multiple clamp sections 3012. To keep the multiple clamp slots 3013 clean, each clamp slot 3013 is provided with a cleaning channel 3015. Cleaning fluid is supplied to the multiple clamp slots 3013 through the cleaning channel 3015, and they are cleaned. One end of the cleaning channel 3015 is connected to a plurality of clamp slots 3013, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 3016. In the first embodiment, a liquid supply pipe 103 that supplies deionized water to the inner tank 101 is connected to a liquid inlet pipe 3016 via a branch pipe (not shown), allowing deionized water to be supplied to the clamp slot 3013 and the clamp slot 3013 to be cleaned.

[0032] The operation procedure of the substrate inversion device will be explained below with reference to Figures 14(a) to 14(h) and Figures 15(a) to 15(h). Note that in Figures 14(a) to 14(h) and Figures 15(a) to 15(h), the lifting mechanism is simplified, and only the support base 201 remains. When the substrate inversion device is in its initial state, as shown in Figure 13, the support base 201 is empty, lifted from the tank 10 and positioned in the substrate placement position, ready to receive the substrates to be transported by the manipulator R1. The substrate holder 301 is also empty, rotated vertically, and positioned in the substrate removal position. For the sake of clarity, the following explanation will use the example where the support base 201 can receive thirteen circuit boards and the circuit board holder 301 can receive two circuit boards.

[0033] In step 1, the support base 201 receives multiple circuit boards. As shown in Figures 13 and 14(a), the support base 201 is lifted to the substrate placement position, and after the manipulator R1 places multiple substrates (for example, thirteen substrates) onto the support base 201, the manipulator R1 is removed.

[0034] In step 2, the board holder 301 moves to the board receiving position. As shown in Figure 14(b), the substrate holder 301 moves parallel to the support base 201, moving away from the support base 201 from the substrate removal position to the first substrate receiving position directly below the support base 201. At this time, the substrate holder 301 is facing the two substrates on the support base 201. In the first embodiment, the substrate holder 301 begins receiving substrates from the leftmost end of the support base 201. The substrate holder 301 corresponds to the two substrates located at the leftmost end of the support base 201 at the first substrate receiving position.

[0035] In step 3, the board holder 301 receives the board. After the substrate holder 301 moves to the substrate receiving position, the support base 201 begins to descend, as shown in Figure 14(c). After the substrate holder 301 receives the two substrates, the support base 201 continues to descend toward the tank 10, as shown in Figure 14(d). During the substrate receiving process of the substrate holder 301, the support base 201 descends at a first speed. After the substrate holder 301 receives the substrate, the support base 201 descends into the tank 10 at a second speed, so that the remaining substrate on the support base 201 is completely immersed in the liquid in the tank 10. By making the first speed slower than the second speed, damage to the substrate and substrate holder 301 due to collision if the support base 201 descends too quickly is avoided.

[0036] In step 4, the board holder 301 is moved to the board removal position. After the support base 201 has lowered to the tank 10, the substrate holder 301 moves from the substrate receiving position to the substrate removal position with the two substrates on it, as shown in Figure 14(e).

[0037] In step 5, the circuit board holder 301 performs an inversion operation. As shown in Figures 14(f) and 14(g), the substrate holder 301 slowly rotates the substrate from the vertical to the horizontal direction when it is in the substrate removal position. During this process, the substrate holder 301 slowly rotates the substrate from vertical to horizontal at a third speed. The third velocity is 10° to 50° / s.

[0038] In step 6, the process manipulator picks up the substrate. When the substrate holder 301 rotates the substrate horizontally, the process manipulator R2 picks up the substrate from the substrate holder 301, as shown in Figure 14(h).

[0039] In step 7, the circuit board inversion device is returned to its initial state. As shown in Figure 15(a), the support base 201 is lifted back to the substrate placement position, and the empty substrate holder 301 is quickly flipped from the horizontal to the vertical to return to its initial state. Since the substrate holder 301 and the support base 201 do not interfere with each other at the substrate removal position, it is preferable that the movement of the support base 201 rising again to the substrate placement position, the movement of the substrate holder 301 inverting at the substrate removal position, and the movement of the process manipulator removing the substrate can be synchronized, thereby improving the substrate transport efficiency of the substrate inversion device. In step 7, the substrate holder 301 is empty and is quickly flipped from vertical to horizontal at the fourth velocity. The fourth speed is greater than the third speed. The fourth velocity is 90° to 180° / s.

[0040] In step 8, the board holder 301 moves to the board receiving position. As shown in Figure 15(b), the substrate holder 301 moves parallel to the support base 201, moving from the substrate removal position to the second substrate receiving position. At this time, the substrate holder 301 is directly facing the other two substrates on the support base 201. Because the second board receiving position is located right next to the first board receiving position, the board holder 301 receives the boards on the support base 201 in the order from left to right, and the control logic for the operation of the board holder 301 is simplified. Of course, in other embodiments, the substrate holder 301 can also receive the substrates on the support base 201 from right to left.

[0041] In step 9, the board holder 301 receives the board. After the substrate holder 301 moves to the substrate receiving position, as shown in Figures 15(c) and 15(d), the support base 201 begins to descend at a first speed, the substrate holder 301 receives the two substrates, and then the support base 201 continues to descend toward the tank 10 at a second speed. The first speed is smaller than the second speed.

[0042] In step 10, the board holder 301 is moved to the board removal position. After the support base 201 has lowered to the tank 10, the substrate holder 301 moves from the substrate receiving position to the substrate removal position with the two substrates on it, as shown in Figure 15(e).

[0043] In step 11, the circuit board holder 301 performs an inversion operation. As shown in Figures 15(f) and 15(g), the substrate holder 301 slowly inverts the substrate from the vertical to the horizontal direction at a third velocity when the substrate is removed.

[0044] In step 12, the process manipulator picks up the substrate. When the substrate holder 301 inverts the substrate horizontally, the process manipulator R2 picks up the substrate from the substrate holder 301, as shown in Figure 15(h).

[0045] Next, steps 7-12 are repeated until the circuit board holder 301 removes all the circuit boards from the support base 201. In this embodiment, the support base 201 can receive thirteen substrates, and the substrate holder 301 can transport two substrates at once. Therefore, the substrate holder 301 needs to repeat the operation of receiving substrates from the support base 201 seven times. For the first six times, it receives two substrates each time, and on the seventh time, it receives one substrate at a time. By analogy, if the support base 201 receives seven circuit boards, the circuit board holder 301 needs to repeat the operation of receiving circuit boards from the support base 201 four times. Also, if the support base 201 receives twenty-five circuit boards, the circuit board holder 301 needs to repeat the operation of receiving circuit boards from the support base 201 thirteen times.

[0046] A suitable solution is to improve the utilization rate of the process manipulator by matching the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive with the number of substrates that the process manipulator can handle. For example, if the process manipulator has two arms, the number of clamp slots 3013 that the substrate holder 301 can receive is two or more pairs. That is, the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive is two or more. Furthermore, if the process manipulator is equipped with three arms, the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive is three or more.

[0047] In the substrate inversion device, the support base 201 can receive multiple substrates, allowing substrates that have completed tank cleaning to be transported to the substrate inversion device all at once, thereby reducing the dwell time of the substrates in the substrate cleaning tank. This improves the output of the substrate cleaning device.

[0048] Furthermore, the substrate holder 301 is configured not only to rotate the substrate from the vertical to the horizontal direction, but also to move it in parallel with respect to the support base 201. By moving back and forth at the substrate receiving and substrate removal positions, multiple substrates on the support base 201 can be quickly transported to the process manipulator R2 in multiple passes. This is advantageous for improving the substrate transport speed of the substrate inversion device.

[0049] Furthermore, when the substrate holder 301 transports the substrate to the process manipulator R2, the substrate, which was resting on the support base 201, is lowered and immersed together with the support base 201 in the liquid of the tank 10, thereby maintaining a moist state. This reduces the exposure time of the substrate to air and prevents contaminants such as particulate matter in the air from contaminating the surface of the substrate.

[0050] Second Embodiment Please refer to Figure 16. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The substrate cleaning apparatus comprises a main frame 100, a front-end device module 200, a tank cleaning module 300, a single substrate cleaning module 400, and a process manipulator 500.

[0051] The front-end device module 200 has multiple load ports 210 and a front-end manipulator 220. Multiple load ports 210, arranged vertically in the Y direction, are used to house board boxes that contain multiple circuit boards. Typically, a board box can hold 25 circuit boards. The front-end manipulator 220 is used to transport substrates from the front-end device module 200 to the tank cleaning module 300 for tank cleaning, and to return substrates that have completed single-substrate cleaning and drying processes from the single-substrate cleaning module 400 to the front-end device module 200.

[0052] The tank cleaning module 300 includes a first inversion device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), at least one manipulator (341, 342), and a second inversion device 350. The first inversion device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), and the second inversion device 350 are aligned laterally in the X direction. The first reversing device 310 is located near the front-end device module 200. The front-end manipulator 220 horizontally transports the substrate to the first inversion device 310. The first inversion device 310 is used to rotate the substrate from a horizontal to a vertical direction. At least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325) is configured to perform a tank cleaning process on the substrate. At least one manipulator (341, 342) is responsible for vertically transporting the substrate to the first inversion device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), and the second inversion device 350. The second inversion device 350 rotates the substrate from a vertical to a horizontal direction, which is used by the process manipulator 500 to horizontally transport the substrate to the single substrate cleaning module 400.

[0053] The second inversion device 350 is configured similarly to the substrate inversion device in the first embodiment and includes a tank 351, a lifting mechanism 352, and an inversion mechanism 353. After the second inversion device 350 receives multiple substrates at once via the lifting mechanism 352, it transports some of the substrates to the inversion mechanism 353, which rotates the substrates from a vertical to a horizontal direction. After that, the substrate is removed from the inversion mechanism 353 by the process manipulator 500 and transported to the single substrate cleaning module 400, where single substrate cleaning and drying processes are performed in the single substrate cleaning chamber 410.

[0054] The number of substrates that the reversal mechanism 353 can accommodate is determined according to the number of robot arms configured in the process manipulator 500. Generally, the number of substrates that the reversal mechanism 353 can accommodate is greater than or equal to the number of robot arms provided on the process manipulator 500. The number of robot arms provided on the process manipulator 500 is determined according to the number of single-substrate cleaning chambers 410 provided on the single-substrate cleaning module 400. For example, when eight single-substrate cleaning chambers 410 are provided, a process manipulator 500 equipped with two robotic arms is selected, taking into consideration the overall transport efficiency and equipment cost, between the second inversion device 350 and the single-substrate cleaning module 400. Furthermore, the reversal mechanism 353 is configured to accommodate at least two circuit boards.

[0055] In this embodiment, a lifting mechanism 3201 is provided in each substrate cleaning tank (321-325). The lifting mechanisms 3201 located in each substrate cleaning tank (321-325) are configured similarly to the lifting mechanism 352 located in the second inversion device 350. According to the description of the first embodiment, since the lifting mechanism 3201 is arranged independently of the substrate cleaning tanks (321-325), the installation position of the lifting mechanism in each substrate cleaning tank can be adjusted independently. Specifically, each substrate cleaning tank can be positioned to face the substrate placement position via a fine adjustment assembly consisting of the lifting mechanism 3201. The board placement position is the position where the lifting mechanism 3201 receives multiple boards from at least one manipulator (341, 342). The details of the configuration of the lifting mechanism 3201 were explained in the first embodiment, so they will not be repeated here.

[0056] In the first embodiment, a plurality of substrate cleaning tanks are provided. The multiple substrate cleaning tanks (321-325) are divided into at least two groups, and each group of substrate cleaning tanks is equipped with at least one manipulator. A manipulator cleaning tank is located between two adjacent groups of circuit board cleaning tanks. The manipulator cleaning tank is used to clean the manipulators located between the two adjacent groups of circuit board cleaning tanks. Each group of substrate cleaning tanks may include at least one chemical tank and at least one water tank. The chemical tank contains chemical solutions such as HF and SPM. The aquarium contains DIW (DIW). Typically, the circuit boards are first placed in a chemical cleaning tank, then transferred to a water tank for cleaning, and then transferred to a chemical cleaning tank in the next group of circuit board cleaning tanks. The number of chemical tanks and water tanks provided for each group of substrate cleaning tanks is determined according to the actual processing conditions.

[0057] As shown in Figure 16, the multiple substrate cleaning tanks (321-325) are divided into two groups, namely the first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a and the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b. The multiple manipulators include a first manipulator 341 that transports substrates in the first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a, and a second manipulator 342 that transports substrates in the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b. The second manipulator 342 also plays a role in transporting the substrates that have been cleaned in the second group's substrate cleaning tank 320b to the lifting mechanism 352 of the second inversion device 350. A manipulator cleaning tank 330 is positioned between the first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a and the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b. The manipulator cleaning tank 330 can clean the first manipulator 341 and the second manipulator 342.

[0058] The single-substrate cleaning module 400 and the tank cleaning module 300 are facing each other. In the first embodiment, the single substrate cleaning module 400 is provided with a plurality of single substrate cleaning chambers 410 arranged in the horizontal X direction. The single-substrate cleaning chamber 410 is used to perform single-substrate cleaning and drying processes on the substrate. The process manipulator 500 is positioned between the tank cleaning module 300 and the single substrate cleaning module 400. The process manipulator 500 is used to remove the substrate from the inversion mechanism 353 of the second inversion device 350 of the tank cleaning module 300 and to transport it horizontally to the single substrate cleaning chamber 410. Furthermore, the process manipulator 500 also plays a role in returning the substrate, after the single substrate cleaning and drying processes are complete, to the front-end device module 200.

[0059] In the substrate cleaning apparatus according to the second embodiment, the second inversion device 350 employs the substrate inversion device according to the first embodiment. Since the lifting mechanism 352 of the second inversion device 350 and the lifting mechanisms provided in the substrate cleaning tanks (321-325) are configured similarly, the number of substrates received by the second inversion device can be the same as the number of substrates processed at one time by the substrate cleaning tanks. Furthermore, the second reversing device and the substrate cleaning tank can share the same manipulator. For example, in Figure 16, the substrate cleaning tanks 323, 324, and 325 share the second inversion device 350 and the second manipulator 342. This reduces the number of manipulators used in the circuit board cleaning equipment, which is effective in reducing costs. Furthermore, in the tank cleaning module 300, multiple substrates that have completed the tank cleaning process do not need to remain in the substrate cleaning tank and wait to enter the second inversion device, but can be transported in one go to the lifting mechanism 352 in the second inversion device 350. This reduces the time that circuit boards occupy the cleaning tank, allowing the tank to be emptied in time for receiving the next batch of circuit boards to be cleaned, thereby improving the efficiency of the circuit board cleaning equipment.

[0060] When the inversion mechanism 353 of the second inversion device 350 rotates the substrate, the lifting mechanism 352 places the remaining substrate, which is still attached to the lifting mechanism 352, onto the substrate and transports it to the immersion tank 351, keeping the surface of the substrate moist and preventing contaminants such as particles from adhering to it.

[0061] Furthermore, in the substrate cleaning apparatus, a manipulator cleaning tank 330 is positioned between two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks. This facilitates the cleaning of multiple manipulators (341, 342), keeps each manipulator clean, and suppresses contamination of the substrate by impurities on the manipulators (341, 342). This is advantageous for improving the yield of the substrate cleaning apparatus.

[0062] In summary, the present invention discloses the relevant technology in a specific and detailed manner through the above embodiments and related drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention accordingly. However, the above explanation is solely for the purpose of describing the present invention and should not be considered to limit it. The scope of protection of this invention should be defined by the appended claims. Modifications of the number of components described herein, or substitutions of components with equivalent elements, are also included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate inversion device, A tank for holding liquid, A lifting mechanism is positioned to the side of the tank and is configured to receive the substrate and drive it up and down to immerse the substrate in the liquid in the tank or to lift it out of the tank. An inversion mechanism is positioned in the tank for inverting the substrate and is configured to move between a substrate receiving position and a substrate removal position relative to the lifting mechanism, wherein the substrate receiving position is the position in which the inversion mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism, and the substrate removal position is the position in which the substrate is removed from the inversion mechanism. The inversion mechanism comprises a substrate holder, a second drive assembly, and a third drive assembly, wherein the substrate holder is positioned laterally above the tank, the second drive assembly is used to rotate the substrate holder, and the third drive assembly is used to drive the substrate holder to move it between the substrate receiving position and the substrate removal position relative to the lifting mechanism.

2. The substrate inversion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank is provided with an exhaust port connected to an equipment exhaust system, the exhaust port comprises a first exhaust plate and a second exhaust plate, a cavity is formed between the first exhaust plate and the second exhaust plate, and the first exhaust plate and the second exhaust plate are provided with a plurality of exhaust holes arranged in a staggered pattern.

3. The lifting mechanism comprises a support base, a support rod, and a first drive assembly, wherein the support base is used to receive the substrate, the end of the support base is fixed to the support rod, and the first drive assembly drives the support base up and down via the support rod, characterized in that the substrate inversion device according to claim 1.

4. The substrate inversion device according to claim 3, wherein the lifting mechanism further comprises a fine adjustment assembly, the fine adjustment assembly is used to bring the support base of the lifting mechanism toward the substrate placement position, and the substrate placement position is the position where the lifting mechanism receives the substrate from the manipulator.

5. The substrate inversion device according to claim 4, wherein the fine adjustment assembly comprises a first fine adjustment assembly, the lifting mechanism is attached to the mounting plate via the first fine adjustment assembly, and the first fine adjustment assembly adjusts the mounting position of the lifting mechanism in a first direction so that the support base of the lifting mechanism faces the substrate placement position.

6. The substrate inversion device according to claim 5, wherein the first fine adjustment assembly comprises a lateral guide rail, a slider, a first fastener, and a fine adjustment set screw, the lateral guide rail is arranged along the first direction, the lifting mechanism is mounted on the lateral guide rail so as to slide via the slider, one end of the fine adjustment set screw is in contact with the lifting mechanism, and when the fine adjustment set screw is adjusted to push the lifting mechanism to move to a predetermined position in the first direction, the lifting mechanism is fixed in the predetermined position via the first fastener.

7. The substrate inversion device according to claim 4, wherein the fine adjustment assembly comprises a second fine adjustment assembly, the support base is attached to the support rod by the second fine adjustment assembly, and the mounting position of the support base in a second direction is adjusted by the second fine adjustment assembly so that the support base faces the substrate placement position.

8. The substrate inversion device according to claim 7, wherein the second fine adjustment assembly comprises a second fastener, a first adjustment member, and a second adjustment member, the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member are arranged in the second direction, one end of the first adjustment member is fixed to the support rod, one end of the second adjustment member is fixed to the support base, adjustment holes are provided at the other ends of both the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member, and the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member are fixed via the second fastener which is inserted into the overlapping portion of the adjustment holes of the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member.

9. The substrate inversion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate holder is provided with at least one pair of clamp slots, each clamp slot is provided with a cleaning channel, and a cleaning solution is supplied to the multiple clamp slots through the multiple cleaning channels to perform cleaning.

10. The substrate inversion device according to claim 1, wherein the inversion mechanism further comprises a housing, the second drive assembly and the third drive assembly are located within the housing, a first liquid receiving slot is provided at the top of the housing, a flow guide tank is formed on the side wall of the housing so as to be offset from the tank, the flow guide tank is connected to the first liquid receiving slot, and the liquid in the first liquid receiving slot is guided outwards.

11. The substrate inversion device according to claim 10, characterized in that the housing is further provided with an intake pipe for supplying positive pressure gas to the housing.

12. The substrate inversion device according to claim 10, characterized in that the housing is provided with an exhaust port for connection to an equipment exhaust system.

13. The substrate inversion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inversion mechanism further comprises a second liquid receiving slot, the second liquid receiving slot being located on the side wall of the tank near the substrate removal position.

14. A substrate cleaning apparatus, A tank cleaning module comprising a first inversion device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, at least one manipulator, and a second inversion device, wherein the at least one substrate cleaning tank is used to perform a tank cleaning process on the substrate, the first inversion device is used to invert the substrate from a horizontal to a vertical direction, the at least one manipulator is responsible for vertically transporting the substrate to the first inversion device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, and the second inversion device, and the second inversion device is used to invert the substrate, after tank cleaning is complete, from the vertical to the horizontal direction. A single substrate cleaning module comprising at least one single substrate cleaning chamber for performing a single substrate cleaning process and a drying process on the substrate, and The system includes a process manipulator that removes the substrate from the second inversion device and horizontally transports the substrate to at least one single substrate cleaning chamber of the single substrate cleaning module, A substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that the second inversion device employs the substrate inversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that each substrate cleaning tank is provided with a lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism located in the substrate cleaning tank is the same as the lifting mechanism located in the second reversing device.

16. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that there are multiple substrate cleaning tanks, the multiple substrate cleaning tanks are divided into at least two groups, each group of substrate cleaning tanks is provided with a manipulator, a manipulator cleaning tank is located between two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks, and the manipulator cleaning tank is used to clean the multiple manipulators located between the two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks.

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