Substrate cleaning device

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a substrate cleaning device that can shorten the cleaning time for removing an object to be removed which is adhered to a cleaning surface of a substrate. A substrate cleaning device (71) includes an internal merging nozzle (25) in which a gas storage space (S25) is provided. In the gas storage space (S25), a mist gas output port (15a) of a mist gas supply pipe (15) and an air gas output port (16a) of an air gas supply pipe (16) are disposed facing each other across a collision region (80), and a gas output surface (F25) of the internal merging nozzle (25) is positioned below the collision region (80). A cleaning mist gas (MG1) and an air gas (AG1) collide with each other in the collision region (80) and thereby merge, and as a result, a substrate supply gas (MG3) is obtained in the gas storage space (S25).

Description

Substrate cleaning device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate cleaning device for cleaning a substrate, and more particularly, to a substrate cleaning device used, for example, in a plating treatment device for forming a metal film in the manufacture of electronic components.

[0002] Examples of conventional cleaning devices for cleaning substrates and the like used in plating treatment devices for forming metal films in the manufacture of electronic components and the like include a closed cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a substrate liquid treatment device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a substrate cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 3, a cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 4, and a cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 5.

[0003] The cleaning devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 basically cleaned the cleaning target by directly spraying the cleaning liquid onto the cleaning target. The cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 4 performed cleaning in a mist atmosphere. The cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 5 performed cleaning by directly spraying the cleaning liquid onto the cleaning target placed in a mist atmosphere.

[0004] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a conventional substrate cleaning device 78. An XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is shown in FIG. 10. Note that the substrate cleaning device 78 uses mist gas, similar to the cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 5.

[0005] As shown in the figure, the ultrasonic nebulizer 11 applies ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid accommodated therein to generate a cleaning liquid mist MT. The carrier gas TG is supplied to the ultrasonic nebulizer 11 via the carrier gas supply pipe 13.

[0006] Therefore, the cleaning liquid mist MT generated in the ultrasonic nebulizer 11 is carried by the carrier gas TG to become a cleaning mist gas MG9. This cleaning mist gas MG9 is supplied to the mist nozzle 61 via the mist supply pipe 62. Thus, the cleaning mist gas MG9 containing the cleaning liquid mist MT generated in the ultrasonic nebulizer is supplied to the mist nozzle 所61 via the mist supply pipe 62.

[0007] The mist nozzle 61 is positioned above the transport path of the substrate 1 along the substrate transport direction T1, and the mist nozzle 61 supplies cleaning mist gas MG9 downward from, for example, a slit-shaped mist outlet (not shown) provided on the bottom surface.

[0008] Therefore, by supplying a cleaning mist gas MG9 containing a cleaning liquid mist MT to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, the objects to be removed attached to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 are removed or decomposed, resulting in the cleaning of the objects to be removed.

[0009] Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-76962, International Publication No. 2018 / 501665, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-136742, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-18993, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-33730

[0010] Conventional substrate cleaning devices 78 locally supplied cleaning mist gas MG9 from a mist nozzle 61 in a fixed direction toward the surface 1s of the substrate 1. Figure 10 shows the case where the supply direction of the cleaning mist gas MG9 is the -Z direction.

[0011] On the other hand, in the conventional substrate cleaning apparatus 78, as shown in Figure 10, the substrate 1 to be cleaned is transported along the substrate transport direction T1 (X direction), which is perpendicular to the supply direction of the cleaning mist gas MG9 (-Z direction).

[0012] Therefore, the area to which the cleaning mist gas MG9 is supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 becomes narrower, resulting in the first problem that the cleaning time required to remove the material attached to the entire surface 1s of the substrate 1 becomes relatively long.

[0013] Furthermore, consider the case where multiple uneven regions 18 are provided on the surface 1s of the substrate 1, as shown in Figure 10. Each of the multiple uneven regions 18 is composed of a combination of a recess 1a and a protrusion 1b, and each extends in the Y direction. The multiple uneven regions 18 are provided along the X direction. That is, the direction of formation of each of the multiple uneven regions 18, the unevenness formation direction D18, is the Y direction, and the direction of arrangement of the multiple uneven regions 18 is the X direction.

[0014] When cleaning a substrate 1 having multiple uneven areas 18 on its surface 1s using a substrate cleaning device 78, there is a relatively high possibility that the cleaning mist gas MG9 cannot be supplied to the entire surface 1s of the substrate 1, which is the cleaning surface, as the multiple uneven areas 18 become an obstacle. In particular, as shown in Figure 10, this possibility increases when the direction D18 in which each of the multiple uneven areas 18 forms an unevenness is orthogonal to the substrate transport direction T1 of the substrate 1.

[0015] Thus, a second problem with the conventional substrate cleaning apparatus 78, which supplies cleaning mist gas MG9 from one direction to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, is that it cannot remove any material attached to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 without any areas being missed during cleaning.

[0016] The present disclosure aims to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus that can solve at least the first of the first and second problems described above, and shorten the cleaning time required to remove materials adhering to the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0017] The substrate cleaning apparatus according to this disclosure comprises a mist gas supply unit that supplies a cleaning mist gas containing a cleaning liquid mist, which is a mist of a cleaning liquid, for cleaning the cleaning surface of a substrate; an air gas supply unit that supplies air gas; and an internal confluence nozzle that has a gas containment space for containing the cleaning mist gas and the air gas, and when the cleaning mist gas and the air gas are supplied into the gas containment space, the air gas is combined with the cleaning mist gas to generate a substrate supply gas, and the substrate supply gas is output from an opening on the gas output surface facing the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0018] The internal confluence nozzle in the substrate cleaning apparatus of this disclosure outputs substrate supply gas from an opening on the gas output surface facing the cleaning surface of the substrate, thereby enabling the simultaneous supply of substrate supply gas to a relatively wide area facing the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0019] As a result, the substrate cleaning apparatus of this disclosure can shorten the cleaning time required to remove substances adhering to the cleaning surface of the substrate.

[0020] The purpose, features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0021] This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 1. This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of the gas containment space in the internal confluence nozzle shown in Figure 1. This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the basic configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 1. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the rotation mechanism. This is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the spray plate of the first embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the spray plate of the second embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the spray plate of the third embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the spray plate of the fourth embodiment. This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 2. This is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a conventional substrate cleaning apparatus.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a substrate cleaning apparatus 71 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is shown in Figure 1.

[0023] As shown in the figure, the substrate cleaning device 71 of the first embodiment mainly comprises a mist gas supply unit, an air gas supply unit, and a rotating mechanism 30 (not shown in Figure 1), which will be described later.

[0024] The mist gas supply unit mainly includes an ultrasonic atomizer 11, a transport gas supply pipe 13, and a mist gas supply pipe 15, while the air gas supply unit includes an air gas supply pipe 16.

[0025] The ultrasonic atomizer 11 generates a cleaning liquid mist MT by applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid contained inside. The transport gas TG is supplied to the ultrasonic atomizer 11 via the transport gas supply pipe 13.

[0026] Therefore, the cleaning liquid mist MT generated in the ultrasonic atomizer 11 is transported by the transport gas TG to become cleaning mist gas MG1. This cleaning mist gas MG1 is supplied to the internal confluence nozzle 25 via the mist gas supply pipe 15. The mist gas supply pipe 15 is provided extending from outside the internal confluence nozzle 25, through the upper surface of the internal confluence nozzle 25, into the gas containment space S25, which will be described later.

[0027] Thus, the cleaning mist gas MG1, which includes the cleaning liquid mist MT generated in the ultrasonic atomizer 11, is supplied to the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 via the mist gas supply pipe 15.

[0028] The air gas supply pipe 16 is installed outside the internal confluence nozzle 25, passing through the upper surface of the internal confluence nozzle 25 and extending into the gas containment space S25. Therefore, the air gas AG1 is supplied into the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 via the air gas supply pipe 16.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the cross-sectional structure of the gas containment space S25, which is the internal space of the internal confluence nozzle 25. The figure shows the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system.

[0030] The internal confluence nozzle 25 has a cylindrical structure and has a gas containment space S25 inside. As shown in Figure 2, the mist gas supply pipe 15 is installed from the outside, penetrating the upper surface of the internal confluence nozzle 25 and extending into the gas containment space S25, and supplies cleaning mist gas MG1 into the gas containment space S25. Within the gas containment space S25, the mist gas supply pipe 15 extends in the -Z direction, is bent at an intermediate point, and its tip region extends in the +X direction.

[0031] Meanwhile, the air gas supply pipe 16 extends from the outside, through the upper surface of the internal merging nozzle 25, into the gas containment space S25, and supplies air gas AG1 into the gas containment space S25. Within the gas containment space S25, the air gas supply pipe 16 extends in the -Z direction, is bent at an intermediate point, and its tip region extends in the -X direction.

[0032] The mist gas supply pipe 15 outputs cleaning mist gas MG1 from the mist gas output port 15a along the +X direction, and the air gas supply pipe 16 outputs air gas AG1 from the air gas output port 16a along the -X direction.

[0033] The mist gas output port 15a and the air gas output port 16a are positioned opposite each other with the collision region 80 in the gas containment space S25 in between, and the gas output surface F25, which is the bottom surface of the internal confluence nozzle 25, is located below the collision region 80.

[0034] Therefore, when cleaning mist gas MG1 is supplied into the gas containment space S25 via the mist gas supply pipe 15, and air gas AG1 is supplied into the gas containment space S25 via the air gas supply pipe 16, the cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 collide in the collision region 80 and merge, resulting in a substrate supply gas MG3 which is a mixture of cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1.

[0035] The distance between the mist gas output port 15a and the collision area 80, the distance between the air gas output port 16a and the collision area 80, the flow velocity VA1 of the air gas AG1, and the flow velocity VM1 of the cleaning mist gas MG1 are set so that the cleaning mist gas MG1 and the air gas AG1 always collide in the collision area 80. Furthermore, the flow velocity VM1 of the cleaning mist gas MG1 is determined by the flow velocity of the transport gas TG.

[0036] The substrate supply gas MG3 diffuses along the diffusion direction DR3 as it moves downward from the impact region 80, and is supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 located below through an opening (not shown in Figure 2) provided on the gas output surface F25.

[0037] As described above, the internal confluence nozzle 25 in the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1 has a gas storage space S25 that accommodates cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1. When cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 are supplied into the gas storage space S25, the air gas AG1 is combined with the cleaning mist gas MG1 to generate substrate supply gas MG3. The internal confluence nozzle 25 then outputs the substrate supply gas MG3 from an opening in the gas output surface F25 that faces the surface 1s which is the cleaning surface of the substrate 1.

[0038] Therefore, the substrate supply gas MG3 diffused within the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 can be output from the opening of the gas output surface F25 to a relatively wide area of ​​the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0039] For example, by setting the shape of the opening of the gas output surface F25 to the same shape as the shape of the surface 1s of the base material 1, the base material supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface of the surface 1s of the base material 1.

[0040] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a basic aspect of the base material cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1, including an internal confluence nozzle 25 having an injection plate 40. An XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is shown in the figure.

[0041] As shown in the figure, the internal confluence nozzle 25 has an injection plate 40 as a gas output surface F25, and a plurality of ejection holes 50 are provided in the injection plate 40 as openings. The plurality of ejection holes 50, each of which is circular, are provided discretely from each other over the entire injection plate 40. [[ID=[]]

[0042] Therefore, in the basic aspect of the base material cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1, the base material supply gas MG3 diffused in the gas accommodation space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 can be output from the plurality of ejection holes 50 to a relatively wide area of the surface 1s of the base material 1.

[0043] For example, by setting the shape of the plurality of ejection holes 50 to the same shape as the shape of the surface 1s of the base material 1, the base material supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface of the surface 1s of the base material 1. The shape of the plurality of ejection holes 50 is a substantially circular shape with a circumference formed by connecting a predetermined number of ejection holes 50 existing on the outermost periphery among the plurality of ejection holes 50.

[0044] The base material 1 is rotated along the rotation direction R1 or the rotation direction R2 by the rotation operation of a rotation mechanism 30 described later. The surface 1s of this base material 1 becomes a cleaning surface. The rotation direction R1 is the first rotation direction, and the rotation direction R2 is the second rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction R1.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a rotation mechanism 30 that rotates the base material 1 along the rotation direction R1 or the rotation direction R2. An XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is shown in the figure.

[0046] As shown in the figure, the rotation mechanism 30 includes a mounting stage 31, a plurality of vibration absorbing members 32, a rotating stage 33, a vibration motor 34, a rotation motor 35, and a motor control unit 36 as main components. It is desirable that the plurality of vibration absorbing members 32 be arranged at equal intervals in relatively outer regions of the base material mounting portion 31a and the support surface 33a, respectively. Note that in FIG. 4, two vibration absorbing members 32 are shown as the plurality of vibration absorbing members 32.

[0047] The mounting stage 31 has a base material mounting portion 31a and a vibration transmission portion 31b. The base material mounting portion 31a has a surface for supporting the base material 1 from the back surface, and the vibration transmission portion 31b extends downward from the central portion of the back surface of the base material mounting portion 31a. The mounting stage 31 stably supports the base material 1 from the back surface on the surface of the base material mounting portion 31a.

[0048] The rotating stage 33 has a support surface 33a, a motor housing portion 33b, and a rotating shaft member 33c. The vibration motor 34 and most of the vibration transmission portion 31b are housed in the motor housing portion 33b. The rotating shaft member 33c is provided at the bottom of the vibration transmission portion 31b, and the rotating stage 33 is configured to be rotatable about the rotating shaft member 33c as a rotation axis.

[0049] The vibration motor 34 is connected below the vibration transmission portion 31b and executes a stage vibration operation for applying vibration to the base material mounting portion 31a and the base material 1 via the vibration transmission portion 31b.

[0050] The base material mounting portion 31a of the mounting stage 31 and the support surface 33a of the rotating stage 33 are connected via a plurality of vibration absorbing members 32. The plurality of vibration absorbing members 32 connect the mounting stage 31 and the vibration absorbing members 32 to be rotatable with respect to each other and have a vibration absorbing function. A spring member such as a spring can be considered as the vibration absorbing member 32.

[0051] The rotation motor 35 is connected to the rotating shaft member 33c below the rotating stage 33 and executes a stage rotation operation for rotating the rotating stage 33 about the rotating shaft member 33c as a rotation center.

[0052] The motor control unit 36 ​​controls the rotation of the stage by the rotating motor 35. When the rotating motor 35 performs the stage rotation operation under the control of the motor control unit 36, the rotating stage 33 rotates, and the mounting stage 31, which is connected to the rotating stage 33 via a plurality of vibration absorbing members 32, rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating stage 33 with the base material 1 mounted on it.

[0053] Thus, when the stage rotation operation is performed, the mounting stage 31, which is connected to the rotating stage 33 via a plurality of vibration absorbing members 32, rotates with the base material 1 mounted on it.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the rotational directions of the substrate 1 include rotational directions R1 and R2 which are opposite to each other. Rotational directions R1 and R2 are the first and second rotational directions.

[0055] The motor control unit 36, which functions as a motor rotation control unit, causes the stage to rotate. The stage rotation operation includes rotation direction control processing and rotation speed control processing. Rotation direction control processing and rotation speed control processing are processes that can be executed during the execution period of the stage rotation operation.

[0056] The rotation direction control process is the process of switching the rotation direction between rotation directions R1 and R2. The rotation speed control process is the process of changing the rotation speed along the rotation direction (rotation direction R1 or rotation direction R2).

[0057] The vibration motor 34 performs a stage vibration operation by applying vibration to the substrate mounting section 31a via the vibration transmission section 31b. The motor control section 36 also functions as a motor vibration control unit that controls the stage vibration operation performed by the vibration motor 34.

[0058] The motor control unit 36, which also functions as a motor vibration control unit, controls the vibration motor 34 together with the rotation motor 35 so that the stage vibration operation described above is performed in parallel with the stage rotation operation. The stage vibration operation includes a vibration frequency changing process that changes the vibration frequency per unit time applied to the substrate 1.

[0059] Thus, the motor control unit 36 ​​also functions as a motor rotation control unit and a motor vibration control unit, controlling the execution of stage rotation by the rotation motor 35 and stage vibration by the vibration motor 34.

[0060] A substrate cleaning apparatus 71 with this configuration performs a substrate cleaning process to clean the surface 1s of the substrate 1 to be cleaned, as described below.

[0061] The mist gas supply unit supplies cleaning mist gas MG1 to the internal junction nozzle 25 from the mist gas supply pipe 15, and the air gas supply unit supplies air gas AG1 to the internal junction nozzle 25 from the air gas supply pipe 16.

[0062] The internal merging nozzle 25 generates a substrate supply gas MG3 by merging the cleaning mist gas MG1 with the air gas AG1 in the gas containment space S25, and outputs the substrate supply gas MG3 from multiple ejection holes 50 (openings) of the spray plate 40 (gas output surface F25) facing the surface 1s which is the cleaning surface of the substrate 1.

[0063] As a result, the substrate supply gas MG3, obtained by the merging of the cleaning mist gas MG1 and the air gas AG1, is supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0064] Meanwhile, the rotating mechanism 30 causes the rotating motor 35 to perform a stage rotation operation under the control of the motor control unit 36, which functions as a motor rotation control unit, thereby rotating the base material 1 in the rotation direction R1 or rotation direction R2.

[0065] In this way, during the execution period of the stage rotation operation by the rotating mechanism 30, the substrate supply gas MG3 obtained in the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 is supplied to the surface 1s which will be the cleaning surface of the substrate 1.

[0066] The motor control unit 36 ​​causes the rotating motor 35 to perform the stage rotation operation, which includes the rotation direction control process and rotation speed control process described above.

[0067] For example, during the period in which the substrate supply gas MG3 is supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, the rotation direction of the substrate 1 can be sequentially changed to rotation direction R1, rotation direction R2, rotation direction R1 and rotation direction R2, and the rotation speed can also be changed.

[0068] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism 30 can cause the vibration motor 34 to perform a stage vibration operation under the control of the motor control unit 36, which functions as a motor vibration control unit, thereby applying vibration to the base material 1. In this way, the rotating mechanism 30 has a vibration function that applies vibrations of an unspecified direction to the base material 1.

[0069] Therefore, the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of this embodiment can perform the supply of substrate supply gas MG3 to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, stage rotation operation, and stage vibration operation in parallel. Furthermore, the stage rotation operation includes rotation direction control operation and rotation speed control operation, and the stage vibration operation includes vibration frequency change operation that changes the vibration frequency per unit time applied to the substrate 1.

[0070] Furthermore, the substrate mounting portion 31a of the mounting stage 31 and the support surface 33a of the rotating stage 33 are connected via a plurality of vibration absorbing members 32, and each of the plurality of vibration absorbing members 32 has a vibration absorbing function, so that vibrations of the substrate mounting portion 31a caused by the stage vibration operation can be absorbed by the plurality of vibration absorbing members 32.

[0071] Therefore, the vibration transmission from the substrate mounting portion 31a of the mounting stage 31 to the support surface 33a of the rotating stage 33 is effectively suppressed by the multiple vibration absorbing members 32, so that the stage vibration operation does not affect the stage rotation operation.

[0072] (Effects) In the basic configuration of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1, the internal confluence nozzle 25 outputs the substrate supply gas MG3 from multiple ejection holes 50 (openings) of the spray plate 40 (gas output surface F25) facing the surface 1s that will be the cleaning surface of the substrate 1, thereby supplying the substrate supply gas MG3 to a relatively wide area facing the surface 1s of the substrate 1 all at once.

[0073] As a result, the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can shorten the cleaning time required to remove substances adhering to the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0074] In the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1, the mist gas output port 15a of the mist gas supply pipe 15 and the air gas output port 16a of the air gas supply pipe 16 are arranged facing each other with a collision region 80 in the gas containment space S25 in between.

[0075] Therefore, when cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 are supplied into the gas containment space S25, the cleaning mist gas MG1 output from the mist gas output port 15a and the air gas AG1 output from the air gas output port 16a collide in the collision region 80 and merge to produce the substrate supply gas MG3.

[0076] The substrate supply gas MG3 is a mixture of the cleaning mist gas MG1 and the air gas AG1, and diffuses downwards.

[0077] Then, from multiple ejection holes 50 (openings) of the injection plate 40 (gas output surface F25) located below the impact area 80, a substrate supply gas MG3, which is a mixture of cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 and has been diffused, is supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, which is the cleaning surface.

[0078] Therefore, the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1 can supply the substrate supply gas MG3, which includes the cleaning mist gas MG1, to a relatively wide area on the surface 1s of the substrate 1 when the cleaning mist gas MG1 is supplied from the mist gas supply pipe 15.

[0079] Furthermore, since the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1 rotates the substrate 1 by the rotational operation of the rotating mechanism 30, even if there are uneven areas 18 on the surface 1s of the substrate 1, it is possible to effectively suppress mist blind spots where the substrate supply gas MG3 is not supplied, and to accurately supply the substrate supply gas MG3 over the entire surface 1s.

[0080] As a result, the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can improve the cleaning efficiency of the material to be removed from the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0081] (Description of the injection plate) (First embodiment) Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the injection plate 41 in the first embodiment. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is shown in the figure. The first embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71 of the first embodiment has an injection plate 41 as the gas output surface F25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, the injection plate 41, which is the gas output surface F25, is circular in the XY plane. The injection plate 41 has a plurality of ejection holes 51 as openings in the gas output surface F25. The plurality of ejection holes 51 are at least three first-type ejection holes, each of which is circular.

[0083] For example, the ejection holes 51a to 51c in Figure 5 are not on the same straight line on the injection plate 41. That is, the ejection holes 51a to 51c are not on the same straight line when viewed from above.

[0084] Thus, the multiple ejection holes 51 include at least three first-type ejection holes (for example, ejection holes 51a to 51c) that are not on the same straight line when viewed from above on the ejection plate 41.

[0085] In the first embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71, the substrate supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 over a relatively wide area including a plane with at least three first-type ejection holes as vertices, by outputting the substrate supply gas MG3 from a plurality of ejection holes 51 including at least three first-type ejection holes.

[0086] As a result, the first embodiment of the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can supply the substrate supply gas MG3 to a relatively wide area on the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0087] For example, by setting the shape of the multiple ejection holes 51 to be the same as the shape of the surface 1s of the substrate 1, the substrate supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0088] In Figure 5, the shape of the multiple ejection holes 51 is approximately circular, with the circumference defined by a line connecting a predetermined number of ejection holes 50 located on the outermost periphery of the multiple ejection holes 51. In this case, it is desirable that the surface 1s of the base material 1 be circular.

[0089] (Second Embodiment) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the injection plate 42 in the second embodiment. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is indicated in the figure. The second embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1 has an injection plate 42 as the gas output surface F25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25.

[0090] As shown in Figure 6, the injection plate 42, which is the gas output surface F25, is circular in the XY plane. The injection plate 42 has a plurality of ejection holes 52 as openings in the gas output surface F25. The plurality of ejection holes 52 are a plurality of second-type ejection holes, each having a slit shape that is a vertically elongated rectangle with a predetermined direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0091] Multiple ejection holes 52, which constitute the second type of ejection holes, are arranged radially from the center point C42 of the injection plate 42, with their respective predetermined directions (longitudinal directions) aligned with the radial direction from the center point C42 of the injection plate 42. Furthermore, the multiple ejection holes 52 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction centered on the center point C42. Figure 6 shows a state in which eight ejection holes 52 are arranged radially at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0092] In the second embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71 of the first embodiment, a substrate supply gas MG3 is output collectively to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 from a plurality of ejection holes 52, each of which is slit-shaped and arranged radially.

[0093] Therefore, the second embodiment of the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can supply the substrate supply gas MG3 to a relatively wide area on the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0094] For example, by setting the shape of the multiple ejection holes 52 to be the same as the shape of the surface 1s of the substrate 1, the substrate supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0095] In Figure 6, the shape of the multiple ejection holes 52 is approximately circular with the center point C42, achieved by arranging the multiple ejection holes 52 at relatively close intervals. In this case, it is desirable that the surface 1s of the base material 1 be circular.

[0096] (Third Embodiment) Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the injection plate 43 in the third embodiment. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is indicated in the figure. The third embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1 has an injection plate 43 as the gas output surface F25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, the injection plate 43, which is the gas output surface F25, is circular in shape on the XY plane. The injection plate 43 has a plurality of ejection holes 51 and a plurality of ejection holes 52 as openings in the gas output surface F25. The plurality of ejection holes 51 are a plurality of first type ejection holes, each having a circular shape. The plurality of ejection holes 52 are a plurality of second type ejection holes, each having a slit shape with a predetermined direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0098] Multiple ejection holes 51, which are multiple Type 1 ejection holes, are classified into groups of a predetermined number, each consisting of a predetermined number of holes. In the structure shown in Figure 7, the multiple ejection holes 51 are classified into eight groups (a predetermined number) every three holes (a predetermined number).

[0099] A predetermined number of ejection holes 51 are arranged in groups of a predetermined number of units, and when viewed from a plan perspective, they are aligned on the same straight line radially from the center point C43 of the injection plate 43. The multiple ejection holes 51 are arranged radially from the center point C43 in units of a predetermined number of groups.

[0100] In the structure shown in Figure 7, the three ejection holes 51 in the same group are arranged on the same straight line when viewed from the center point C43 in the radial direction, and are evenly distributed radially in units of eight groups with the center point C43 as the center.

[0101] On the other hand, the multiple ejection holes 52, which are the multiple second-type ejection holes, are arranged radially from the center point C43 of the injection plate 43, with their respective predetermined directions (longitudinal directions) aligned with the radial direction from the center point C43 of the injection plate 43. Furthermore, the multiple ejection holes 52 are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction centered on the center point C42. Figure 7 shows a state in which eight ejection holes 52 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0102] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, among the multiple ejection holes 51 and multiple ejection holes 52, three ejection holes 51 and one ejection hole 52 that are on the same straight line in a plan view are classified into eight groups and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction.

[0103] A third aspect of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1 is that by outputting substrate supply gas MG3 from a plurality of ejection holes 51 and a plurality of ejection holes 52 arranged radially in units of a predetermined number of groups, which are provided on the spray plate 43, the substrate supply gas MG3 can be output collectively from the plurality of ejection holes 52 to the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0104] As a result, the third embodiment of the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can supply the substrate supply gas MG3 to a relatively wide area on the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0105] For example, by setting the combined shape of the multiple ejection holes 51 and the multiple ejection holes 52 to be the same shape as the surface 1s of the base material 1, the base material supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface 1s of the base material 1.

[0106] In Figure 7, the above-mentioned combination shape is approximately circular with a central point C43, achieved by arranging the multiple ejection holes 51 and multiple ejection holes 52 at relatively close intervals. In this case, it is desirable that the surface 1s of the base material 1 be circular.

[0107] (Fourth Embodiment) Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure of the injection plate 44 in the fourth embodiment. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is shown in the figure. The fourth embodiment of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1 has an injection plate 44 as the gas output surface F25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25.

[0108] As shown in Figure 8, the injection plate 44, which serves as the gas output surface F25, is circular in shape in the XY plane. The injection plate 44 has a plurality of ejection holes 53 as openings for the gas output surface F25.

[0109] The multiple ejection holes 53, which are the third type ejection holes, each have an annular shape, and their sizes (radii) differ among the multiple ejection holes 53.

[0110] Multiple ejection holes 53, which are multiple third-type ejection holes, are arranged such that the center of each of the ejection holes 53 coincides with the center point C44 of the ejection plate 44. In the structure shown in Figure 8, three ejection holes 53 are provided with the center point C44 at their center, without overlapping each other.

[0111] In the fourth aspect of the substrate cleaning device 71 of Embodiment 1, a substrate supply gas MG3 is output collectively to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 from a plurality of annular ejection holes 53, each of which is arranged with its center aligned with the others.

[0112] As a result, the fourth embodiment of the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of the first embodiment can supply the substrate supply gas MG3 to a relatively wide area on the surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0113] For example, by setting the shape of the multiple ejection holes 53 to be the same as the shape of the surface 1s of the substrate 1, the substrate supply gas MG3 can be supplied to the entire surface 1s of the substrate 1.

[0114] In Figure 8, the shape of the multiple ejection holes 53 is approximately circular with the center point C44, achieved by arranging the multiple ejection holes 53 at relatively close intervals. In this case, it is desirable that the surface 1s of the base material 1 be circular.

[0115] <Embodiment 2> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of Embodiment 2, which is a substrate cleaning apparatus according to the present disclosure. The XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is shown in Figure 9.

[0116] As shown in the figure, the substrate cleaning device 72 of the second embodiment includes a mist gas supply unit, an air gas supply unit, and a rotating mechanism 30 (not shown), which will be described later, as its main components.

[0117] The mist gas supply unit includes an ultrasonic atomizer 11, a transport gas supply pipe 13, and a mist gas supply pipe 15, as well as a flow regulator 5 as its main components, while the air gas supply unit includes an air gas supply pipe 16, as well as a flow regulator 6 as its main components.

[0118] In the following description, components similar to those in the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figures 1 to 8 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. The focus will be on describing the features of the substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of Embodiment 2.

[0119] The ultrasonic atomizer 11 generates a cleaning liquid mist MT by applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid contained inside. The transport gas TG is supplied to the ultrasonic atomizer 11 via the flow regulator 5 and the transport gas supply piping 13.

[0120] The flow regulator 5, which functions as a mist gas supply control unit, has the function of adjusting the flow rate of the transport gas TG within the range of "0" to a first maximum adjustment value (>0). Therefore, the flow rate of the transport gas TG, i.e., the flow velocity VM1 of the cleaning mist gas MG1, is adjusted by the flow regulator 5.

[0121] The flow regulator 5, which is the mist gas supply control unit, can perform a mist gas activation control process that controls whether or not to supply the cleaning mist gas MG1 to the internal junction nozzle 25 by adjusting the flow rate of the transport gas TG to "0" or a significant flow rate other than "0". In other words, when the flow regulator 5 sets the flow rate to "0", the supply of the cleaning mist gas MG1 to the internal junction nozzle 25 is shut off, and when a significant flow rate other than "0" is set, the supply of the cleaning mist gas MG1 to the internal junction nozzle 25 is performed.

[0122] Therefore, when the flow regulator 5 sets the flow rate of the transport gas TG to a significant flow rate other than "0", the cleaning liquid mist MT generated in the ultrasonic atomizer 11 is transported by the transport gas TG and becomes the cleaning mist gas MG1.

[0123] This cleaning mist gas MG1 is supplied to the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 via the mist gas supply pipe 15.

[0124] The flow regulator 6, which functions as an air gas supply control unit, has the function of adjusting the flow rate of air gas AG1 within the range of "0" to a second maximum flow rate value (>0). Therefore, the flow rate of air gas AG1, i.e., the flow velocity VA1 of air gas AG1, is adjusted by the flow regulator 6.

[0125] The flow regulator 6, which is the air gas supply control unit, can perform an air gas activation control process that controls whether or not to supply air gas AG1 to the internal merging nozzle 25 by adjusting the flow rate of air gas AG1 to "0" or a significant flow rate other than "0". In other words, when the flow regulator 6 sets the flow rate to "0", the supply of air gas AG1 to the internal merging nozzle 25 is shut off, and when a significant flow rate other than "0" is set, the supply of air gas AG1 to the internal merging nozzle 25 is performed.

[0126] Therefore, when the flow regulator 6 sets the flow rate of air gas AG1 to a significant flow rate that is not "0", the air gas AG1 is supplied to the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 via the air gas supply pipe 16.

[0127] The substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of Embodiment 2, with this configuration, provides the following additional effects in addition to the effects of the substrate cleaning apparatus 71 of Embodiment 1.

[0128] The substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of the second embodiment can perform mist gas activation control processing by the flow rate regulator 5, which is a mist gas supply control unit, and air gas activation control processing by the flow rate regulator 6, which is an air gas supply control unit.

[0129] Therefore, by performing mist gas activation control processing and air gas activation control processing, the substrate supply gas MG3 generated in the gas containment space S25 of the internal confluence nozzle 25 can be set to one of three gas types: a combination of cleaning mist gas and air gas, cleaning mist gas only, or air gas only.

[0130] Therefore, the substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of the second embodiment can supply either a mixed gas obtained by combining the cleaning mist gas MG1 and the air gas AG1, the cleaning mist gas MG1 alone, or the air gas AG1 alone to the surface 1s of the substrate 1 as the substrate supply gas MG3.

[0131] For example, when applying a chemical agent to the surface 1s of a substrate 1 to be cleaned, and dissolving and removing the coating on the surface 1s through a chemical reaction with the chemical agent, it is desirable to supply the substrate supply gas MG3, which is a gas type consisting only of cleaning mist gas MG1, to the surface 1s of the substrate 1. For this reason, the supply of cleaning mist gas MG1 is set to be enabled by the mist gas activation control process of the flow regulator 5, and the supply of air gas AG1 is set to be disabled by the air gas activation control process of the flow regulator 6.

[0132] Furthermore, when removing oil, fine particulate matter, rust, etc. adhering to the surface 1s of the substrate 1, it is desirable to supply substrate supply gas MG3, a gas type that is a mixed gas obtained by the merging of cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1, to the surface 1s of the substrate 1. For this reason, the supply of cleaning mist gas MG1 is effectively set by the mist gas activation control process of the flow regulator 5, and the supply of air gas AG1 is effectively set by the air gas activation control process of the flow regulator 6.

[0133] Furthermore, when performing the drying treatment of the substrate after cleaning the surface 1s of the substrate 1 to be cleaned, it is desirable to supply the substrate supply gas MG3, which is a gas type consisting only of air gas AG1, to the surface 1s of the substrate 1. For this reason, the supply of cleaning mist gas MG1 is disabled by the mist gas activation control process of the flow regulator 5, and the supply of air gas AG1 is enabled by the air gas activation control process of the flow regulator 6.

[0134] Thus, the substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of the second embodiment can select one of three types of gases and output it as substrate supply gas MG3, allowing the substrate supply gas MG3 to be used differently depending on the cleaning application.

[0135] When both the supply of cleaning mist gas MG1 by mist gas activation control processing and the supply of air gas AG1 by air gas activation control processing are set to be effective, the substrate cleaning apparatus 72 of Embodiment 2 provides the following additional effects.

[0136] In other words, Embodiment 2 has the additional effect of being able to adjust the flow rate VM1 of the cleaning mist gas MG1 with the flow rate regulator 5 and the flow rate VA1 of the air gas AG1 with the flow rate regulator 6 so that the substrate supply gas MG3 is output from the entire opening of the gas output surface F25.

[0137] As a first modification of the mist gas supply control unit, the first on-off valve may be used instead of the flow regulator 5. In the case of the first modification, by setting the first on-off valve to the "open" or "closed" state, a mist gas activation control process can be performed to control whether or not the cleaning mist gas MG1 is supplied to the internal confluence nozzle 25.

[0138] Similarly, as a second modification of the air gas supply control unit, a second on-off valve may be used instead of the flow regulator 6. In the case of the second modification, by setting the second on-off valve to an "open" or "closed" state, an air gas activation control process can be performed to control whether or not the air gas AG1 is supplied to the internal merging nozzle 25.

[0139] <Other> In the embodiment described above, an ultrasonic atomizer 11 that utilizes ultrasonic vibrations is shown as an atomizer for generating the cleaning mist gas MG1. However, other atomizers that generate the cleaning mist gas MG1 from the cleaning liquid by methods other than ultrasonic vibrations may be used instead of the ultrasonic atomizer 11.

[0140] In the embodiment described above, a cylindrical internal confluence nozzle 25 was shown, but the internal confluence nozzle may also be configured as a conical structure with a circular bottom (gas output surface F25) and a cone-shaped top, a prism structure with polygonal tops and bottoms, or a pyramidal structure with a polygonal bottom and a cone-shaped top. However, the following requirements for generating the substrate supply gas MG3 must be satisfied.

[0141] Generation conditions: When cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 are supplied together, the cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 collide within the gas containment space and merge. The mixture of cleaning mist gas MG1 and air gas AG1 then diffuses downwards as a substrate supply gas MG3.

[0142] Furthermore, when the internal confluence nozzle is configured with a conical or pyramidal structure, the mist gas supply pipe 15 and the mist gas supply pipe 15 must penetrate the side of the internal confluence nozzle and extend into the gas containment space.

[0143] Furthermore, although the injection plates 41 to 44 in the first to fourth embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 8 were circular in shape, they may also be hemispherical or conically concave three-dimensional structures. A hemispherical concave three-dimensional structure means a hemispherical structure that is circular when viewed from above and whose center point is the highest point on the +Z direction side. A conically concave structure means a conical structure that is circular when viewed from above and whose center point is the highest point on the +Z direction side.

[0144] Thus, instead of the circular injection plates 41-44, injection plates with a hemispherical recessed or cone-shaped recessed three-dimensional structure that is circular in plan view may be used. In other words, the hemispherical recessed three-dimensional structure and the cone-shaped recessed three-dimensional structure of the injection plates have the same characteristics as the injection plates 41-44 in that they are circular in plan view.

[0145] Furthermore, although the modified form described above had a circular shape in plan view, the shape in plan view may be changed to a polygonal shape, resulting in a pyramidal, recessed three-dimensional structure. A pyramidal, recessed three-dimensional structure refers to a pyramidal structure that is polygonal in plan view and whose center point is the uppermost point on the +Z direction side.

[0146] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate 1 was rotated by the rotating mechanism 30, but the substrate supply gas MG3 may also be supplied from the internal confluence nozzle 25 while the substrate 1 to be cleaned is stationary.

[0147] Although this disclosure has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all respects and the disclosure is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated may be conceivable without falling outside the scope of this disclosure.

[0148] 1 Substrate 11 Ultrasonic atomizer 13 Conveyor gas supply piping 15 Mist gas supply piping 15a Mist gas output port 16 Air gas supply piping 16a Air gas output port 25 Internal confluence nozzle 30 Rotating mechanism 40-44 Spray plate 50-53 Spray hole F25 Gas output surface S25 Gas containment space

Claims

1. A substrate cleaning apparatus comprising: a mist gas supply unit that supplies a cleaning mist gas containing a cleaning liquid mist, which is a mist of a cleaning liquid, for cleaning the cleaning surface of a substrate; an air gas supply unit that supplies air gas; and an internal confluence nozzle that has a gas containment space for containing the cleaning mist gas and the air gas, and when the cleaning mist gas and the air gas are supplied into the gas containment space, the air gas is combined with the cleaning mist gas to generate a substrate supply gas, and the substrate supply gas is output from an opening on the gas output surface facing the cleaning surface of the substrate.

2. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mist gas supply unit extends from outside the internal confluence nozzle into the gas containment space and includes a mist gas supply pipe for supplying the cleaning mist gas into the gas containment space; the air gas supply unit extends from outside the internal confluence nozzle into the gas containment space and includes an air gas supply pipe for supplying the air gas into the gas containment space; the mist gas supply pipe outputs the cleaning mist gas from a mist gas output port; the air gas supply pipe outputs the air gas from an air gas output port; the mist gas output port and the air gas output port are arranged to face each other across a collision region in the gas containment space; and the gas output surface is located below the collision region.

3. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gas output surface has at least three first type ejection holes, each of which is circular, the opening of the gas output surface includes the at least three first type ejection holes, and the at least three first type ejection holes are not on the same straight line when viewed from above.

4. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gas output surface is circular in shape when viewed from above, the gas output surface has a plurality of second type ejection holes, each of the plurality of second type ejection holes is slit-shaped with a predetermined direction as its longitudinal direction, the opening of the gas output surface includes the plurality of second type ejection holes, and the plurality of second type ejection holes are arranged radially from the center of the gas output surface in such a manner that the predetermined direction of each of the plurality of second type ejection holes coincides with the radial direction from the center of the gas output surface.

5. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gas output surface is circular in plan view, the gas output surface has a plurality of first-type ejection holes and a plurality of second-type ejection holes, the opening of the gas output surface includes the plurality of first-type ejection holes and the plurality of second-type ejection holes, each of the plurality of first-type ejection holes is circular and classified into a predetermined number of groups of different sizes, each of the plurality of second-type ejection holes is slit-shaped with a predetermined direction as its longitudinal direction, each of the predetermined number of first-type ejection holes is arranged in a manner such that a predetermined number of first-type ejection holes are arranged on the same straight line in plan view along the radial direction from the center of the gas output surface in units of the predetermined number of groups, and the plurality of second-type ejection holes are arranged radially from the center of the gas output surface in a manner such that the predetermined direction of each of the plurality of second-type ejection holes coincides with the radial direction from the center of the gas output surface.

6. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gas output surface is circular in shape when viewed from above, the gas output surface has a plurality of third type ejection holes, each of the plurality of third type ejection holes is annular in shape, the size of each of the plurality of third type ejection holes differs, the opening of the gas output surface includes the plurality of third type ejection holes, and the plurality of third type ejection holes are arranged such that the center of each of the plurality of third type ejection holes coincides with the center of the gas output surface.

7. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mist gas supply unit includes a mist gas supply control unit that performs a mist gas activation control process to control whether or not to supply the cleaning mist gas to the internal confluence nozzle, and the air gas supply unit includes an air gas supply control unit that performs an air gas activation control process to control whether or not to supply the air gas to the internal confluence nozzle.

8. A substrate cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a rotating mechanism that performs a rotational operation to rotate the substrate along the direction of rotation.

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