JP7630987B2 - Substrate Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates such as wafers, and in particular to a substrate processing apparatus for processing the peripheral portion of a substrate.

In recent years, the management of the surface condition of substrates has been attracting attention from the viewpoint of improving the yield in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various materials are deposited on silicon wafers. As a result, unnecessary films and surface roughness are formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate. In recent years, a method of transporting the substrate by holding only the peripheral portion of the substrate with an arm has become common. Under such circumstances, the unnecessary film remaining on the peripheral portion peels off during various processes and adheres to the device formed on the substrate, reducing the yield. Therefore, in order to remove the unnecessary film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate, the peripheral portion of the substrate is processed using a substrate processing device.

This type of substrate processing apparatus processes the peripheral edge of a substrate by sliding a processing tape against the peripheral edge of the substrate. Specifically, the substrate is held on a stage, and while the stage is rotated or swung, a processing tape such as an abrasive tape is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate by a processing head, thereby processing the peripheral edge of the substrate. During substrate processing, the processing tape is fed in a fixed direction while tension is applied.

JP 2009-154285 A

The processing head is equipped with a tape feed mechanism for feeding the processing tape, but because the tape feed mechanism is made up of a motor and other components, the processing head becomes large.

The present invention aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can reduce the size of the processing head with a simple configuration.

In one aspect, a substrate processing apparatus is provided that includes a substrate holding section that holds a substrate, a processing head that brings a processing tape into contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate, a tilt mechanism that changes the angle of the processing head relative to the substrate, a supply reel that supplies the processing tape to the processing head, a recovery reel that recovers the processing tape used in processing the substrate, a moving roller that moves according to the angle of the processing head while supporting the processing tape, and a tension applying mechanism that applies tension to the processing tape via the moving roller, the moving roller being disposed between the recovery reel and the processing head.

In one aspect, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a tape feed mechanism that feeds the processing tape from the supply reel to the return reel, the tape feed mechanism being disposed between the return reel and the moving roller.
In one aspect, the tension applying mechanism includes a tension motor that generates a predetermined torque and a rotating arm that connects the tension motor and the moving roller, the rotating arm being configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis of the tension motor.
In one embodiment, the tension applying mechanism includes an air cylinder connected to the moving roller and a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure of gas in the air cylinder.
In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further includes an operation control unit electrically connected to the tension applying mechanism, the operation control unit being configured to determine the torque to be generated by the tension motor based on the magnitude of the torque applied to the supply reel and/or the return reel, and to issue a command to the tension motor to apply the determined torque to the rotating arm.
In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further includes an operation control unit electrically connected to the tension applying mechanism, the operation control unit being configured to determine a target value for the gas pressure in the air cylinder based on the magnitude of torque applied to the supply reel and/or the return reel, and to issue a command to the pressure regulator to maintain the gas pressure in the air cylinder at the target value.

According to the present invention, the tape feed mechanism can be placed outside the processing head without the need for complex control. As a result, the processing head can be made smaller with a simple configuration.

1(a) and 1(b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the peripheral portion of a substrate. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from above. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the processing head is tilted downward by a tilt mechanism. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the processing head is tilted upward by a tilt mechanism. FIG. FIG. 7(a) is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a tension applying mechanism, and FIG. 7(b) is a side view of FIG. 7(a). FIG. 8(a) is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the tension applying mechanism, and FIG. 8(b) is a side view of FIG. 8(a).

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this specification, the peripheral portion of the substrate is defined as a region including a bevel portion located on the outermost periphery of the substrate, and a top edge portion and a bottom edge portion located radially inward of this bevel portion.

1(a) and 1(b) are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the peripheral portion of a substrate. More specifically, FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view of a so-called straight-type substrate, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of a so-called round-type substrate. In the substrate W of FIG. 1(a), the bevel portion is the outermost surface (indicated by the symbol B) of the substrate W composed of an upper inclined portion (upper bevel portion) P, a lower inclined portion (lower bevel portion) Q, and a side portion (apex) R. In the substrate W of FIG. 1(b), the bevel portion is a portion (indicated by the symbol B) having a curved cross section that constitutes the outermost surface of the substrate W. The top edge portion is an annular flat portion E1 located radially inside the bevel portion B, and is a region located within the device surface of the substrate W. The bottom edge portion is an annular flat portion E2 located on the opposite side to the top edge portion and radially inside the bevel portion B. The top edge portion E1 may also include a region in which a device is formed.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 2 is an apparatus for processing the peripheral portion of a substrate (e.g., a wafer). Examples of processing the peripheral portion of a substrate include polishing the peripheral portion of the substrate and cleaning the peripheral portion of the substrate.

As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate holding unit 10 that holds and rotates the substrate W to be processed, a processing head 50 that processes the peripheral portion of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 10 by contacting the peripheral portion of the substrate W with a processing tape, a liquid supply nozzle 20 that supplies liquid to the substrate W, and an operation control unit 9 that controls the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

Figure 2 shows the state in which the substrate holding unit 10 is holding the substrate W. When the substrate W is held by the substrate holding unit 10, the processing head 50 faces the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The substrate holding unit 10 is equipped with a holding stage 4 that holds the substrate W by vacuum suction, a shaft 5 connected to the center of the holding stage 4, and a holding stage drive mechanism 7 that rotates the holding stage 4 and moves it up and down. The holding stage drive mechanism 7 is configured to be able to rotate the holding stage 4 around its axis Cr and move it up and down along the axis Cr.

The holding stage 4, the processing head 50, the liquid supply nozzle 20, and the holding stage 4 are arranged inside the partition 63. The inside of the partition 63 forms a processing chamber in which the substrate W is processed. The partition 63 is arranged on a base plate 65. The shaft 5 extends through the base plate 65.

The holding stage drive mechanism 7 includes a motor 14 as a stage rotation device for rotating the holding stage 4, and an air cylinder 17 for moving the holding stage 4 up and down. The motor 14 is fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 65. The holding stage 4 is rotated by the motor 14 via a shaft 5, a pulley 11a connected to the shaft 5, a pulley 11b attached to the rotation shaft of the motor 14, and a belt 12 hung around these pulleys 11a and 11b. The rotation shaft of the motor 14 extends parallel to the shaft 5. With this configuration, the substrate W held on the upper surface of the holding stage 4 is rotated by the motor 14. The shaft 5 is connected to an air cylinder 17 via a rotary joint 16 attached to the lower end of the shaft 5, and the shaft 5 and the holding stage 4 can be raised and lowered by the air cylinder 17.

The substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the holding stage 4 by a transport mechanism (not shown) so that the center O1 of the substrate W is located on the axis Cr of the holding stage 4. The substrate W is held on the upper surface of the holding stage 4 with the device surface facing upward. With this configuration, the substrate holding unit 10 can rotate the substrate W around the axis Cr of the holding stage 4 (i.e., the axis of the substrate W) and raise and lower the substrate W along the axis Cr of the holding stage 4.

The liquid supply nozzle 20 is positioned above the center of the holding stage 4 and faces the center of the holding stage 4 (facing the center O1 of the surface (top surface) of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 10). The liquid supply nozzle 20 is connected to a liquid supply source (not shown). An example of the liquid is pure water.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a tape supply and recovery mechanism 23 that supplies the processing tape 21 to the processing head 50 and recovers it from the processing head 50. Examples of the processing tape 21 include a polishing tape having abrasive grains on its surface and a cleaning tape. An example of a cleaning tape is a tape made of nonwoven fabric.

The tape supply and recovery mechanism 23 is disposed outside the partition wall 63. The tape supply and recovery mechanism 23 includes a supply reel 24 that supplies the processing tape 21 to the processing head 50, and a recovery reel 25 that recovers the processing tape 21 used in processing the substrate W. Reel rotation motors 24a and 25a are connected to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25, respectively. The reel rotation motors 24a and 25a are adapted to apply a predetermined torque to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25, so that a predetermined tension can be applied to the processing tape 21. For example, the reel rotation motors 24a and 25a can increase the tension of the processing tape 21 by applying torque in opposite directions to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2.

The processing tape 21 is supplied to the processing head 50 so that the processing surface of the processing tape 21 faces the surface to be processed at the peripheral edge of the substrate W. The processing tape 21 is supplied from the supply reel 24 to the processing head 50 through an opening 63a provided in the partition 63, and the used processing tape 21 is collected on the collection reel 25 through the opening 63a.

The tape supply and recovery mechanism 23 further includes a tape feed mechanism 28 that feeds the processing tape 21 from the supply reel 24 to the recovery reel 25, a plurality of guide rollers 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 that support the processing tape 21, a moving roller 37 that supports the processing tape 21, and a tension applying mechanism 40 that applies tension to the processing tape 21 via the moving roller 37. The moving roller 37 is configured to move (up and down) according to the angle of the processing head 50 described below while supporting the processing tape 21. The moving roller 37 is supported by the tension applying mechanism 40. The traveling direction of the processing tape 21 is guided by the guide rollers 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 and the moving roller 37. The positions of the guide rollers 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 are fixed.

The tape feed mechanism 28 includes a tape feed roller 28a, a tape gripping roller 28b, and a motor M that rotates the tape feed roller 28a. The motor M is provided on the side of the tape supply and recovery mechanism 23, and the tape feed roller 28a is connected to the rotation shaft of the motor M. A portion of the processing tape 21 is wound around a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tape feed roller 28a. The tape gripping roller 28b is provided next to the tape feed roller 28a, and is supported by a mechanism (not shown) so as to generate a force in the direction indicated by F1 in FIG. 2 (the direction toward the tape feed roller 28a), and is configured to press against the tape feed roller 28a.

The processing tape 21 is sandwiched between the tape feed roller 28a and the tape gripping roller 28b. When the motor M rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2, the tape feed roller 28a rotates. As the tape feed roller 28a rotates, the processing tape 21 is fed from the supply reel 24 to the recovery reel 25 via the processing head 50. The tape gripping roller 28b is configured to be able to rotate around its own axis, and rotates as the processing tape 21 is fed.

In this embodiment, the moving roller 37 is disposed between the processing head 50 and the recovery reel 25, and the tape feed mechanism 28 is disposed between the recovery reel 25 and the moving roller 37. Specifically, the moving roller 37 is disposed between the processing head 50 and the recovery reel 25 in the advancing direction of the processing tape 21, and the tape feed mechanism 28 is disposed between the recovery reel 25 and the moving roller 37 in the advancing direction of the processing tape 21.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the processing head 50. As shown in Figure 3, the processing head 50 is equipped with a pressing mechanism 51 that presses the processing tape 21 against the peripheral portion of the substrate W. The processing tape 21 is supplied to pass over the end face of the pressing mechanism 51. In this embodiment, the pressing mechanism 51 is equipped with a pressing pad 51a that supports the back surface of the processing tape 21, and an air cylinder 51b connected to the pressing pad 51a. The processing head 50 uses the pressing mechanism 51 to press the processing tape 21 from its back side, and brings the processing surface of the processing tape 21 into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate W, thereby processing the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

The processing head 50 further includes a number of guide rollers 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59 for supporting the processing tape 21, and a nip portion 52 for supporting the processing tape 21 by pinching it. The traveling direction of the processing tape 21 is guided by the guide rollers 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59 and the nip portion 52.

The nip section 52 includes a first nip roller 52a and a second nip roller 52b. The processing tape 21 is wound around the first nip roller 52a and the second nip roller 52b by approximately half a circumference. The second nip roller 52b is supported by a mechanism (not shown) so as to generate a force in the direction indicated by F2 in FIG. 3 (the direction toward the first nip roller 52a) and is configured to press the first nip roller 52a. As a result, the processing tape 21 is supported by being sandwiched between the first nip roller 52a and the second nip roller 52b. The first nip roller 52a and the second nip roller 52b rotate as the processing tape 21 is fed.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 2, seen from above. As shown in Figure 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes a tilt mechanism 70 that changes the angle of the processing head 50 relative to the substrate W. The tilt mechanism 70 includes a motor 71 and a crank arm 73. The crank arm 73 has two shafts that are eccentric to each other, and the processing head 50 is fixed to one end of the crank arm 73. A pulley 75 is attached to the other end of the crank arm 73. The crank arm 73 is connected to the motor 71 via the pulley 75, a pulley 76 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 71, and a belt 77 hung around these pulleys 75 and 76. By driving the motor 71, the crank arm 73 rotates around the rotation axis Ct of the crank arm 73.

The rotation axis Ct extends in the tangential direction of the substrate W on the substrate holder 10. When the motor 71 rotates the crank arm 73 clockwise and counterclockwise a predetermined angle around the rotation axis Ct, the processing head 50 connected to the crank arm 73 also rotates clockwise and counterclockwise a predetermined angle around the rotation axis Ct. The processing surface of the processing tape 21 supported by the processing head 50 is located on the extension of the rotation axis Ct. Therefore, when the motor 71 is driven, the processing head 50 rotates clockwise and counterclockwise a predetermined angle around the processing surface of the processing tape 21.

By rotating the processing head 50 around the rotation axis Ct in this manner, the angle of the processing head 50 with respect to the peripheral edge of the substrate W can be changed. A motor capable of precisely controlling the position and speed, such as a servo motor or stepping motor, is used as the motor 71, and the processing head 50 is configured to be able to rotate at the desired programmed angle and at the desired speed.

5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the processing head 50 is tilted downward by the tilt mechanism 70, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the processing head 50 is tilted upward by the tilt mechanism 70. In FIG. 5, the processing tape 21 is in contact with the upper region of the bevel portion of the substrate W, and in FIG. 6, the processing tape 21 is in contact with the lower region of the bevel portion of the substrate W. In this way, by changing the angle of the processing head 50 along the bevel portion of the substrate W, the entire bevel portion of the substrate W can be processed. By tilting the processing head 50 so that the processing surface of the processing tape 21 in contact with the substrate W is parallel to the front surface (or back surface) of the substrate W, the top edge portion (or bottom edge portion) of the substrate W can be processed. This allows the entire peripheral portion of the substrate W to be processed. In one embodiment, the substrate W may be processed while continuously changing the tilt angle of the processing head 50.

The processing of the substrate W is performed while feeding the processing tape 21 in a fixed direction and applying a predetermined tension to the processing tape 21. As shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6, when the inclination angle of the processing head 50 is changed while applying a predetermined tension to the processing tape 21, the length of the processing tape 21 from the guide rollers 32 and 33, i.e., the guide rollers that support the processing tape 21 between the processing head 50 and the processing head 50, to the processing head 50 changes depending on the angle of the processing head 50 without going through other guide rollers.

In this embodiment, on the supply side (the section from the supply reel 24 to the processing head 50), the length of the processing tape 21 from the guide roller 32 to the processing head 50 is adjusted by changing the amount of processing tape 21 supplied from the supply reel 24 (i.e., adjusting the torque applied to the supply reel 24). On the recovery side (the section from the recovery reel 25 to the processing head 50), the moving roller 37 moves (moves up and down) according to the angle of the processing head 50. This changes the length of the processing tape 21 in the section from the guide roller 34 adjacent to the moving roller 37 through the moving roller 37 to the guide roller 35 adjacent to the moving roller 37 (hereinafter referred to as the excess portion). Based on the change in the length of the processing tape 21 in the excess portion, the length of the processing tape 21 from the processing head 50 to the guide roller 33 changes.

Specifically, the guide roller 34 is adjacent to the moving roller 37 on the upstream side of the advancing direction of the processing tape 21, and the guide roller 35 is adjacent to the moving roller 37 on the downstream side of the advancing direction of the processing tape 21.

The moving roller 37 is disposed below the guide rollers 34 and 35, and the processing tape 21 is hung on the moving roller 37 from below. The moving roller 37 is connected to a tension applying mechanism 40, and a downward force (a force pushing the processing tape 21 downward) is applied to the moving roller 37 from the tension applying mechanism 40. As a result, the tension applying mechanism 40 applies tension to the processing tape 21 via the moving roller 37. Meanwhile, tension is also applied to the processing tape 21 from the reel rotation motors 24a and 25a, and an upward force is applied from the processing tape 21 to the moving roller 37 due to the tension applied from the reel rotation motors 24a and 25a. The moving roller 37 is held in a position where the downward force applied from the tension applying mechanism 40 and the upward force applied from the processing tape 21 are balanced. The tension of the processing tape 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the force applied from the tension applying mechanism 40 to the moving roller 37.

When the processing head 50 tilts and the processing tape 21 is pulled (the processing head 50 moves away from the moving roller 37), an upward force (a force pushing up the moving roller 37) is applied from the processing tape 21 to the moving roller 37. When this upward force becomes greater than the downward force from the tensioning mechanism 40, the moving roller 37 rises while tension is still applied to the processing tape 21, and the length of the excess portion of the processing tape 21 becomes shorter. The length of the processing tape 21 between the guide roller 33 and the processing head 50 becomes longer by the amount that the length of the excess portion of the processing tape 21 has become shorter.

When the processing head 50 tilts and approaches the moving roller 37, the moving roller 37 descends until the downward force applied to the moving roller 37 from the tensioning mechanism 40 and the upward force applied to the moving roller 37 from the processing tape 21 are balanced. This increases the length of the excess processing tape 21, and the length of the processing tape 21 between the guide roller 33 and the processing head 50 decreases by the amount of the increase in the length of the excess processing tape 21.

Therefore, by making the length of the excess processing tape 21 longer than the difference between the length of the processing tape 21 between the guide roller 33 and the processing head 50 when it is at its longest and the length of the processing tape 21 between the guide roller 33 and the processing head 50 when it is at its shortest, the length of the processing tape 21 between the recovery reel 25 and the processing head 50 can be made constant regardless of the angle of the processing head 50.

Figure 7(a) is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the tension applying mechanism 40, and Figure 7(b) is a side view of Figure 7(a). The tension applying mechanism 40 of this embodiment includes a tension motor 41 that generates a predetermined torque, and a rotating arm 43 that connects the tension motor 41 and the moving roller 37. One end of the rotating arm 43 is fixed to the rotating shaft 41a of the tension motor 41, and the rotating arm 43 is rotatable around the rotating shaft 41a of the tension motor 41.

The moving roller 37 has a shaft 37a and an outer ring 37b, and the shaft 37a is fixed to the other end of the rotating arm 43. The outer ring 37b is rotatable around the shaft 37a via a bearing (not shown). The processing tape 21 is hung on the outer ring 37b. When the rotating arm 43 rotates a predetermined angle clockwise and counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 41a, the moving roller 37 fixed to the rotating arm 43 also rotates a predetermined angle clockwise and counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 41a. This causes the moving roller 37 to move up and down. Specifically, the moving roller 37 moves up and down while tracing an arc.

The tension motor 41 is configured to apply a predetermined torque to the rotating arm 43, and during processing of the substrate W, the tension motor 41 applies torque to the rotating arm 43 in a direction that moves the moving roller 37 downward. This applies a downward force (a force that pushes the processing tape 21 downward) to the moving roller 37. The tension applying mechanism 40 applies tension to the processing tape 21 via the moving roller 37. The tension of the processing tape 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the torque that the tension motor 41 applies to the rotating arm 43.

Figure 8(a) is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the tension applying mechanism 40, and Figure 8(b) is a side view of Figure 8(a). The tension applying mechanism 40 of this embodiment includes an air cylinder 45 connected to the moving roller 37 and a pressure regulator 46 that adjusts the pressure of the gas in the air cylinder 45. The air cylinder 45 is disposed above the moving roller 37, and is configured to generate a downward force. The shaft 37a of the moving roller 37 is fixed to a bracket 47a, and the moving roller 37 is connected to a piston rod 45b of the air cylinder via brackets 47a and 47b. The downward force generated by the air cylinder 45 is transmitted to the moving roller 37 via brackets 47a and 47b.

In this embodiment, the air cylinder 45 is connected to a compressed gas supply source (not shown) through a gas transfer line L. A pressure regulator 46 is provided on the gas transfer line L. Compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas supply source through the pressure regulator 46 to a pressure chamber in the body portion 45a of the air cylinder 45.

The pressure regulator 46 is configured to adjust the pressure of the gas (compressed gas) in the main body 45a of the air cylinder 45. The pressure regulator 46 is electrically connected to the operation control unit 9. During processing of the substrate W, the operation control unit 9 issues a command to the pressure regulator 46 to adjust the pressure of the compressed gas in the air cylinder 45.

When an upward force greater than the downward force applied by the air cylinder 45 to the moving roller 37 is applied, the piston rod 45b of the air cylinder 45 is pushed up. The pressure of the compressed gas in the pressure chamber in the main body 45a is controlled by the pressure regulator 46 so that it remains constant even when the piston rod 45b is pushed up. The tension of the processing tape 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the target value of the pressure of the compressed gas in the air cylinder 45.

If the tape feed mechanism is located outside the processing head (between the processing head and the recovery reel) without providing a movable guide roller such as the movable roller 37, the length of the processing tape between the recovery reel and the processing head changes depending on the angle of the processing head. In order to change the length of the processing tape between the recovery reel and the processing head while applying tension to the processing tape, the tape feed mechanism needs to unwind the processing tape to the processing head in addition to feeding the tape to the recovery reel, which requires complex control.

In this embodiment, the moving roller 37 is disposed between the recovery reel 25 and the processing head 50, and the length of the processing tape 21 between the guide roller 33 (i.e., the guide roller that supports the processing tape 21 between the recovery reel 25 and the processing head 50 without going through any other guide roller) and the processing head 50 changes as the moving roller 37 moves according to the angle of the processing head 50. Therefore, the angle of the processing head 50 can be changed while keeping the length of the processing tape 21 between the recovery reel 25 and the processing head 50 constant. Therefore, the tape feed mechanism 28 can be disposed outside the processing head 50 without requiring complex control. As a result, the processing head 50 can be made smaller with a simple configuration.

By making the processing head 50 smaller, the number of processing heads 50 in the processing chamber can be increased, improving throughput. In addition, by locating the tape feed mechanism 28 outside the processing head 50, the motor M of the tape feed mechanism 28, which is a source of particle generation, can be moved away from the substrate W. This reduces the number of particles near the substrate W. It also prevents water splashing during processing from hitting the tape feed mechanism 28 and bouncing back. This also contributes to preventing contamination of the substrate W.

In this embodiment, the tape supply and recovery mechanism 23 includes a tape feed mechanism 28, a moving roller 37, and a tension applying mechanism 40, but the positions of the tape feed mechanism 28, the moving roller 37, and the tension applying mechanism 40 are not limited as long as the moving roller 37 is disposed between the processing head 50 and the recovery reel 25, and the tape feed mechanism 28 is disposed between the recovery reel 25 and the moving roller 37. In one embodiment, the tape feed mechanism 28, the moving roller 37, and the tension applying mechanism 40 may be disposed inside the processing chamber.

The substrate holding unit 10, the reel rotation motors 24a, 25a, the tape feed mechanism 28, the tension applying mechanism 40, the processing head 50, the liquid supply nozzle 20, and the tilt mechanism 70 are electrically connected to the operation control unit 9. The operation of the substrate holding unit 10, the reel rotation motors 24a, 25a, the tape feed mechanism 28, the tension applying mechanism 40, the processing head 50, the liquid supply nozzle 20, and the tilt mechanism 70 is controlled by the operation control unit 9.

The operation control unit 9 includes a storage device 9a in which a program is stored, and a processing device 9b that executes calculations according to instructions included in the program. The processing device 9b includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that executes calculations according to instructions included in the program stored in the storage device 9a. The storage device 9a includes a main storage device (e.g., random access memory) that can be accessed by the processing device 9b, and an auxiliary storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or solid state drive) that stores data and programs. The operation control unit 9 is composed of at least one computer. However, the specific configuration of the operation control unit 9 is not limited to this example.

Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. The substrate W to be processed is held by the holding stage 4 with its surface (device surface) facing upward by a transport mechanism (not shown) so that the center O1 of the substrate W is located on the axis Cr of the holding stage 4. The substrate W is then rotated by the substrate holder 10 about the axis Cr of the holding stage 4 (i.e., the axis of the substrate W). Next, liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate W from the liquid supply nozzle 20. The liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate W spreads over the entire surface of the substrate W due to centrifugal force, forming a flow of liquid on the peripheral portion of the substrate W.

The processing tape 21 is supplied to the processing head 50 in advance. The operation control unit 9 drives the reel rotation motors 24a, 25a, the tape feed mechanism 28, and the tension applying mechanism 40 to feed the processing tape 21 from the supply reel 24 to the recovery reel 25 via the processing head 50 while applying a predetermined tension to the processing tape 21.

Then, while supplying liquid to the surface of the substrate W and varying the angle of the processing head 50 relative to the substrate W by the tilt mechanism 70, the processing tape 21 is brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the rotating substrate W to process the peripheral portion of the substrate W. In one embodiment, the processing head 50 may be tilted to a predetermined angle to process the peripheral portion of the substrate W at a constant angle. After a preset time has elapsed, the operation control unit 9 stops the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1, thereby completing the processing.

In one embodiment, the operation control unit 9 may monitor the torque applied from the reel rotation motor 24a and/or the reel rotation motor 25a to the supply reel 24 and/or the return reel 25 during processing of the substrate W, and control the tension applying mechanism 40 based on the torque. Specifically, the operation control unit 9 determines the torque to be generated by the tension motor 41 based on the magnitude of the torque applied to the supply reel 24 and/or the return reel 25, and issues a command to the tension motor 41 to apply the determined torque to the rotating arm 43.

The torque applied to the supply reel 24 and/or the recovery reel 25 is measured by a torque measuring device (not shown), which transmits the torque measurement value to the operation control unit 9. One example of a torque measuring device is a current measuring device that measures the drive current of the reel rotation motors 24a, 25a. By measuring the drive current of the rotation motors 24a, 25a, the torque applied to the supply reel 24 and/or the recovery reel 25 can be indirectly measured.

In one embodiment, the operation control unit 9 may determine a target value for the pressure of the gas (compressed gas) in the air cylinder 45 based on the magnitude of the torque applied to the supply reel 24 and/or the return reel 25, and issue a command to the pressure regulator 46 to maintain the pressure of the gas (compressed gas) in the air cylinder 45 at the target value.

In this way, by controlling the tension applying mechanism 40 based on the torque applied to the supply reel 24 and/or the return reel 25 during processing of the substrate W, the tension of the processing tape 21 can be adjusted more precisely.

The above-described embodiments have been described for the purpose of enabling a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains to practice the present invention. Various modifications of the above-described embodiments would naturally be possible for a person skilled in the art, and the technical ideas of the present invention may also be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but is to be interpreted in the broadest scope in accordance with the technical ideas defined by the scope of the claims.

1 Substrate processing apparatus 4 Holding stage 5 Shaft 7 Holding stage driving mechanism 9 Operation control unit 10 Substrate holding unit 11a, 11b Pulley 12 Belt 14 Motor 16 Rotary joint 17 Air cylinder 20 Liquid supply nozzle 21 Processing tape 23 Tape supply and recovery mechanism 24 Supply reel 24a Reel rotation motor 25 Recovery reel 25a Reel rotation motor 28 Tape feed mechanism 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 Guide roller 37 Moving roller 40 Tension applying mechanism 41 Tension motor 43 Rotating arm 45 Air cylinder 46 Pressure regulator 50 Processing head 51 Pressing mechanism 52 Nip portion 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 Guide roller 63 Partition wall 65 Base plate 70 Tilt mechanism 71 Motor 73 Crank arm 75, 76 Pulley 77 Belt

Claims (5)

A substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a processing head for contacting a processing tape with a peripheral edge of the substrate;
a tilt mechanism that changes an angle of the processing head with respect to the substrate;
a supply reel that supplies the processing tape to the processing head;
a recovery reel for recovering a processing tape used in processing the substrate;
a moving roller that moves according to an angle of the processing head while supporting the processing tape;
a tension applying mechanism that applies tension to the processing tape via the moving roller;
a tape feed mechanism for feeding the processing tape from the supply reel to the recovery reel ;
The moving roller is disposed between the collection reel and the processing head ,
The substrate processing apparatus , wherein the tape feed mechanism is disposed between the recovery reel and the moving roller . A substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a processing head for contacting a processing tape with a peripheral edge of the substrate;
a tilt mechanism that changes an angle of the processing head with respect to the substrate;
a supply reel that supplies the processing tape to the processing head;
a recovery reel for recovering a processing tape used in processing the substrate;
a moving roller that moves according to an angle of the processing head while supporting the processing tape;
a tension applying mechanism that applies tension to the processing tape via the moving roller,
The moving roller is disposed between the collection reel and the processing head,
The tension applying mechanism includes:
A tension motor that generates a predetermined torque;
a rotating arm that connects the tension motor and the moving roller;
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the rotating arm is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis of the tension motor. The tension applying mechanism includes:
an air cylinder connected to the moving roller;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the gas in the air cylinder. a motion control unit electrically connected to the tension applying mechanism,
3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operation control unit is configured to determine a torque to be generated by the tension motor based on a magnitude of torque applied to the supply reel and/or the reel , and to issue a command to the tension motor to apply the determined torque to the rotating arm. a motion control unit electrically connected to the tension applying mechanism,
4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the operation control unit is configured to determine a target value for the gas pressure in the air cylinder based on a magnitude of torque applied to the supply reel and/or the return reel , and to issue a command to the pressure regulator to maintain the gas pressure in the air cylinder at the target value.

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