JP7679668B2 - Substrate edge cleaning device and substrate edge cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate edge cleaning device and a substrate edge cleaning method.

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor integrated circuits, liquid crystal devices, color filters, etc., it is necessary to form a photoresist layer for photolithography on the main surface of the target substrate. In order to form this photoresist layer as thin and uniform as possible, the photoresist is usually dropped near the center of the main surface of the substrate, and then the substrate is rotated using a spin coater. In this way, the desired photoresist layer can be formed over the entire main surface of the substrate by centrifugal force, and excess photoresist can be expelled to the outside of the substrate.

When the substrate on which the photoresist film is formed on the entire main surface and edge surface by the above process is handed over to a subsequent process such as an exposure process, the conveyor must grip the edge surface of the substrate, or the edge of the main surface near the edge surface of the substrate must be adsorbed by a suction cup or the like. At this time, the photoresist at the gripped or adsorbed portion may peel off and adhere to the conveyor, and then be transferred to the main surface of the substrate as foreign matter. In addition, the thickness of the photoresist layer tends to be thicker near the edge than near the center of the main surface of the substrate due to the centrifugal force of the rotation by the spin coater. Such adhesion of foreign matter to the substrate or uneven thickness of the substrate may result in the formation of an unintended pattern due to foreign matter when a photomask is placed on the substrate and a predetermined pattern is exposed to light, or the pattern shape may become unstable due to the distance between the photomask and the substrate being larger than the intended distance. As a result, the product quality and yield of the substrate on which the pattern is exposed may be reduced.

To prevent such problems, a substrate edge cleaning device has been proposed that pre-cleans and removes photoresist from the edge of the substrate or the edge of the main surface near the edge that may be gripped or adsorbed by the transport device. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate edge cleaning device that can clean the periphery of the substrate while the substrate is supported near the center by a substrate adsorption chuck, and that positions the support position of the outer periphery of the substrate adsorption chuck within a range of 30 mm from the substrate edge.

Patent Document 2 describes a substrate edge cleaning device that includes a substrate support section that supports a substrate, a cleaning unit, a substrate detection sensor provided in the cleaning unit, an alignment drive section, and an alignment control section. The document describes, in its explanation of form 6, that after a substrate coated with photoresist is placed on a stage, the cleaning unit is driven vertically to bring a cleaning pad attachment section close to the edge of the substrate from the back side, and the cleaning pad as an elastic body is pressed against the back side of the substrate. It also describes that by supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaning pad in this state, cleaning liquid can be supplied from the cleaning pad to the edge of the substrate, and that while maintaining this state, the cleaning unit can be moved along the edge of the substrate to clean the edge of the substrate.

JP 2003-86556 A JP 2004-39730 A

The substrate edge cleaning device of Patent Document 1 cleans the substrate by discharging a cleaning liquid near the edge of the substrate, which consumes a large amount of cleaning liquid and requires additional equipment such as waste liquid treatment. The substrate edge cleaning device of Patent Document 2 can reduce the amount of cleaning liquid consumed by using a cleaning pad, but requires frequent cleaning of adhering photoresist and debris and replacement of the cleaning pad. From this perspective, it is preferable that the substrate edge cleaning device can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid and reduce the workload of cleaning, part replacement, etc.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a substrate edge cleaning device and a substrate edge cleaning method that can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid and reduce the workload of cleaning, part replacement, etc.

The substrate edge cleaning device for cleaning the edge of a substrate according to this embodiment includes a substrate support section for supporting the substrate, a first cleaning film supply section and a second cleaning film supply section for unwinding long first cleaning film and second cleaning film, respectively, a first cleaning film recovery section and a second cleaning film recovery section for winding up the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film, respectively, and a pair of cleaning units that can be switched between a cleaning state in which the first end presses the substrate from both of the main surfaces facing each other along the thickness direction of the substrate via the first cleaning film and the second end presses the substrate from both of the main surfaces via the second cleaning film, and a retracted state in which the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film are separated from the first end and the second end, when the ends facing each other along the main surface of the substrate are the first end and the second end. In the cleaning state, the substrate support section moves the substrate in a direction along the first end and the second end.

In addition, in a substrate edge cleaning device for cleaning an edge of a substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention, the pair of cleaning units may supply cleaning liquid to the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film, respectively, in the cleaning state.

In addition, in a substrate edge cleaning device for cleaning an edge of a substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention, the pair of cleaning units may further include an elastic member that, in the cleaning state, abuts against the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film and elastically deforms to press the substrate, and has a through hole through which the cleaning liquid can pass.

In addition, in a substrate edge cleaning device for cleaning an edge of a substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film may be rags containing at least one of a paper material, a cloth material, and a nonwoven fabric.

In addition, in a substrate edge cleaning device for cleaning an edge of a substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention, when the first cleaning film is fed out by a predetermined amount from the first cleaning film supply unit, or the second cleaning film is fed out by a predetermined amount from the second cleaning film supply unit, in the cleaning state, the portion of the first cleaning film or the second cleaning film fed out by the predetermined amount corresponding to the pressing position may be a new portion different from the portion corresponding to the previous pressing position.

The substrate edge cleaning method for cleaning the edge of a substrate according to this embodiment includes a substrate supporting step for supporting the substrate, an unwinding step for unwinding the long first cleaning film and the long second cleaning film, a recovery step for winding up the first cleaning film and the long second cleaning film, a first moving step for moving the substrate to a first position while supporting it, a first switching step for pressing the substrate from both of the main surfaces facing each other along the main surface of the substrate at the first end through the first cleaning film and pressing the substrate from both of the main surfaces at the second end through the second cleaning film, when the ends facing each other along the main surface of the substrate are the first end and the second end, and a second switching step for moving the substrate in the cleaning state in a direction along the first end and the second end, and a second switching step for moving the substrate to a retracted state in which the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film are separated from the first end and the second end.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a substrate edge cleaning device and a substrate edge cleaning method that can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid and reduce the workload of cleaning, part replacement, etc.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a substrate edge cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a substrate edge cleaning device. 2 is a front view illustrating the substrate edge cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a side view illustrating an operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus in FIG. 1 in the vicinity of a cleaning unit including a substrate. 1. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating another operation in the vicinity of the cleaning unit including the substrate in the substrate edge cleaning apparatus of FIG. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of a cleaning unit. FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of an operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus. FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating another example of the operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus. FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating another example of the operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus.

Below, an example of the substrate edge cleaning device and substrate edge cleaning method disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the substrate edge cleaning device and substrate edge cleaning method disclosed herein are not limited to the device and method according to the embodiment described below.

Note that the figures shown below are schematic. Therefore, the size and shape of each part, the thickness of each layer in the cross-sectional view, etc. are appropriately exaggerated to make it easier to understand. In addition, hatching showing the cross section of a member is omitted in each figure as appropriate. The numerical values such as the dimensions of each member and the material names described in this specification are examples of embodiments, and are not limited to these and can be selected and used as appropriate. In this specification, terms that specify shapes and geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and vertical, are intended to include substantially the same state in addition to their strict meaning. Also, for convenience of explanation, the terms above or below the paper may be used in the description, but the up-down direction may be reversed, and the same applies to the left-right direction.

1. Embodiments of the Present Disclosure A typical embodiment of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus of the present disclosure will be described. Here, for convenience of describing the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1, an XYZ coordinate system is provided. In the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1, the Y axis is provided along the direction in which the substrate 5 moves during cleaning, and the Z axis is provided along the thickness direction of the substrate 5 at that time. In addition, an X axis perpendicular to the Y axis and the Z axis is provided. The direction in which the substrate 5 first moves during cleaning is defined as the -Y direction side, and the opposite direction is defined as the +Y direction side. In addition, when the moving direction of the substrate 5 is facing the front of the paper, the right side is defined as the +X direction side, the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction side, the vertical upward direction is defined as the +Z direction side, and the vertical downward direction is defined as the -Z direction side.

The substrate edge cleaning device 1 is a device for cleaning and removing excess photoresist layer formed on the main surface of a substrate 5, which is a target for photolithography, that adheres to the edge of the substrate 5 in the manufacturing process of semiconductor integrated circuits, liquid crystal devices, color filters, etc. Here, FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the substrate edge cleaning device 1 in FIG. 1 as seen from the -Y direction side, and FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of the periphery of the substrate 5 in FIG. 3(a). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(b), the substrate 5 has an upper front surface 5a and a lower back surface 5b as main surfaces that face each other along its thickness direction. It is arbitrary which side of the substrate 5 is defined as the front surface or the back surface.

On the front surface 5a, which is approximately rectangular in plan view along the Z axis of the substrate 5, the ends along two opposing sides along the X axis, i.e., the side along the Y axis on the -X direction side and the side along the Y axis on the +X direction side, are designated as main surface ends 51b and 52b. On the other hand, on the back surface 5b, the ends along two opposing sides along the X axis are designated as main surface ends 51c and 52c. In addition, the faces on the -X direction side and +X direction side that are approximately perpendicular to the main surfaces that contact the front surface 5a and back surface 5b along the Y axis are designated as end faces 51a and 52a, respectively.

The width of the main surface ends 51b, 52b, 51c, and 52c along the X-axis direction depends on the product specifications and the gripping and suction position of the substrate on the conveyor in the subsequent process, but can be, for example, about 0.1 mm or more and 50 mm or less. End 51 refers to the combined area of main surface ends 51b and 51c and end face 51a, or a portion thereof. Similarly, end 52 refers to the combined area of main surface ends 52b and 52c and end face 52a, or a portion thereof.

The substrate edge cleaning device 1 includes a substrate support section 600 that supports the substrate 5, which includes a movable support 620 and a stage 610 for adsorbing and fixing the substrate 5 placed on the upper end of the support. The substrate edge cleaning device 1 also includes a first cleaning film supply section 21 and a second cleaning film supply section 22 that respectively unwind long cleaning films 61 and 62 wound on rolls. The first cleaning film supply section 21 and the second cleaning film supply section 22 are collectively referred to as the cleaning film supply section 20.

The substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 also includes a first cleaning film recovery section 31 and a second cleaning film recovery section 32 that wind up the cleaning films 61 and 62, respectively. The first cleaning film recovery section 31 and the second cleaning film recovery section 32 are collectively referred to as the cleaning film recovery section 30. The substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 also includes a pair of cleaning units 10, namely, a first cleaning unit 11 and a second cleaning unit 12, as described below.

The first cleaning unit 11 can be switched at its end 51 between a cleaning state in which the cleaning film 61 presses the substrate 5 from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5, and a retracted state in which the cleaning film 61 is separated from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5. Similarly, the second cleaning unit 12 can be switched at its end 52 between a cleaning state in which the cleaning film 62 presses the substrate 5 from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5, and a retracted state in which the cleaning film 62 is separated from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5.

When the pair of cleaning units 10 are in the cleaning state, the support 620 and stage 610 move the substrate 5 so that the pressing positions of the pair of cleaning units 10 are along the ends 51 and 52, i.e., along the Y-axis direction. As a result, the substrate edge cleaning device 1 presses the substrate 5 from the front and back surfaces 5a and 5b at each of the pair of opposing ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5, via the cleaning film 61 at the end 51 and via the cleaning film 62 at the end 52. Furthermore, the substrate 5 can be moved so as to be along the ends 51 and 52.

As a result, the cleaning films 61 and 62 rub against the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5, thereby wiping off excess photoresist adhering to the ends 51 and 52. In other words, the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, excess photoresist and dust adhering to the cleaning films 61 and 62 can be removed from the substrate 5 by transporting the cleaning films 61 and 62 as appropriate. This transport can be easily performed by driving the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 and the second cleaning film supply unit 22 and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32.

Here, if there is enough cleaning liquid to adhere to or soak into the cleaning films 61 and 62, the excess photoresist can be wiped off more easily. This can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid and the workload of cleaning, part replacement, etc. The configuration of the substrate edge cleaning device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[a] Configuration of the substrate edge cleaning device [i] Cleaning film supply unit and cleaning film recovery unit As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3(a), when the substrate edge cleaning device 1 is viewed obliquely or from the front from the -Y direction side, the substrate edge cleaning device 1 is provided with a first cleaning film supply unit 21 and a first cleaning film recovery unit 31 on the upper side and lower side of the -X direction side, respectively. A supply reel 211 on which the cleaning film 61 is wound in a roll is removably set in the first cleaning film supply unit 21, and the supply reel 211 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft to send out the cleaning film 61 toward the first cleaning unit 11. An empty recovery reel 311 is removably set in the first cleaning film recovery unit 31, and the recovery reel 311 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft to take up the cleaning film 61 used in the first cleaning unit 11.

On the other hand, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 is provided with a second cleaning film supply unit 22 and a second cleaning film recovery unit 32 on the upper and lower sides in the +X direction, respectively. The configurations and functions of each are the same as those of the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 described above. That is, a supply reel 212 on which the cleaning film 62 is wound in a roll is set in the second cleaning film supply unit 22, and the cleaning film 62 can be sent toward the second cleaning unit 12 by rotating this. Also, an empty recovery reel 312 is set initially in the second cleaning film recovery unit 32, and the cleaning film 62 used in the second cleaning unit 12 can be wound up by rotating this.

The first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31, and the second cleaning film supply unit 22 and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32 are disposed approximately symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane. The cleaning film 61 is connected without interruption from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 to the first cleaning film recovery unit 31, and the cleaning film 62 is also connected without interruption from the second cleaning film supply unit 22 to the second cleaning film recovery unit 32.

The first cleaning film supply section 21, the first cleaning film recovery section 31, the second cleaning film supply section 22, and the second cleaning film recovery section 32 appropriately feed and wind up the cleaning films 61 and 62. This allows the unused, uncontaminated surfaces of the cleaning films 61 and 62 to be brought into contact with the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 in the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12, thereby effectively cleaning the ends 51 and 52. This will be described later.

Any guide roller or drive roller for changing direction may be provided on the path of the cleaning film 61 transported from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 to the first cleaning film recovery unit 31. In this embodiment, guide rollers 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, and 417 are arranged in this order from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 toward the first cleaning film recovery unit 31. In addition, drive roller 41a and pinch roller 41b for nipping and transporting the cleaning film 61 are provided between guide rollers 411 and 412 so as to face each other with the cleaning film 61 in between.

Symmetrically, guide rollers 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, and 427 are arranged in this order on the path along which the cleaning film 62 is transported from the second cleaning film supply section 22 to the second cleaning film recovery section 32. Between the guide rollers 421 and 422, a drive roller 42a and a pinch roller 42b for nipping and transporting the cleaning film 62 are also provided, facing each other with the cleaning film 62 in between.

In this embodiment, the cleaning film 61 is transported by the drive roller 41a, and the resulting slack and tension near the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 are monitored by the detection units 650 and 660. Then, based on signals from the detection units 650 and 660, electrical signals are generated by the cleaning film supply drive unit 550 and the cleaning film recovery drive unit 560 to rotate the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 by the required amount. Based on the electrical signals, the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 are rotated.

However, the cleaning film 61 may not be transported by the drive roller 41a, but rather the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 may rotate as a drive roller to transport the cleaning film 61. In that case, the first cleaning film supply unit 21 may function as a brake roller to apply a certain tension to the cleaning film 61. The above also applies to the drive roller 42a that transports the cleaning film 62, the second cleaning film supply unit 22, and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32.

[ii] Substrate Support The substrate support 600 is composed of a column 620, which is a substantially cylindrical column extending in the Z-axis direction and movable in the XYZ directions, and a stage 610 arranged at the upper end of the column. The stage 610 is a flat plate-like member having a substantially flat surface and a large number of suction holes. The substrate 5 is placed on the surface of the stage 610, and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5 is sucked and held by suction through the suction holes, so that the substrate 5 can be moved in any direction while the substrate 5 is fixed to the stage 610. The column 620 may be mounted in a configuration of an XYZ stage that is driven by, for example, a servo motor or a stepping motor, and the power is transmitted to a ball screw via a gear or a belt, and the column 620 moves along a linear guide provided in the XYZ directions. The column 620 may also be mounted in a configuration such as an articulated robot.

[iii] Cleaning unit As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3(a), the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 includes a pair of cleaning units 10 facing each other along the X axis. The cleaning unit 10 is separated into a first cleaning unit 11 arranged on the −X direction side and a second cleaning unit 12 arranged on the +X direction side. The first cleaning unit 11 includes a lifting part 111 that is arranged above a path along which the substrate 5 moves along the Y axis during cleaning and can move up and down along the Z axis, and a tip part 131 arranged at the lower end of the lifting part 111. The first cleaning unit 11 also includes a lifting part 112 that is arranged below the path and can move up and down along the Z axis, and a tip part 132 arranged at the upper end of the lifting part 112. The first cleaning unit 11 further includes a frame 141 that is substantially C-shaped in a plan view from the −Y direction and supports the lifting parts 111 and 112.

On the other hand, the second cleaning unit 12 comprises a lifting part 121 that is located above the above-mentioned path and can rise and fall along the Z axis, and a tip part 133 that is located at the lower end of the lifting part 121. It also comprises a lifting part 122 that is located below the path and can rise and fall along the Z axis, and a tip part 134 that is located at the upper end of the lifting part 122. It also comprises a frame 142 that supports the lifting parts 121 and 122 and resembles a shape that resembles a reversed C when viewed from the -Y direction in a plane.

When the substrate 5 is at a predetermined position on the above-mentioned path, the first cleaning unit 11 lowers its lifting part 111 and raises its lifting part 112, so that the tip 131 at the lower end of the lifting part 111 and the tip 132 at the upper end of the lifting part 112 can clamp the end 51 of the substrate 5. In other words, the lowering of the lifting part 111 and the raising of the lifting part 112 allow the tips 131 and 132 to press a part of the end 51 of the substrate 5 from the front and back surfaces. Similarly, the second cleaning unit 12 lowers its lifting part 121 and raises its lifting part 122, so that the tips 133 and 134 can press a part of the end 52 of the substrate 5 from the front and back surfaces.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), when viewed from the front in the -Y direction, a cleaning film 61 is disposed between the upper main surface end 51b of the substrate 5 and the tip 131 of the first cleaning unit 11, while being wound around guide rollers 413 and 414. Also, a cleaning film 61 is disposed between the lower main surface end 51c of the substrate 5 and the tip 132 of the first cleaning unit 11, while being wound around guide rollers 414 and 415. That is, by being wound around guide rollers 413, 414, and 415, the cleaning film 61 is transported through a path that is positioned close to and spaced apart from the front and back main surface ends 51b and 51c of the substrate 5, respectively.

Therefore, as described above, when the substrate 5 is at a predetermined position on the above-mentioned path, if the lifting part 111 of the first cleaning unit 11 is lowered and the lifting part 112 is raised simultaneously, the end 51 of the substrate 5 is pressed from the tips 131 and 132 with the cleaning film 61 sandwiched therebetween. In other words, the first cleaning unit 11 presses the substrate 5 from both the front and back surfaces 5a and 5b of the substrate 5 via the cleaning film 61 at the end 51. This state is called the cleaning state, and the predetermined position of the substrate 5 is called the first position. Also, the state in which the lifting part 111 of the first cleaning unit 11 is raised and the lifting part 112 is lowered simultaneously, and the cleaning film 61 is separated from the front and back main surface ends 51b and 51c of the substrate 5 is called the retracted state.

Meanwhile, a cleaning film 62 is arranged between the upper main surface end 52b of the substrate 5 and the tip 133 of the second cleaning unit 12, and the cleaning film 62 is arranged between the lower main surface end 52c of the substrate 5 and the tip 134 ....

When the substrate 5 is at a predetermined position on the above-mentioned path, if the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12 is lowered and the lifting/lowering part 122 is raised simultaneously, the following occurs. That is, the second cleaning unit 12 presses the substrate 5 from both the front and back surfaces 5a and 5b of the substrate 5 via the cleaning film 62 at the end 52. This state is also the cleaning state as described above, and the predetermined position of the substrate 5 is the first position. In addition, the state in which the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12 is raised and the lifting/lowering part 122 is lowered simultaneously, and the cleaning film 62 is separated from the front and back main surface ends 52b and 52c of the substrate 5 is the retracted state.

When both the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 are in the cleaning state, the support 620 moves parallel along the Y axis, i.e., the substrate 5 moves parallel along the Y axis, thereby wiping off and removing excess photoresist from the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5. This is because the cleaning films 61 and 62 are pressed against the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 from above and below on both the front and back surfaces 5a and 5b, respectively, and the substrate 5 moves horizontally in this state. Furthermore, if the cleaning films 61 and 62 are coated with or impregnated with a cleaning liquid, the excess photoresist can be dissolved and removed more effectively.

The areas directly cleaned by the cleaning unit 10 are the main surface ends 51b, 51c, 52b, and 52c of the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5. However, the ends 51 and 52 move relative to the ends 51 and 52 while being sandwiched and pressed between the cleaning films 61 and 62. For this reason, if the cleaning films 61 and 62 are coated with or impregnated with a cleaning liquid, it is expected that the cleaning liquid will also flow around the excess photoresist adhering to the end faces 51a and 52a and be wiped off together.

Such a cleaning liquid may be applied to or impregnated into the cleaning films 61 and 62 manually or automatically in advance. Alternatively, as described below, the cleaning liquid may be supplied by ejecting it from the tip 131 or 132 of the first cleaning unit 11 or the tip 133 or 134 of the second cleaning unit 12 at a predetermined timing.

The lifting parts 111, 112, 121 and 122 of the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 may be configured, for example, as an air cylinder sliding mechanism, or may be configured as a mechanism that rotates a ball screw driven by a motor to perform parallel movement along a linear guide. The tip parts 131, 132, 133 and 134 may be configured of any material, but since they press against the substrate 5 via the cleaning films 61 and 62, they are preferably made of a material such as resin that can be elastically deformed to a certain extent.

The distance between the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 along the X-axis direction can preferably be adjusted as appropriate to match the width of the substrate 5 and the arrangement of the ends. The distance may be adjusted manually by an operator, but it is preferable that the width of the substrate 5 is automatically detected by a sensor or the like, and the arrangement of the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 can be automatically adjusted to match this width. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by attaching a transmissive photoelectric sensor with a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section to the upper and lower ends of the frames 141 and 142 of the cleaning unit 10, respectively, or an area sensor that can determine the length of the light-blocking area.

The substrate edge cleaning device 1 detects the position of the edge of the substrate 5 along the X-axis direction, and appropriately adjusts the positions of the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 based on instructions from the control unit 500 or the like according to the detection value. This eliminates the need for the operator to manually adjust the position of the cleaning unit 10, reducing the workload.

[iv] Control unit, etc. Next, a control unit, etc. that controls the operation and stopping of the above-mentioned mechanical parts will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 includes a control unit 500, a support column drive unit 510 that cooperates with the control unit 500 to give instructions for operation of the mechanical parts, a cleaning unit drive unit 520, a cleaning liquid supply drive unit 530, a drive roller drive unit 540, a cleaning film supply drive unit 550, and a cleaning film recovery drive unit 560.

The control unit 500 is an information processing device equipped with a CPU or MPU, an input/output unit, a memory, etc. The other parts mentioned above are equipped with a microcomputer or the like having elements capable of input/output, calculation, control, etc. similar to or simpler than the control unit 500, and a driver that generates electrical signals to drive each mechanism. The specific judgments and operations of each part will be described later.

[b] Cleaning Film Next, the cleaning film used in the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. As described above, the cleaning film 60 includes a cleaning film 61 that is unwound and transported by the drive roller 41a from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and taken up by the first cleaning film recovery unit 31. It also includes a cleaning film 62 that is unwound and transported by the drive roller 42a from the second cleaning film supply unit 22 and taken up by the second cleaning film recovery unit 32. The cleaning films 61 and 62 are usually the same type of film, but may be different films.

The cleaning film 60 can be made of any material as long as it is capable of responding to tension and bending during transportation and being pressed against the edge of the substrate 5 to remove excess photoresist. However, from the viewpoint of being able to effectively wipe off the photoresist by impregnating it with cleaning liquid, it is preferable to use a rag made of a cloth material such as knitted fabric or cotton fabric, paper material, nonwoven fabric, etc., formed into a roll as the cleaning film 60.

[c] Operation of the Substrate Edge Cleaning Apparatus Next, a specific operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment for cleaning the edge of the substrate 5 will be described mainly based on the flow charts of Figures 7 to 9, and also with reference to other figures as appropriate.

First, the operator places the substrate 5 on the stage 610 attached to the upper end of the support 620 of the substrate edge cleaning device 1, and activates the vacuum from the suction holes provided on the surface of the stage 610 to suction the back surface 5b of the substrate 5 (step S701 in FIG. 7). This fixes the substrate 5 to the stage 610. The above is also called the substrate supporting process.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 based on an electrical signal from the support drive unit 510, which has received an instruction signal from the control unit 500, and transports the substrate 5 to the first position, which is the starting point of cleaning (step S702). This is also called the first movement process. Here, FIG. 4(a) is a side view of the second cleaning unit 12 and the substrate 5, seen from the +X direction, explaining the positional relationship between them. The first position is the position where the cleaning unit 10 presses the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 that are closest to the corners, and is specifically position A in FIG. 4(a). At this time, the pressing position of the substrate 5 by the second cleaning unit 12 is the position closest to the end 52 in the -Y direction.

At this time, above the gap of the end 52 of the substrate 5, the cleaning film 62 and the tip 133 of the second cleaning unit 12 are arranged at a distance from each other. Also, below the gap of the end 52 of the substrate 5, the cleaning film 62 and the tip 134 of the second cleaning unit 12 are arranged at a distance from each other. Although not shown, the end 51 of the substrate 5, the cleaning film 61, and the first cleaning unit 11 are arranged in the same manner.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 sets the pair of cleaning units 10 so that they are each in a cleaning state (step S703). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12 is lowered and the lifting/lowering part 122 is raised simultaneously. At the same time, the lifting/lowering part 111 of the first cleaning unit 11 is lowered and the lifting/lowering part 121 is raised simultaneously. This is because the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 perform the lifting/lowering operation based on an electrical signal from the cleaning unit drive unit 520, which has received an instruction signal from the control unit 500.

At this time, the cleaning film 62 adheres to the upper side of the end 52 of the substrate 5, and the tip 133 of the second cleaning unit 12 presses against the end 52 via the cleaning film 62. The cleaning film 62 also adheres to the lower side of the end 52 of the substrate 5, and the tip 134 of the second cleaning unit 12 presses against the end 52 via the cleaning film 62. The same is true for the end 51 of the substrate 5, the cleaning film 61, and the first cleaning unit 11. As a result, the cleaning unit 10 enters a cleaning state, and this process is also called the first switching process.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 supplies cleaning liquid to the respective tips 131, 132, 133 and 134 of the pair of cleaning units 10 (step S704). This step is also called a cleaning liquid supply step. This operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6(a) is a further enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4(a). As shown in FIG. 6(a), a pipe 630 is connected to the upper side of the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12, and is configured so that cleaning liquid 640 can pass through the inside of the pipe 630. Normally, a valve provided in the pipe 630 is closed, and cleaning liquid 640 is not supplied from the second cleaning unit 12.

On the other hand, when the second cleaning unit 12 is in the cleaning state position, a certain amount of cleaning liquid 640 passes through the lifting section 121 and the through-holes provided in the tip portion 133 based on an electrical signal from the cleaning liquid supply drive section 530, which receives an instruction signal from the control section 500 at a predetermined timing. The cleaning liquid 640 is then supplied by being discharged from the tip portion 133, etc. Here, the supplied cleaning liquid 640 adheres to or penetrates the cleaning film 62 that is in close contact with the lower part of the tip portion 133, as shown in FIG. 6(c).

Here, depending on the viscosity of the cleaning liquid and the permeability of the cleaning film 62, the cleaning liquid 640 supplied from the tip 133 may diffuse in the direction of the main surface of the substrate 5 before permeating the cleaning film 62, and may remove the photoresist of the substrate other than the end. To prevent this, it is preferable to provide a rubber or resin elastic member 160 having a through hole for storing the cleaning liquid 640 on the surface of the tip 133 facing the cleaning film 62. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6(d), a rubber O-ring for sealing is used as the elastic member 160. However, the contour shape of the elastic member 160 does not need to be circular, and may be any shape with a closed contour, such as a triangle, polygon, ellipse, or oval.

By providing the second cleaning unit 12 with such an elastic member 160, in the cleaning state, the elastic member 160 abuts against the cleaning film 62 and presses against the substrate 5 while elastically deforming. As a result, the tip 133 and the end 52 of the substrate 5 are substantially sealed by the elastic member 160, and the cleaning liquid 640 supplied inside can be prevented from leaking directly to the outside of the elastic member 160. It goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if the elastic member 160 is placed at the tip 134 of the second cleaning unit 12 or the tips 131 and 132 of the first cleaning unit 11.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 again based on an electrical signal from the support actuator 510, which has received an instruction signal from the controller 500, and transports the substrate 5 at a predetermined speed until it reaches the second position, which is the end point of cleaning (step S705). The second position is a position where the cleaning unit 10 presses the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 that are closest to the corners on the opposite side to the first position, specifically position B in FIG. 4(c). At this time, the pressing position of the second cleaning unit 12 on the substrate 5 is the position closest to the end 52 in the +Y direction. This process is also called the second movement process.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 retracts the pair of cleaning units 10 to positions where they are in the retracted state (step S706). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(d), the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12 is raised and the lifting/lowering part 122 is lowered simultaneously. At the same time, the lifting/lowering part 111 of the first cleaning unit 11 is raised and the lifting/lowering part 121 is lowered simultaneously. This process is also referred to as the second switching process.

Then, the substrate edge cleaning device 1 rotates the drive rollers 41a and 42a based on an electrical signal from the drive roller drive unit 540, which has received an instruction signal from the control unit 500. As a result, detection signals indicating the amount of slack in the cleaning films 61 and 62 from the detection units 650 and 660 are input to the cleaning film supply drive unit 550 and the cleaning film recovery drive unit 560, respectively. As a result, the cleaning film supply unit 20 and the cleaning film recovery unit 30 are rotated based on the electrical signals from the cleaning film supply drive unit 550 and the cleaning film recovery drive unit 560, respectively.

As a result of the above, the cleaning film 61 is transported a predetermined distance from the first cleaning film supply section 21 toward the first cleaning film recovery section 31, and the cleaning film 62 is transported a predetermined distance from the second cleaning film supply section 22 toward the second cleaning film recovery section 32 (step S707). As a result, in the cleaning state, the portions of the cleaning films 61 and 62 that correspond to the position pressed by the cleaning unit 10 become new portions that have not been used in the previous pressing.

The process of unwinding the cleaning films 61 and 62 from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the second cleaning film supply unit 22 in conjunction with the transport of the cleaning films 61 and 62 is also referred to as the unwinding process. Similarly, the process of winding the cleaning films 61 and 62 by the first cleaning film recovery unit 22 and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32 is also referred to as the recovery process. Note that in this embodiment, the unwinding process and the recovery process are performed after the second switching process, but this is not necessary and they may be performed at any stage of the series of processes related to the cleaning of one substrate 5. This is because it is sufficient that the cleaning films 61 and 62 are transported after the transition of the cleaning unit 10 from the cleaning state to the retreated state for the previous substrate 5 and before the transition from the retreated state to the cleaning state for the current substrate 5.

In other words, the photoresist and dirt that were wiped off remain on the parts of the cleaning films 61 and 62 that were used when pressing the previous substrate 5. Therefore, the substrate edge cleaning device 1 transports and moves the cleaning films 61 and 62 by the necessary amount so that the parts of the cleaning films 61 and 62 that correspond to the pressing position in the cleaning state of the next substrate 5 are new, unused parts that do not overlap with the previously used parts. In this way, when the substrate edge cleaning device 1 sequentially cleans multiple substrates 5, new, unused parts of the cleaning films 61 and 62 are always pressed against the substrate 5 to be cleaned. This makes it possible to prevent problems such as the transfer of photoresist and dirt from the previous substrate 5 cleaning to the next substrate 5 to be cleaned.

In addition, the portions of the cleaning films 61 and 62 that have been used and become soiled after cleaning are automatically wound up in the first cleaning film recovery section 31 and the second cleaning film recovery section 32. This reduces the workload of the operator, who must clean the areas around the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 at regular intervals. However, if the soiling of the cleaning films 61 and 62 after one cleaning of the substrates 5 does not pose a significant problem, the cleaning films 61 and 62 may be transported after a certain number of substrates 5 have been cleaned.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning device 1 moves the support 620 based on an electrical signal from the support actuator 510, which has received an instruction signal from the controller 500, and ejects the cleaned substrate 5 to a predetermined position (step S708). This completes the cleaning of the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 by the substrate edge cleaning device 1.

The substrate edge cleaning device 1 of this embodiment is intended to clean a pair of opposing edges 51 and 52 of a substrate 5. However, if cleaning of all edges along the four sides of the main surface of the substrate 5 is required due to the product characteristics of the substrate 5, variations in the film thickness of the photoresist formed on the substrate 5, the handling method of the substrate 5 after cleaning, etc., the following method may be used. That is, after cleaning of the pair of opposing edges 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 is completed, the substrate 5 is rotated 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the main surface, and the cleaning operation is repeated again using the substrate edge cleaning device 1.

In this case, if the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the substrate 5 differ in plan view, it is necessary to change the arrangement of the cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 between the first cleaning by the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 and the second cleaning after rotating the substrate 5. As described above, this can be easily accommodated by providing the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 with a configuration that allows the spacing between the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 to be manually or automatically adjusted.

That is, after the first cleaning by the substrate edge cleaning device 1, the substrate 5 is temporarily removed and rotated 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the main surface. During this time, the arrangement of the cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12 is appropriately changed, and then the substrate 5 is moved again to a position where it can be cleaned, and a second cleaning operation is performed by the substrate edge cleaning device 1. This allows the remaining pair of ends of the substrate 5 other than ends 51 and 52 to be cleaned in the same way as ends 51 and 52.

The substrate edge cleaning device 1 of this embodiment includes a substrate support section 600 including a support column 620 and a stage 610 that support a substrate 5, and a first cleaning film supply section 21 and a second cleaning film supply section 22 that unwind long cleaning films 61 and 62, respectively. The substrate edge cleaning device 1 also includes a first cleaning film recovery section 31 and a second cleaning film recovery section 32 that wind up the cleaning films 61 and 62, respectively, and a pair of cleaning units 10 that can be switched between a cleaning state and a retracted state.

The pair of cleaning units 10 are the first cleaning unit 11 and the second cleaning unit 12. The main surfaces facing each other along the thickness direction of the substrate 5 are the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b, and the ends facing each other along the main surfaces are the ends 51 and 52. The cleaning state is a state in which the substrate 5 is pressed from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate, via the cleaning film 61 for the end 51 and the cleaning film 62 for the end 52. The retracted state is a state in which the cleaning films 61 and 62 are separated from both the front surface 5a and the back surface 5b of the substrate 5. When the pair of cleaning units 10 are in the cleaning state, the substrate support unit 600 can move the substrate 5 so that the pressing positions of the pair of cleaning units 10 are along the ends 51 and 52.

As a result, the cleaning films 61 and 62 rub against the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5, thereby wiping off excess photoresist adhering to the ends 51 and 52. In other words, the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, excess photoresist and dust adhering to the cleaning films 61 and 62 can be removed from the substrate 5 by transporting the cleaning films 61 and 62 as appropriate. This transport can be easily performed by driving the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 and the second cleaning film supply unit 22 and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32.

If there is enough cleaning liquid to adhere to or soak into the cleaning films 61 and 62, the excess photoresist can be wiped off more easily. This reduces the consumption of large amounts of cleaning liquid and the burden of waste liquid disposal. It also reduces the workload of cleaning, part replacement, etc.

2. Modifications Next, a modification of the cleaning operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In order to more reliably clean the substrate 5, it is more effective to clean one substrate 5 by repeating a cleaning state, a retreated state, and transport of the cleaning film. The operation of the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 in this case will be described mainly based on the flow charts in Figures 8 and 9 and Figure 5, with reference to other figures as appropriate.

First, the operator places the substrate 5 on the stage 610 and fixes it by suction (step S721 in FIG. 8), and then the substrate edge cleaning device 1 supplies cleaning liquid to the tips 131, 132, 133, and 134 of the pair of cleaning units 10 (step S724). These are the same operations as steps S701 to S704 in FIG. 7 described above.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 again based on an electrical signal from the support actuator 510, which has received an instruction signal from the controller 500, and transports the substrate 5 at the first speed until the substrate 5 reaches a third position that is closer to the first position than the second position, which is the end point of cleaning (step S725). Specifically, this is position C in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 5(a) is a side view similar to FIG. 4(a) and others. At this time, the pressing position of the substrate 5 by the second cleaning unit 12 is between the position closest to the -Y direction and the position closest to the +Y direction of the end 52.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 retracts the pair of cleaning units 10 to positions where they are in the retracted state (step S726). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the lifting/lowering part 121 of the second cleaning unit 12 is raised and the lifting/lowering part 122 is lowered simultaneously. At the same time, the lifting/lowering part 111 of the first cleaning unit 11 is raised and the lifting/lowering part 121 is lowered simultaneously.

Then, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 rotates the drive rollers 41a and 42a based on an electrical signal from the drive roller driving unit 540, which has received an instruction signal from the control unit 500. This causes the cleaning film 61 to be transported a predetermined distance from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 toward the first cleaning film recovery unit 31, and the cleaning film 62 to be transported a predetermined distance from the second cleaning film supply unit 22 toward the second cleaning film recovery unit 32 (step S727). As a result, in the cleaning state, the portions of the cleaning films 61 and 62 corresponding to the pressing positions become new portions that have not been used in the previous pressing.

Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 again based on an electrical signal from the support actuator 510, which has received an instruction signal from the controller 500, and transports the substrate 5 at a predetermined speed until it reaches a fourth position, which is closer to the first position than the third position (step S728). Specifically, this is position D in FIG. 5(c). Since position D is closer to position A than position C, the first cleaning section from position A to position C overlaps with the second cleaning section from position D to position B, which will be described later, and no areas of the ends 51 and 52 are left uncleaned.

When the substrate 5 is at position D, the pressing position of the second cleaning unit 12 on the substrate 5 is between the position closest to the -Y direction and the position closest to the +Y direction of the end 52. After that, the operation continues as process A according to the flow diagram in Figure 9.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(d), the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 sets the pair of cleaning units 10 so that each is in a cleaning state (step S741 in FIG. 9). After that, cleaning liquid is supplied to the tips 131, 132, 133, and 134 of each of the pair of cleaning units 10 (step S742). Next, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 again, and transports the substrate 5 at a second speed until it reaches a second position, which is the end point of cleaning (step S743).

Here, the second speed may be the same as or different from the first speed described above. For example, if the length of the cleaning section from position A to position C in the first cleaning is Dac and the length of the cleaning section from position D to position B in the second cleaning is Ddb, then if Dac is greater than Ddb, the second speed may be greater than the first speed. This is because the shorter the cleaning section, the less photoresist accumulates on the cleaning film, and therefore, even if the substrate 5 is moved relatively quickly, the removal ability is not likely to decrease significantly.

Furthermore, it is preferable to set ends 51 and 52 so that important positions from the viewpoint of the gripping and suction positions of the transport device in the subsequent process and from the viewpoint of controlling the thickness of the substrate are included in the overlapping section of the cleaning section described above, i.e., between positions D and C. For example, if there are two gripping and suction positions of the transport device in the subsequent process for the substrate 5 within end 51, both of these two points can be set to fall within the overlapping section of the cleaning section. This can further improve the product quality of the substrate 5.

Then, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 retracts the pair of cleaning units 10 to positions where they are in the retracted state (step S744), and then rotates the drive rollers 41a and 42a. Then, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 transports a predetermined amount of the cleaning films 61 and 62 from the first cleaning film supply unit 21 and the second cleaning film supply unit 22 toward the first cleaning film recovery unit 31 and the second cleaning film recovery unit 32 (step S745). Furthermore, the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 moves the support 620 and discharges the substrate 5 that has been cleaned to a predetermined position (step S746). This completes the cleaning of the edges 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 by the substrate edge cleaning apparatus 1 according to the modified example.

When cleaning the substrate 5 using the substrate edge cleaning device 1 according to the modified example, one substrate 5 is cleaned by repeating the cleaning state, the retreated state, and the transport of the cleaning film twice. This number of repetitions may be three or more times, and multiple overlapping sections of the cleaning section may be provided.

As a result, the distance over which the same portions of the cleaning films 61 and 62 rub against the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 can be relatively short, and the amount of cleaning films 61 and 62 used to remove excess photoresist from the ends 51 and 52 of the substrate 5 can be relatively increased. This makes it possible to more effectively clean the ends 51 and 52 according to the size and required quality of the substrate 5.

1 Substrate edge cleaning device 5 Substrate 5a Front surface 5b Back surface 10 Cleaning unit 11 First cleaning unit 12 Second cleaning unit 20 Cleaning film supply section 21 First cleaning film supply section 22 Second cleaning film supply section 30 Cleaning film recovery section 31 First cleaning film recovery section 32 Second cleaning film recovery section 41a, 42a Drive roller 41b, 42b Pinch roller 51, 52 End 51a, 52a End surface 51b, 51c, 52b, 52c Main surface end 60, 61, 62 Cleaning film 111, 112, 121, 122 Lifting section 131, 132, 133, 134 Tip 141, 142 Frame 150 Through hole 160 Elastic member 211, 212 Supply reel 311, 312 Collection reels 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417 Guide rollers 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427 Guide rollers 500 Control unit 510 Support drive unit 520 Cleaning unit drive unit 530 Cleaning liquid supply drive unit 540 Drive roller drive unit 550 Cleaning film supply drive unit 560 Cleaning film collection drive unit 600 Substrate support unit 610 Stage 620 Support 630 Pipe 640 Cleaning liquid 650, 660 Detection unit

Claims (3)

A substrate edge cleaning apparatus for cleaning an edge of a substrate, comprising:
a substrate support portion that supports a substrate;
a first cleaning film supply unit and a second cleaning film supply unit which unwind the long first cleaning film and the long second cleaning film, respectively;
a first cleaning film recovery section and a second cleaning film recovery section that respectively wind up the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film;
When the ends facing each other along the main surface of the substrate are a first end and a second end,
a cleaning state in which the substrate is pressed from both of the main surfaces opposing each other in a thickness direction of the substrate at the first end portion via the first cleaning film, and the substrate is pressed from both of the main surfaces at the second end portion via the second cleaning film;
a pair of cleaning units that can be switched to a retracted state in which the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film are separated from the first end and the second end,
In the cleaning state, the substrate support part moves the substrate in a direction along the first end and the second end ,
the pair of cleaning units supply cleaning liquid to the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film, respectively, in the cleaning state, and further include elastic members that abut against the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film and press the substrate while elastically deforming, and have through holes through which the cleaning liquid can pass . 2 . The substrate edge cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first cleaning film and the second cleaning film are waste cloths including at least one of a paper material, a cloth material, and a nonwoven fabric. when a predetermined amount of the first cleaning film has been fed out from the first cleaning film supply unit, or when a predetermined amount of the second cleaning film has been fed out from the second cleaning film supply unit,
3. The substrate edge cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the cleaning state, a portion of the first cleaning film or the second cleaning film that has been unrolled by the predetermined amount and that corresponds to the pressing position is a new portion different from the portion that corresponds to the previous pressing position .