JP7680315B2 - Rod-shaped substrate cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device capable of cleaning rod-shaped substrates.

A substrate called an AlTiC substrate is used in the manufacture of magnetic heads used to read information recorded on magnetic disks used in recording media such as hard disk drives (HDDs), etc. An AlTiC substrate is formed by sintering alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) and titanium carbide (TiC) and polishing the surface.

For example, a rectangular AlTiC substrate is provided with multiple parallel division lines, a thin film layer is formed on the surface of the AlTiC substrate in each area partitioned by the division lines, and the AlTiC substrate is cut along the division lines to obtain rod-shaped substrates. The cut surfaces of the resulting rod-shaped substrates are rough, so polishing of the sides of the rod-shaped substrates is required. Therefore, a cutting and polishing device has been developed that can cut a rectangular substrate into rod-shaped substrates and polish the sides of the resulting rod-shaped substrates (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-36939 A

The rod-shaped substrates obtained using this cutting and polishing device need to be cleaned. Conventionally, an operator would attach each rod-shaped substrate to adhesive tape one by one and then clean each rod-shaped substrate. At this time, one side of each rod-shaped substrate is attached to the adhesive tape, and the other side of each rod-shaped substrate is cleaned. Therefore, in order to clean the one side of each rod-shaped substrate, it was necessary to peel each rod-shaped substrate from the adhesive tape after cleaning the other side of each rod-shaped substrate, and then apply new adhesive tape to the other side of each rod-shaped substrate.

In other words, cleaning the rod-shaped substrate required manpower, a large amount of adhesive tape had to be prepared, and many steps were required. In other words, cleaning the rod-shaped substrate required huge financial and time costs.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device that can clean rod-shaped substrates efficiently and at low cost.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device for cleaning a rod-shaped substrate includes a cleaning tank having an opening at an upper end that is larger than a planar shape of a storage tray that can store a cleaning liquid and can store the rod-shaped substrate in a state in which both ends of the rod-shaped substrate are stored in a pair of storage grooves, with the surface other than the both ends exposed, and a transport unit that transports the storage tray, enters the storage tray through the opening of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored, and immerses the storage tray in the cleaning liquid , and the transport unit includes a front gripping portion and a rear gripping portion, each of which has a claw portion. and a fall prevention part that holds the storage tray from above to prevent the rod-shaped substrates stored in the storage tray from falling off the storage tray, wherein the gripping parts have a function of gripping the storage tray with claw parts of the front gripping part and the rear gripping part that move relatively along the length direction of the storage tray being transported, and when the storage tray is gripped and fixed by the gripping parts, the upper surface of the storage tray comes into contact with the lower surface of the fall prevention part, and the storage groove of the storage tray is blocked from above by the fall prevention part .

Preferably, the cleaning tank is provided with an ultrasonic unit capable of applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning solution.

In addition, preferably, the apparatus further includes a drying unit for drying the rod-shaped substrate that has been washed with the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a storage unit for storing the rod-shaped substrate in the storage tray,
The accommodation unit has a suction holder having a suction port formed on a side surface thereof, and can hold the rod-shaped substrate by suction when the rod-shaped substrate is brought into contact with the suction port of the suction holder.

A rod-shaped substrate cleaning device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a storage tray capable of storing rod-shaped substrates to be cleaned, a cleaning tank capable of storing cleaning liquid, and a transport unit for transporting the storage tray and immersing it in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank. The storage tray has a pair of storage grooves capable of storing both ends of the rod-shaped substrate, respectively, and can store the rod-shaped substrate with the surface other than the ends exposed.

In this rod-shaped substrate cleaning device, rod-shaped substrates are stored in a storage tray, and the transport unit immerses the rod-shaped substrate together with the storage tray in the cleaning liquid. Because both sides of the rod-shaped substrate are exposed, both sides can be simultaneously brought into contact with the cleaning liquid and both sides can be simultaneously cleaned with the cleaning liquid. As a result, both sides of the rod-shaped substrate can be cleaned in a single cleaning process, and there is no need to attach the rod-shaped substrate to adhesive tape or peel the rod-shaped substrate from the adhesive tape. In other words, the rod-shaped substrate can be cleaned easily and in a short time.

Furthermore, this rod-shaped substrate cleaning device does not require either of the two pieces of adhesive tape that were previously attached to both sides of a rod-shaped substrate. And because the storage trays that hold the rod-shaped substrates can be reused, there is no need to prepare a large number of storage trays.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device is provided that can efficiently clean rod-shaped substrates at low cost.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic internal configuration of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device and a rod-shaped substrate accommodating device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a chuck table and a containing unit. Figure 5 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the holding portion of the rotational movement unit and the suction holding portion of the storage unit, Figure 5 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the manner in which a rod-shaped substrate held by the holding portion of the rotational movement unit is suction-held by the suction holding portion of the storage unit, and Figure 5 (C) is a cross-sectional view showing typically the rod-shaped substrate being transported by the storage unit. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a state in which an accommodating tray is placed on an accommodating tray placement stand of the rod-shaped substrate accommodating device; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate being transported to a storage tray by a storage unit and stored in the storage tray; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a typical gripping portion of a transport unit and a storage tray for storing a plurality of rod-shaped substrates; FIG. FIG. 9A is a side view that shows a schematic view of a state in which a receiving tray is gripped by a gripper of a transport unit, and FIG. 9B is a side view that shows a schematic view of the gripper gripping the receiving tray. 11 is a side view showing a schematic view of the transport unit inserting the containing tray into the cleaning tank; FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate accommodated in a container tray being cleaned in a cleaning tank. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a rod-shaped substrate accommodated in a container tray being rinsed; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a typical state in which rod-shaped substrates stored in a storage tray are dried.

An embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. First, a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus incorporating a rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view that shows a rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 that manufactures rod-shaped substrates.

The rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is composed of, for example, a rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, a rod-shaped substrate storage device 6, and a rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 cuts out rod-shaped substrates from a substrate. The rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 stores multiple rod-shaped substrates in a storage tray. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 cleans the multiple rod-shaped substrates stored in the storage tray. When the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 is used, rod-shaped substrates are finally obtained.

The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6, and the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 each include a base 10, 14, 18 that supports each component, and an exterior cover 12, 16, 20 that houses each component. One side of the exterior cover 12, 16, 20 is provided with a touch panel display (not shown) that is used to input commands to the control unit of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2 and to display various information.

The front of the exterior cover 12 of the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 is provided with an entrance 22, which serves as a path for bringing in substrates that are the raw material for rod-shaped substrates. The front of the exterior cover 16 of the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 is provided with an entrance 24, which serves as a path for bringing in empty storage trays. The front of the exterior cover 20 of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 is provided with a maintenance door 26 and a storage tray removal section 28, which serves as a path for carrying out storage trays.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing a schematic internal configuration of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2. First, the rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 will be described. The rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 4 includes a chuck table 30 for holding the substrate 1 to be processed, and a processing unit 32 for processing the substrate 1 held on the chuck table 30. The processing unit 32 cuts the substrate 1 and polishes the cut surface.

The substrate 1 is, for example, an AlTiC substrate, which is the material of a magnetic head used to read information recorded on a magnetic disk used in recording media such as hard disk drives (HDDs). The AlTiC substrate is formed by sintering alumina and titanium carbide and polishing the surface. The substrate 1 is divided by a number of parallel division lines, and thin film layers constituting elements are formed in each area divided by the division lines on the surface of the substrate 1. However, the substrate 1 processed by the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2 is not limited to this.

The processing unit 32 includes a spindle 36 with a composite tool 38 fixed to its tip, and a spindle housing 34 that rotatably houses the base end of the spindle 36. Inside the spindle housing 34, a rotational drive source such as a motor that rotates the spindle 36 is provided. The composite tool 38 is composed of a cutting blade 38a that cuts the substrate 1, and a polishing pad 38b that polishes the cut surface.

The cutting blade 38a is an annular member with a grinding wheel on its outer periphery. The grinding wheel is composed of a binder made of a material such as metal, ceramics, or resin, and abrasive grains such as diamonds dispersed and fixed in the binder. The polishing pad 38b is an annular or disk-shaped member made of a material such as resin, and may have abrasive grains dispersed and fixed in the binder.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the chuck table 30. A rotational drive source (not shown) is connected to the bottom of the chuck table 30. When this rotational drive source is operated, the chuck table 30 can be rotated around a rotation axis that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the top surface (Z direction).

A suction holding section (not shown) that holds the substrate 1 by suction is provided at the end of the upper surface of the chuck table 30, and FIG. 4 shows a schematic of the substrate 1 held by the suction holding section. The width of the suction holding section is approximately the same as the length of the substrate 1 along the planned division line.

The suction holding section is made of a porous material with a substantially flat upper surface. A suction path that is connected to the suction holding section is formed inside the chuck table 30. When a suction source connected to the suction path is activated to apply negative pressure to the substrate 1 via the suction path and the porous material, the substrate 1 is held by suction.

The chuck table 30 includes a moving body 40 that pushes and moves the substrate 1 via a moving jig 40a, and a driving unit 42 that moves the moving body 40 along the upper surface of the chuck table 30 (Y direction in FIG. 4). The upper surface of the chuck table 30 is provided with a groove 40b that movably houses a support part fixed to the bottom surface of the moving body 40. The driving unit 42 is, for example, a motor that serves as a driving source for moving the support part housed in the groove 40b along the groove 40b, and constitutes a ball screw type moving mechanism.

When the drive unit 42 is operated with the suction holding unit releasing the suction holding of the substrate 1, the moving body 40 moves along the groove 40b and pushes the substrate 1 via the moving jig 40a, moving the substrate 1 toward the outside of the upper surface of the chuck table 30.

A rotational movement unit 44 is provided adjacent to the suction holding portion of the chuck table 30 to hold and move the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1. The rotational movement unit 44 includes a shaft portion 46 that protrudes in the Z direction from the upper surface of the chuck table 30, a motor 50 provided inside the chuck table 30, and an L-shaped arm portion 48 with one end passing through the shaft portion 46.

A holding part 52 is provided at the tip of the arm 48, which suction-holds the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1. The lower end of the shaft 46 is connected to a motor 50, and when the motor 50 is operated, the arm 48 can rotate around the shaft 46. In other words, when the motor 50 is operated, the holding part 52 can be rotated.

The rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 suction-holds the substrate 1 placed on the suction-holding portion of the chuck table 30. At this time, the position of the substrate 1 is adjusted in advance by pushing the substrate 1 with the movable body 40 via the movable jig 40a so that the end of the substrate 1 opposite the movable body 40 protrudes slightly outside the top surface of the chuck table 30 (Y direction in FIG. 4).

Then, the composite tool 38 (see FIG. 2) is rotated, and the rotating polishing pad 38b (see FIG. 2) is brought into contact with the side of the substrate 1 opposite the moving body 40, and the side of the substrate 1 is polished by the polishing pad 38b. After that, the cutting blade 38a of the rotating composite tool 38 is caused to cut into the substrate 1 along the intended dividing line, and the substrate 1 is cut.

Then, the motor 50 is operated to move the holding part 52 of the rotational movement unit 44 around the shaft part 46 to contact the side of the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1, and the holding part 52 suction-holds the rod-shaped substrate 3. Next, the motor 50 is operated to rotate the arm part 48 270 degrees around the shaft part 46, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 is moved as shown in FIG. 4. Then, the cut surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is exposed in the X direction in FIG. 4.

Then, the chuck table 30 is rotated 90 degrees, and the cut surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is brought into contact with the polishing pad 38b of the rotating composite tool 38 so that the cut surface faces the Y direction, and the cut surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is polished. This results in a rod-shaped substrate 3 with polished sides. The obtained rod-shaped substrate 3 is transported to the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 as described next, and stored in a storage tray 96 (see Figure 7, etc.) described below. In the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, substrates 1 are similarly cut out one after another, and rod-shaped substrates 3 are produced one after another.

When cutting the substrate 1 or polishing the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3, processing waste is generated. Processing waste adheres to the surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the obtained rod-shaped substrate 3. In the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2, the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 is stored in a storage tray 96 and transported to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 for cleaning.

Next, the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 will be described. FIG. 3 includes a perspective view showing the components of the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6. The rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 includes a disk-shaped turntable 82 mounted on a base 14. A rotary drive source (not shown), such as a motor, is connected to the center of the bottom surface of the turntable 82, and the turntable 82 can rotate around a rotation axis passing through the center. A pair of storage tray placement stages 84 are provided on the upper surface of the turntable 82, positioned symmetrically with respect to the center.

When the turntable 82 is rotated, one storage tray platform 84 is positioned at a rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a close to the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4, and the other storage tray platform 84 is positioned at a storage tray discharge position 82b close to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. When the turntable 82 is rotated 180 degrees, one storage tray platform 84 is positioned at the storage tray discharge position 82b, and the other storage tray platform 84 is positioned at the rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a.

The rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2 is provided with a gate-shaped support structure 56 that stands upright from the upper surface of each base 10, 14, 18 and spans over each base 10, 14, 18. The support structure 56 has a front surface 56a that is perpendicular to the upper surface of each base 10, 14, 18, and this front surface 56a is provided with a storage unit 54 for transporting the rod-shaped substrate 3 from the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 to the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6.

A pair of guide rails 58 extending in a direction parallel to the top surface of the turntable 82 (X direction) are provided on the front surface 56a of the support structure 56, and a moving plate 60 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 58. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface side (rear surface side) of the moving plate 60, and a ball screw 62 that is roughly parallel to the guide rails 58 is screwed into the nut portion.

A pulse motor 64 is connected to one end of the ball screw 62. By rotating the ball screw 62 with the pulse motor 64, the moving plate 60 moves along the guide rail 58.

A pair of guide rails 66 are provided on the surface side (front side) of the moving plate 60 along a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the turntable 82 (Z direction), and a lifting plate 68 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 66. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back side (rear side) of the lifting plate 68, and a ball screw 70 is screwed into the nut portion so as to be aligned in a direction generally parallel to the guide rails 66.

A pulse motor 72 is connected to one end of the ball screw 70, and by rotating the ball screw 70 using this pulse motor 72, the lift plate 68 moves up and down along the guide rail 66. An arm 74 is fixed to the surface side (front side) of the lift plate 68, and the arm 74 supports a suction holder 76 at its tip. When the moving plate 60 and the lift plate 68 are moved, the suction holder 76 moves.

Figures 5(A), 5(B), and 5(C) include cross-sectional views showing the suction holding unit 76 in schematic form. A suction port 80 for suction-holding the rod-shaped substrate 3 is provided on the lower side of the suction holding unit 76 facing the chuck table 30, and a suction path 78 is provided inside the suction holding unit 76, one end of which reaches the suction port 80. The other end of the suction path 78 is connected to a suction source (not shown).

Next, we will explain the pair of storage tray placement tables 84 provided on the upper surface of the turntable 82 and the storage tray 96 placed on the storage tray placement tables 84. Figure 6 is a perspective view that shows a schematic diagram of the storage tray 96 being placed on the storage tray placement tables 84.

The storage tray 96 is a jig that stores multiple rod-shaped substrates 3. The storage tray 96 is composed of a frame 98 made of a material such as stainless steel (SUS) or hard resin. An opening 100 that penetrates vertically is formed in the center of the frame 98. The opening 100 has a width smaller than the length of the rod-shaped substrates 3 to be stored, and a length corresponding to the number of rod-shaped substrates 3 to be stored.

A number of storage grooves 102 are formed on both sides of the opening 100 on the top surface of the frame body 98 in the width direction (Y direction in FIG. 6). Each storage groove 102 is similarly arranged on both sides of the frame body 98, and is exposed toward the top surface of the frame body 98 and the opening 100. The width of the storage groove 102 exceeds the thickness of the rod-shaped substrate 3.

The rod-shaped substrate 3 is stored in the storage tray 96 by storing one end in one of a pair of storage grooves 102 facing each other across the opening 100, and the other end in the other of the pair of storage grooves 102. At this time, the surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 other than both ends is exposed in the opening 100.

It is preferable that the number of storage grooves 102 provided on both sides of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96 is about 50. In other words, it is preferable that the storage tray 96 can store 50 rod-shaped substrates 3. However, the number of rod-shaped substrates 3 that can be stored in the storage tray 96 is not limited to this. For ease of explanation, the number of storage grooves 102 formed in the storage tray 96 and the number of rod-shaped substrates 3 stored in the storage tray 96 may not be the same in each figure.

The storage tray mounting base 84 is composed of a base 86 in which a recess 88 is formed along the length direction (X direction in FIG. 6) of the storage tray 96, and a pair of comb-shaped portions 90 fixed to both side surfaces of the recess 88 and along the length direction (X direction). The base 86 and comb-shaped portions 90 of the storage tray mounting base 84 are formed of a material such as stainless steel (SUS) or hard resin.

The recess 88 has a width corresponding to the width of the opening 100 of the storage tray 96. Each of the pair of comb blade portions 90 has a plurality of comb blades 92 aligned along the X direction, with a valley portion 94 between each comb blade 92. Each comb blade 92 faces upward.

The upper surface of each of the bases 86 outside the recesses 88 serves as a mounting surface 86a on which the storage tray 96 is placed. A positioning pin 86b is erected in the center of each mounting surface 86a to determine the position of the storage tray 96 placed on the mounting surface 86a. Positioning holes 104 through which each positioning pin 86b passes are formed on the outer periphery of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96. The arrangement of the positioning pins 86b coincides with the arrangement of the positioning holes 104.

The user of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2 carries an empty storage tray 96 for storing the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 into the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 through the carry-in opening 24 (see FIG. 1) of the exterior cover 16 of the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6, and places it on the storage tray placement platform 84. Then, in order to store the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 and with its cut surface polished in the storage tray 96, the turntable 82 is rotated to move the storage tray placement platform 84 to the rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82a.

Figure 7 includes a perspective view showing a schematic of the storage tray mounting base 84 on which the storage tray 96 is placed. When placing the storage tray 96 on the storage tray mounting base 84, the storage tray 96 is placed on the mounting surface 86a while the positioning pins 86b are passed through the positioning holes 104 of the frame body 98. At this time, the upper ends of the comb blade portions 90 are passed through the openings 100 of the frame body 98. Then, each comb blade 92 of the comb blade portion 90 protrudes above the upper surface of the frame body 98.

When the storage tray 96 is placed at a predetermined position on the placement surface 86a of the storage tray placement base 84, each valley portion 94 of the comb blade portion 90 is adjacent to each storage groove 102 of the storage tray 96. That is, the positions of each storage groove 102 and each valley portion 94 are determined in advance so that they are adjacent to each other when the storage tray 96 is placed on the storage tray placement base 84. In addition, the height position of the bottom of the valley portion 94 is determined in advance so that the height position of the bottom of the valley portion 94 is lower than the height position of the bottom of the storage groove 102 when the storage tray 96 is placed on the storage tray placement base 84.

The operation of storing the rod-shaped substrate 3 cut out from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 in the storage tray 96 is performed by the storage unit 54. At this time, the chuck table 30 of the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 is rotated, and the side of the rod-shaped substrate 3 held by the holding part 52 of the rotational movement unit 44 is faced toward the suction holding part 76 of the storage unit 54 as shown in FIG. 4.

Figures 5(A), 5(B), and 5(C) show the process of suction-holding the rod-shaped substrate 3 by the suction-holding portion 76 of the storage unit 54 and transporting it out of the holding portion 52 of the rotational movement unit 44. Figure 5(A) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic of the holding portion of the rotational movement unit and the suction-holding portion of the storage unit, and Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic of the rod-shaped substrate held by the holding portion of the rotational movement unit being suction-held by the suction-holding portion of the storage unit. Figure 5(C) is a cross-sectional view that shows a schematic of the rod-shaped substrate being transported by the storage unit.

First, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the suction holder 76 is moved so that the suction port 80 faces the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3. Then, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the suction holder 76 is moved further so that the suction holder 76 comes into contact with the side surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3, and the suction source connected to the suction path 78 is activated to apply negative pressure to the rod-shaped substrate 3 from the suction port 80.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5(C), the holding portion 52 of the rotational movement unit 44 releases the rod-shaped substrate 3 from its holding, and the suction holding portion 76 is moved in a direction away from the arm portion 48 of the rotational movement unit 44. This allows the rod-shaped substrate 3 to be moved. FIG. 7 shows a schematic of the rod-shaped substrate 3 being sucked and transported by the suction holding portion 76 of the storage unit 54.

When storing the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the pair of storage grooves 102 of the storage tray 96, both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 are positioned above the pair of storage grooves 102. Then, the suction holding portion 76 is lowered so that both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 enter the valleys 94 between the comb teeth 92 of the comb tooth portion 90. Note that, since a recess 88 is formed in the storage tray mounting base 84, the lower end of the suction holding portion 76 does not collide with the storage tray mounting base 84 at this time.

When the suction holding of the rod-shaped substrate 3 by the suction holding portion 76 is released in this state, the rod-shaped substrate 3 falls and both ends move below the valley portion 94. The both ends are then guided by the valley portion 94 and land on the bottom of the storage groove 102, completing the storage of the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the storage tray 96.

Here, it is preferable that the width of the top of the valley portion 94 is wider than the width of the storage groove 102, the width of the bottom of the valley portion 94 is approximately the same as the width of the storage groove 102, and the middle portion between the top and bottom of the valley portion 94 is tapered. In this case, the end of the rod-shaped substrate 3 falls along this tapered middle portion, so that the end of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is well guided toward the storage groove 102 and is smoothly stored in the storage groove 102.

It is also possible to move the suction holding part 76 that suction-holds the rod-shaped substrate 3 and directly carry both ends of the rod-shaped substrate 3 into the storage groove 102 without using the comb-tooth part 90 of the storage tray mounting base 84. However, in this case, it is necessary to perform the alignment of the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the horizontal direction (X direction) with extremely high precision. Otherwise, the rod-shaped substrate 3 being suction-held and transported by the suction holding part 76 will collide with the frame 98 of the storage tray 96, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 will be damaged.

On the other hand, when the rod-shaped substrate 3 is stored in the storage tray 96 using the comb blade portion 90, the suction hold by the suction holding portion 76 can be released before the rod-shaped substrate 3 comes into contact with the frame 98 of the storage tray 96, preventing damage to the rod-shaped substrate 3. Furthermore, there is no need to precisely align the position of the rod-shaped substrate 3 with the storage groove 102 in the storage unit 54, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be quickly and easily stored in the storage groove 102.

A plurality of rod-shaped substrates 3 are successively accommodated in the storage tray 96. Then, after a predetermined number of rod-shaped substrates 3 have been accommodated in the storage tray 96, the accommodated plurality of rod-shaped substrates 3 are cleaned together with the storage tray 96 in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. Here, it is not necessary for all of the storage grooves 102 of the storage tray 96 to accommodate rod-shaped substrates 3.

When the storage tray 96 is transported to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the turntable 82 is rotated to move the storage tray placement platform 84 on which the storage tray 96 is placed to the storage tray removal position 82b. Next, the transport unit 106 that transports the storage tray 96 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the transport unit 106 has a ball screw type movement mechanism similar to that of the storage unit 54. That is, a pair of guide rails 108 extending in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the turntable 82 (X direction) is provided on the front surface 56a of the support structure 56, and a moving plate 110 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 108.

The pair of guide rails 108 extend in the X direction from above the storage tray discharge position 82b of the turntable 82 of the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 to above a cleaning tank 146 (described below) of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back side (rear side) of the moving plate 110, and a ball screw 112 that is generally parallel to the guide rails 108 is screwed into the nut portion.

A pulse motor 114 is connected to one end of the ball screw 112. By rotating the ball screw 112 with the pulse motor 114, the moving plate 110 moves along the guide rail 108.

A pair of guide rails 116 are provided on the surface side (front side) of the moving plate 110 along a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the turntable 82 (Z direction), and a lifting plate 118 is slidably attached to the pair of guide rails 116. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back side (rear side) of the lifting plate 118, and a ball screw 120 that is roughly parallel to the guide rails 116 is screwed into the nut portion.

A pulse motor 122 is connected to one end of the ball screw 120, and by rotating the ball screw 120 using this pulse motor 122, the lift plate 118 moves up and down along the guide rail 116. A connection part 118a is fixed to the surface side (front side) of the lift plate 118, from which a gripping part 124 capable of gripping the storage tray 96 is suspended.

Here, the structure of the gripper 124 of the transport unit 106 will be described. Figure 8 includes an enlarged perspective view of the gripper 124. The gripper 124 includes a pair of front grippers 132 and a pair of rear grippers 138.

The pair of front gripping portions 132 each have an arm 134 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96, and a claw portion 136 provided at the lower end of the tip of the arm 134. The arm 134 is longer than the length of the storage tray 96 in the X direction. The claw portion 136 is attached to the front side (front side in the X direction) of the storage tray 96. The base end side of each of the arm portions 134 of the pair of front gripping portions 132 is fixed to the respective lower ends of a pair of hanging portions 126 that extend downward in the vertical direction (Z direction) from the connection portion 118a.

The pair of rear gripping portions 138 each have a claw portion 140 that engages with the rear side (rear side in the X direction) of the storage tray 96, and are fixed to the lower ends of the pair of hanging portions 128 that extend vertically (Z direction) downward from the connection portion 118a. A movement mechanism such as a piston mechanism (not shown) is fixed to the connection portion 118a, which moves each of the hanging portions 126, 128 along the extension direction (front-rear direction, X direction) of the arm portion 134.

The movement mechanism can widen the gap between the claws 136, 140 by moving the hanging portion 126 forward (forward in the X direction) and moving the hanging portion 128 in the opposite direction (rearward in the X direction). The movement mechanism can narrow the gap between the claws 136, 140 by moving the hanging portion 128 forward (forward in the X direction) and moving the hanging portion 126 in the opposite direction (rearward in the X direction).

The gripping portion 124 further includes a frame-shaped fall prevention portion 142 having a planar shape corresponding to the planar shape of the frame 98 of the storage tray 96. One end of the fall prevention portion 142 is fixed to the lower end of the hanging portion 130 that extends vertically (in the Z direction) downward from the connection portion 118a. The fall prevention portion 142 has the function of pressing the storage tray 96 from above when the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripping portion 124 as described below, thereby preventing the rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96 from falling off the storage tray 96.

Next, the process of transporting the storage tray 96 by the transport unit 106 from the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 will be described. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of the storage tray 96 placed on the storage tray placement table 84 located at the storage tray unloading position 82b on the turntable 82, and the gripper 124 of the transport unit 106.

First, the gripping portion 124 is moved above the storage tray placement platform 84. The front gripping portion 132 and the rear gripping portion 138 are also moved in opposite directions along the front-rear direction (X direction) to widen the gap between the claw portion 136 of the front gripping portion 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripping portion 138. The gripping portion 124 is then lowered along the Z direction so that the bottom ends of the claw portions 136, 140 are lower than the bottom end of the storage tray 96. FIG. 9(A) is a side view that shows the lowered gripping portion 124 and the storage tray 96.

It is preferable that the fall prevention part 142 has an escape groove 144 so that the fall prevention part 142 does not collide with the positioning pin 86b provided on the mounting surface 86a of the storage tray mounting base 84 when the gripping part 124 is brought close to the storage tray mounting base 84. It is preferable that the shape of the positioning hole 104 of the storage tray 96 corresponds well to the shape of the positioning pin 86b, unlike the escape groove 144, because the shape of the positioning hole 104 of the storage tray 96 contributes to the accuracy of alignment between the storage tray mounting base 84 and the storage tray 96.

Next, the front gripping portion 132 and the rear gripping portion 138 are moved in opposite directions along the front-rear direction (X direction) to narrow the gap between the claw portion 136 of the front gripping portion 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripping portion 138. Then, the storage tray 96 is gripped along the front-rear direction (X direction) by both claw portions 136, 140. Figure 9 (B) is a side view that shows a schematic view of the storage tray 96 gripped by the gripping portion 124 of the transport unit 106.

Here, it is preferable that each of the claws 136, 140 is inclined toward each other in the front-to-rear direction (X direction) toward the bottom end. In addition, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the storage tray 96 has an inclination at the end in the length direction (X direction) that corresponds to the inclination of each of the claws 136, 140.

When the claws 136, 140 and the end of the bottom surface of the storage tray 96 are inclined, the storage tray 96 rises along the incline when the claws 136, 140 are brought close to each other and the storage tray 96 is gripped by the claws 136, 140. Then, the upper surface of the storage tray 96 comes into contact with the lower surface of the fall prevention part 142. As a result, the storage tray 96 is gripped and fixed by the gripping part 124.

That is, the gripping portion 124 of the transport unit 106 has the function of gripping the storage tray 96 with a pair of claws 136, 140 that move relatively along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96. When the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripping portion 124, the upper part of the storage groove 102 of the storage tray 96 is blocked by the fall prevention portion 142, so that each rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96 does not jump out of the storage groove 102.

Then, the transport unit 106 moves the gripping portion 124 to transport the storage tray 96 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. Then, in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the storage tray 96 is carried into the cleaning tank 146 while still being gripped by the gripping portion 124, and each rod-shaped substrate 3 is cleaned in this state.

Next, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 will be described. Figure 3 includes a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of part of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, and Figure 10 includes a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of part of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 includes a cleaning tank 146 that has an opening 146a at its upper end that is larger than the planar shape of a storage tray 96 that can store rod-shaped substrates 3, and that can store cleaning liquid 150.

The inner wall or bottom surface of the cleaning tank 146 is provided with an openable/closable water supply port 146b and an openable/closable drain port 146c. The cleaning tank 146 is supplied with cleaning liquid 150 through the water supply port 146b. The cleaning liquid 150 used in the cleaning tank 146 is drained from the drain port 146c. For example, the cleaning liquid 150 used in the cleaning tank 146 is pure water.

An ultrasonic imparting unit 148 capable of imparting ultrasonic vibrations to the cleaning liquid 150 stored in the cleaning tank 146 may be provided on the inner wall of the cleaning tank 146. The ultrasonic imparting unit 148 has an ultrasonic vibrator inside, and by activating the ultrasonic vibrator, ultrasonic vibrations are imparted to the cleaning liquid 150, thereby enhancing the cleaning effect of the rod-shaped substrate 3.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the rod-shaped substrates 3 stored in the storage tray 96 are cleaned by the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the gripping portion 124 that grips the storage tray 96 is lowered into the cleaning tank 146. At this time, cleaning liquid 150 may be stored in the cleaning tank 146, and the storage tray 96 may be immersed in the cleaning liquid 150. Alternatively, the storage tray 96 may be entered into an empty cleaning tank 146, and then the cleaning liquid 150 may be supplied to the cleaning tank 146 to immerse the storage tray 96 in the cleaning liquid 150.

In this way, the transport unit 106 also functions as a transport unit for the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, and immerses the storage tray 96 in the cleaning liquid 150. When the storage tray 96 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 150, the exposed surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is cleaned, except for both ends that are accommodated in the storage groove 102.

At this time, in order to effectively clean the rod-shaped substrate 3, it is advisable to operate the ultrasonic wave applying unit 148 to apply ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid 150. In addition, in order to enhance the cleaning effect of the rod-shaped substrate 3, the cleaning tank 146 may be provided with a screw-shaped stirring unit for stirring the cleaning liquid 150.

The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 may further include a stirring mechanism that intensively stirs the cleaning liquid 150 near the rod-shaped substrates 3 stored in the storage tray 96. FIG. 11 includes a perspective view that shows a movable unit 152 that functions as a stirring mechanism. The movable unit 152 is supported, for example, by the support structure 56 (see FIG. 3), and is movable along the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96. It is also preferable that the support structure 56 is capable of moving up and down along the Z direction.

The movable unit 152 includes a support 154 aligned along the Z direction that supports each component. An agitator 156 is fixed to the lower part of the support 154. The agitator 156 has a vertical plate 156a that extends along the X direction and stands upright along the Z direction, and a horizontal plate 156b that is fixed to the lower end of the vertical plate 156a, extends along the X direction, and is laid down along the Y axis direction. Both the vertical plate 156a and the horizontal plate 156b are plate-shaped members that are long in the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96.

While the storage tray 96 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 150 stored in the cleaning tank 146, the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth in the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96, and the agitator 156 is moved back and forth above the storage tray 96. Then, the movement of the agitator 156 agitates the cleaning liquid 150 around each rod-shaped substrate 3, and the rod-shaped substrate 3 is effectively cleaned with the cleaning liquid 150.

In FIG. 11, the cleaning liquid 150 is omitted. While the rod-shaped substrate 3 is being cleaned with the cleaning liquid 150, new cleaning liquid 150 may continue to be supplied to the cleaning tank 146 from the water supply port 146b, and old cleaning liquid 150 may continue to be drained from the drain port 146c. In this case, contaminants such as processing debris adhering to the rod-shaped substrate 3 are washed away into the cleaning liquid 150 and then gradually removed from the cleaning tank 146, so that the cleanliness of the cleaning liquid 150 is maintained at a predetermined level.

After the rod-shaped substrates 3 are washed with the cleaning liquid 150, the cleaning liquid 150 is drained from the drain port 146c of the cleaning tank 146. Then, each rod-shaped substrate 3 is rinsed by spraying a rinsing liquid onto it. For example, a rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96 may be provided at a position higher than the stirring portion 156 of the support 154 of the movable unit 152.

Figure 12 is a perspective view that shows a rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in a storage tray 96 being rinsed with a rinse liquid supplied from a rinse liquid supply nozzle 158. The rinse liquid is, for example, pure water. However, the rinse liquid is omitted in Figure 12.

The rinse liquid supply nozzle 158 is provided with multiple rinse liquid supply ports (not shown) facing downward. A rinse liquid supply path (not shown) is provided inside the rinse liquid supply nozzle 158 and the support 154, and the rinse liquid is supplied to the rinse liquid supply port through this rinse liquid supply path, and the rinse liquid is sprayed from the rinse liquid supply port.

When rinsing the rod-shaped substrate 3, the relative heights of the movable unit 152 and the gripping part 124 are adjusted. Then, the storage tray 96 gripped by the gripping part 124 is positioned at a predetermined height position that is lower than the height position of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 and higher than the vertical plate part 156a of the agitation part 156.

Then, while the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth along the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96, the rinse liquid is sprayed from the rinse liquid supply port of the rinse liquid supply nozzle 158, and the rinse liquid is applied to the rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96. The rod-shaped substrate 3 is then rinsed with the rinse liquid. Therefore, even if a small amount of contaminants dispersed in the cleaning liquid 150 in the cleaning tank 146 adheres to the rod-shaped substrate 3, the contaminants are washed away by the rinse liquid.

The rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply nozzle 158 to the rod-shaped substrate 3 and dropped to the bottom surface of the cleaning tank 146 may be drained from the drain outlet 146c. After the rod-shaped substrate 3 is rinsed with the rinse liquid, the rod-shaped substrate 3 is dried.

For example, a drying nozzle 160 extending along the length direction (X direction) of the storage tray 96 may be provided at a position adjacent to the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158 on the support 154 of the movable unit 152 and at a position above the rinsing liquid supply nozzle 158. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96 being dried with gas supplied from a pair of drying nozzles 160.

The lower drying nozzle 160 is provided with multiple gas outlets (not shown) facing upward. Meanwhile, the upper drying nozzle 160 is provided with multiple gas outlets (not shown) facing downward. A gas supply passage (not shown) is provided inside the drying nozzle 160 and the support 154, and gas is supplied to the gas outlets through this gas supply passage, and the gas is ejected from the gas outlet.

When drying the rod-shaped substrate 3 with the drying nozzle 160, the relative heights of the movable unit 152 and the gripping portion 124 are adjusted. Then, the storage tray 96 held by the gripping portion 124 is positioned at a height position between the pair of drying nozzles 160.

Then, while the support 154 of the movable unit 152 is moved back and forth along the width direction (Y direction) of the storage tray 96, gas is ejected from the gas ejection port of each drying nozzle 160, and the gas is directed at the rod-shaped substrate 3 stored in the storage tray 96. Then, the moisture adhering to the rod-shaped substrate 3 is blown away by the gas.

The gas ejected from the drying nozzle 160 is, for example, dry nitrogen gas or dry air, and may be heated by a heat source (not shown) before being ejected from the drying nozzle 160. When the heated gas is applied to the rod-shaped substrate 3, the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be dried efficiently. In this way, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 is equipped with a drying unit including the drying nozzle 160, the support 154, and the heat source, and dries the rod-shaped substrate 3 by the drying unit.

The moisture blown off from the rod-shaped substrate 3 scatters in the internal space of the exterior covers 12, 16, and 20 of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2. If this moisture reattaches to the components of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2, the components may become contaminated. Therefore, it is preferable to provide an openable and closable shutter mechanism (not shown) between the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 and the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 in the internal space of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2.

The shutter mechanism should be closed at all times except when the storage tray 96 is being transported from the rod-shaped substrate storage device 6 to the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. In this case, the range that the moisture blown off the rod-shaped substrate 3 can reach is limited, thereby preventing contamination of the internal space of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2.

This completes the entire cleaning process for the rod-shaped substrate 3 in the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. After cleaning of the rod-shaped substrate 3 is complete, the storage tray 96 is removed from the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8. Inside the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, a storage tray recovery arm (not shown) is provided near the storage tray removal section 28 shown in FIG. 1.

The storage tray recovery arm has an arm portion whose tip can move between above the cleaning tank 146 and the storage tray removal unit 28. When removing the storage tray 96 from the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8, the tip of the arm portion is moved above the cleaning tank 146. The transport unit 106 then positions the gripping portion 124 above the tip of the storage tray recovery arm, and moves the hanging portions 126, 128 so that the claw portion 136 of the front gripping portion 132 and the claw portion 140 of the rear gripping portion 138 move away from each other.

At this time, the gripping of the storage tray 96 by the gripping section 124 is released, and the storage tray 96 is placed on the tip of the storage tray recovery arm. Then, the tip of the storage tray recovery arm is moved from above the cleaning tank 146 to the storage tray removal section 28. Thereafter, the user of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 opens the lid of the storage tray removal section 28 and recovers the storage tray 96. This results in the production of a rod-shaped substrate 3 that has been cut out from the substrate 1, has both side surfaces polished, and has been washed with the cleaning liquid 150.

The obtained rod-shaped substrates 3 are transported in the storage tray 96 even outside the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2, and are collected from the storage tray 96 in a specified area. After all the stored rod-shaped substrates 3 have been removed from the storage tray 96, the empty storage tray 96 can be reused. In other words, it is placed again on the storage tray placement platform 84 on the upper surface of the turntable 82, and is used to store new rod-shaped substrates 3 cut from the substrate 1 by the rod-shaped substrate cutting device 4 of the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2.

Conventionally, the rod-shaped substrates 3 formed by cutting out the substrate 1 were attached one by one to adhesive tape by an operator, and each rod-shaped substrate was then cleaned. At this time, one side of each rod-shaped substrate 3 was attached to the adhesive tape, and the other side of each rod-shaped substrate 3 was cleaned. Therefore, after cleaning the other side of each rod-shaped substrate 3, it was necessary to peel each rod-shaped substrate 3 from the adhesive tape in order to clean the one side of each rod-shaped substrate 3, and then apply new adhesive tape to the other side of each rod-shaped substrate 3.

In contrast, in the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 2 incorporating the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 according to this embodiment, the rod-shaped substrate 3 can be cleaned without using adhesive tape by using a storage tray 96. This eliminates the need for adhesive tape and the manpower and work time required to attach the rod-shaped substrate 3 to the adhesive tape. Therefore, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 according to this embodiment can efficiently clean the rod-shaped substrate 3 at low cost.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. For example, the above embodiment describes an example in which the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 is incorporated into the rod-shaped substrate manufacturing device 2 for use, but the manner of use of the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this.

That is, the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8 may be an independent device. In this case, the rod-shaped substrate 3 to be cleaned is stored in a storage tray 96, and the storage tray 96 is gripped by the gripping portion 124 of the transport unit 106 to transport the rod-shaped substrate 3 into the rod-shaped substrate cleaning device 8.

In addition, the structures, methods, etc. according to the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate 3 Rod-shaped substrate 2 Rod-shaped substrate manufacturing apparatus 4 Rod-shaped substrate cutting apparatus 6 Rod-shaped substrate storage apparatus 8 Rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus 10, 14, 18 Base 12, 16, 20 Exterior cover 22, 24 Carry-in entrance 26 Maintenance door 28 Storage tray removal section 30 Chuck table 32 Processing unit 34 Spindle housing 36 Spindle 38 Complex tool 38a Cutting blade 38b Polishing pad 40 Moving body 40a Moving jig 40b Groove section 42 Drive section 44 Rotational movement unit 46 Shaft section 48 Arm section 50 Motor 52 Holding section 54 Storage unit 56 Support structure 56a Front surface 58, 66, 108, 116 Guide rail 60, 110 Moving plate Reference Signs List 62, 70, 112, 120 Ball screw 64, 72, 114, 122 Pulse motor 68 Lift plate 74 Arm 76 Suction holding portion 78 Suction path 80 Suction port 82 Turntable 82a Rod-shaped substrate receiving position 82b Storage tray carrying-out position 84 Storage tray placement base 86 Base 86a Placement surface 86b Positioning pin 88 Recess 90 Comb-tooth portion 92 Comb-tooth 94 Valley 96 Storage tray 98 Frame 100 Opening 102 Storage groove 104 Positioning hole 106 Transport unit 118 Lift plate 118a Connection 124 Grip 126, 128, 130 Hanging portion 132 Front grip 134 Arm 136, 140 Claw portion 138 Rear grip portion 142 Fall prevention portion 144 Relief groove 146 Cleaning tank 146a Opening 146b Water supply port 146c Drain port 148 Ultrasonic wave application unit 150 Cleaning liquid 152 Movable unit 154 Support 156 Agitation portion 156a Vertical plate portion 156b Horizontal plate portion 158 Rinse liquid supply nozzle 160 Drying nozzle

Claims (4)

A rod-shaped substrate cleaning device for cleaning a rod-shaped substrate, comprising:
a cleaning tank having an opening at an upper end thereof larger than a planar shape of a storage tray capable of storing the rod-shaped substrate in a state in which both ends of the rod-shaped substrate are stored in a pair of storage grooves, respectively, with the surface other than the both ends being exposed, and capable of storing a cleaning liquid;
a transport unit that transports the storage tray, and causes the storage tray to enter the cleaning tank through the opening of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored, thereby immersing the storage tray in the cleaning liquid;
Equipped with
The transport unit includes:
A gripping portion including a front gripping portion and a rear gripping portion, each of which has a claw portion;
a drop prevention part that holds the storage tray from above and prevents the rod-shaped substrates stored in the storage tray from falling off the storage tray,
the gripping portion has a function of gripping the storage tray with a claw portion of the front gripping portion and a claw portion of the rear gripping portion, the claw portions being moved relatively along the length direction of the storage tray being transported,
A rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus characterized in that when the storage tray is gripped and fixed by the gripping part, the upper surface of the storage tray contacts the lower surface of the fall prevention part, and the storage groove of the storage tray is blocked from above by the fall prevention part . The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning tank is provided with an ultrasonic wave applying unit capable of applying ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a drying unit for drying the rod-shaped substrate that has been cleaned with the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank. a storage unit for storing the rod-shaped substrate in the storage tray;
2. The rod-shaped substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit has a suction holding section having a suction port formed on a side thereof, and the rod-shaped substrate can be held by suction by bringing the rod-shaped substrate into contact with the suction port of the suction holding section.

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