IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,676,827
Granted Patent B2
US 11,676,827 · App. 16/082,902 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

Substrate cleaning apparatus, substrate cleaning method, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate drying apparatus

Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
H01L21/67051B08B3/02B08B3/08B08B7/028H01L21/02057H01L21/02074H01L21/67028H01L21/67219
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,676,827
App. No.
16/082,902
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

High-performance substrate cleaning apparatus, substrate cleaning method, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate drying apparatus are provided. A substrate cleaning apparatus, including: a substrate holding and rotating mechanism that holds and rotates a substrate; a first cleaning mechanism that brings a cleaning tool into contact with the substrate to clean the substrate, cleans the substrate using two-fluid jet, or cleans the substrate using ozone water; and a second cleaning mechanism that cleans the substrate using an ultrasonic cleaning liquid is provided.

Claims (36)

1. An apparatus for cleaning a substrate, comprising:

a holding and rotating mechanism configured to hold the substrate by grasping an outer peripheral end portion of the substrate and rotate the substrate, the holding and rotating mechanism including a drive shaft configured to rotate the substrate;

a first arm;

a first cleaning mechanism configured to,

bring a cleaning tool into contact with a first face of the substrate to clean the substrate, the cleaning tool being supported by the first arm,

supply ozone water to the first face of the substrate from an ozone water nozzle held by the first arm to clean the substrate, the ozone water nozzle facing the first face, or

supply two-fluid jet to the first face of the substrate from a first two-fluid let nozzle held by the first arm to clean the substrate, the first two-fluid let nozzle facing the first face;

a second cleaning mechanism to supply an ultrasonic cleaning liquid to the first face of the substrate from a supply pipe to clean the substrate, wherein the supply pipe includes a first extension extending from a vibrator, wherein the supply pipe includes a second extension extending downward from a tip of the first extension, and wherein the first extension is inclined so as to be lower toward the vibrator and higher toward the second extension;

a second nozzle configured to supply cleaning liquid to a second face of the substrate, the second face being on a side opposite to the first face, the second nozzle facing the second face,

wherein the first cleaning mechanism is arranged on a side opposite to the second cleaning mechanism regarding a center of the substrate, and

a controller configured to control the drive shaft such that while the second cleaning mechanism supplies the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to an edge of the substrate, the drive shaft rotates the substrate at a first speed, and while the second cleaning mechanism supplies the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to an inner portion of the substrate, the drive shaft rotates the substrate at a second speed, wherein the first speed is lower than the second speed,

wherein

the movable area of the cleaning tool supported by the first arm, the moveable area of the ozone water nozzle held by the first arm, or the moveable area of the two-fluid jet nozzle held by the first arm is limited such that the cleaning tool, the ozone water nozzle, or the two-fluid jet nozzle:

is configured to swing between the center of the substrate rotates by the holding and rotating mechanism and a first retreated position which is at an outside of the substrate on a side where the first cleaning mechanism is arranged, but

is not allowed to swing between the center of the substrate and an outside of the substrate on a side where the second cleaning mechanism is arranged,

the moveable area of the supply pipe in the second cleaning mechanism is limited such that the supply pipe;

is configured to swing between the center of the substrate rotated by the holding and rotating mechanism and a second retreated position which is at an outside of the substrate on a side where the second cleaning mechanism is arranged, but

is not allowed to swing between the center of the substrate and an outside of the substrate on a side wherein the first cleaning mechanism is arranged, thereby a first swing range of the cleaning tool, the ozone water nozzle, or the two-fluid nozzle and a second swing range of the supply pipe do not overlap except at the center of the substrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply pipe is configured to guide the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibration is applied by a vibrator to supply the ultrasonic cleaning liquid from a supply port to the first face of the substrate, and the supply pipe is connected to a swinging shaft,

the controller is configured to variably control a timing and swing speed at which the swinging shaft swings the supply pipe such that the supply pipe swings above the substrate at a time of cleaning the substrate and the supply pipe stands at an outside of a position where the substrate is held during standby.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control the swing speed at which the swinging shaft swings the supply pipe such that the swing speed near an edge of the substrate is different from the swing speed near a center of the substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is capable of controlling the second cleaning mechanism such that the second cleaning mechanism cleans the substrate using the ultrasonic cleaning liquid with a first frequency, and then the second cleaning mechanism cleans the substrate using ultrasonic cleaning liquid with a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supply pipe of the second cleaning mechanism is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position,

the first position being a position where the supply pipe of the second cleaning mechanism cleans the substrate;

the second position being a position where the supply pipe of the second cleaning mechanism cleans the cleaning tool by supplying the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to the cleaning tool.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is circular, and

the supply pipe of the second cleaning mechanism moves between the center of the circular substrate and a third position at an outside of the circular substrate.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is controlled by the controller such that the first cleaning mechanism is configured to contact the substrate using a chemical liquid, and then the second cleaning mechanism is configured to clean the substrate using an ultrasonic cleaning liquid obtained by applying pure water with an ultrasonic vibration.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding and rotating mechanism has a holding member that is configured to hold at least a part of the substrate, and the second cleaning mechanism is configured to supply the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to the holding member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding and rotating mechanism, the first cleaning mechanism, and the second cleaning mechanism are in a casing, and the second cleaning mechanism is configured to supply the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to the casing.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cup provided on an outside of the holding and rotating mechanism, and the second cleaning mechanism is configured to supply the ultrasonic cleaning liquid to the cup.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second cleaning mechanism comprises the supply pipe that is configured to supply the ultrasonic cleaning liquid, and

the supply pipe is configured to be movable at a first position to clean the substrate without use of the cleaning tool and a second position to clean the substrate by supplying the ultrasonic cleaning liquid while using the cleaning tool.

12. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate polishing apparatus that polishes a substrate; and

the apparatus according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2018
From: ISHIBASHI, TOMOATSU
To: EBARA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046808/0100 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP JP2016-043969 · Mar 8, 2016 · national
JP JP2016-046811 · Mar 10, 2016 · national
JP JP2016-069697 · Mar 30, 2016 · national
JP JP2016-086291 · Apr 22, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190088510A1 · Mar 21, 2019