JP2006303042A - Substrate surface processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate surface processing apparatus to easily transfer substrates and perform uniform surface processing of substrates by eliminating reaction gas generated at the surfaces of substrates. <P>SOLUTION: A gas removing means 35 is provided between transfer rollers 34 rotatably and partially or entirely soaking into the processing liquid 32 accommodated within a processing liquid vessel 33, and can easily remove the gas 52 existing in contact with the processing surface of the substrate 31 to be processed with the processing liquid 32. Simultaneously, the surfaces of the substrates 31 are uniformly processed in the simplified structure while transferring the substrates 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate surface treatment apparatus used for chemically treating the surface of a substrate such as a silicon wafer.

  For example, in the manufacturing process of an electronic device, chemical surface treatment for a substrate which is a member constituting the device is frequently used. The chemical surface treatment for the substrate is divided into a dry process using a reactive gas and a wet process using a chemical solution. From the viewpoint of the number of processing substrates and the processing surface of the substrate, batch processing in which a plurality of flat substrates are simultaneously immersed in the processing liquid to process the entire surface, or only one surface of the flat substrate is in contact with the processing liquid for processing. Divided into single wafer processing.

  Processes for processing only one side of a substrate having a flat plate shape are frequently used for glass substrates, silicon wafers, etc., for example, for cleaning, removal of a surface-affected layer, thinning, surface shape processing, and the like.

  In the dry process using a reactive gas, the substrate is placed in close contact with the substrate stage, and the processing gas hardly reaches the back side that is in close contact with the substrate stage. However, compared to the wet process, the dry process equipment requires a large amount of equipment such as a vacuum exhaust system and a gas supply system, resulting in high equipment costs and high material gas costs. It is widely used.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a conventional substrate surface processing apparatus 1. The substrate surface treatment apparatus 1 is a substrate surface treatment apparatus based on a wet process, and includes a treatment liquid tank 4 containing a treatment liquid 3 used for surface treatment of the substrate 2 and a pump for circulating the treatment liquid 3 in the treatment liquid tank 4. 5 and the nozzle 6.

  The substrate surface treatment apparatus 1 chemically treats only one side of the substrate 2 with the treatment liquid 3 contained in the treatment liquid tank 4. In addition, the surface on the side chemically treated with the processing liquid 3 is referred to as a processing surface 2a, and the surface opposite to the processing surface 2a is referred to as a non-processing surface 2b.

  The substrate 2 is, for example, a silicon substrate on which a device is formed on the non-processed surface 2b, and the surface protective material 7 is coated on the non-processed surface 2b on which the device is formed. The substrate 2 is vacuum-sucked by a vacuum chuck 8 provided in a transport robot (not shown). A transport robot (not shown) can transport the substrate 2 that is vacuum-sucked by the vacuum chuck 8 and includes a rotating unit that rotates the substrate 2.

  The processing liquid tank 4 contains the processing liquid 3, a processing liquid suction hole is formed at the bottom of the processing liquid tank 4, and a pipe 9 is connected to the processing liquid suction hole. The other end of the pipe 9 is connected to the pump 5, and the processing liquid 3 accommodated in the processing liquid tank 4 is sucked by the pump 5 through the pipe 9 so that the nozzle 6 faces the processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2. It is ejected into the processing liquid tank 4. In this way, the processing liquid 3 in the processing liquid tank 4 is circulated.

  The substrate surface processing apparatus 1 vacuum-sucks the substrate 2 by the vacuum chuck 8 of the transport robot, transports the substrate 2 above the processing liquid tank 4, and lowers it to bring the processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2 into contact with the surface of the processing liquid 3. While the substrate 2 is in contact with the surface of the processing liquid 3, the substrate 2 is rotated by the rotating means of the transfer robot, and the processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2 is etched by the processing liquid 3.

  Here, as the treatment liquid 3, a mixed acid of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid is widely used. However, in such a wet process using the substrate surface processing apparatus 1, the silicon constituting the substrate 2 and the processing liquid 3 react to generate a reaction gas 10 such as oxygen, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen peroxide, and the reaction gas. Ten bubbles grow on the processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2. The bubbles of the reaction gas 10 adhering to the processing surface 2a are not easily separated, and the presence of the reaction gas 10 prevents the contact between the processing liquid 3 and the substrate 2. When the contact between the processing liquid 3 and the substrate 2 is hindered by the presence of the reaction gas 10, the surface treatment of the processing surface 2a of the substrate 2 cannot be performed, and uneven etching occurs on the processing surface 2a. This causes a problem that the thickness of the substrate 2 is uneven.

  In order to solve such a problem, there has been proposed a substrate surface treatment apparatus that performs surface treatment of a substrate while removing a reaction gas generated by the reaction between the substrate and a treatment liquid (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). ).

  7 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of the substrate surface processing apparatus 11 disclosed in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 8 is a top view of the processing liquid tank 12 included in the substrate surface processing apparatus 11 shown in FIG. The substrate surface treatment apparatus 11 is similar to the conventional substrate surface treatment apparatus 1 described above, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the treatment liquid tank 12 included in the substrate surface treatment apparatus 11, a plurality of gas removal plates 13 having a substantially right triangle shape are arranged radially around the nozzle 6, and the gas removal plates 13 are fixed. A liquid reservoir 14 that is slightly smaller than the treatment liquid tank 12 is provided. The processing liquid 3 ejected from the nozzle 6 is stored in an inverted conical space formed in the liquid reservoir 14, and an amount of the processing liquid 3 exceeding a certain amount flows from the peripheral edge of the liquid reservoir 14 to the processing liquid tank. 12 is discharged from the nozzle 6 by the pipe 9 and the pump 5 again.

  When the surface treatment of the substrate 2 is performed in the same manner as the substrate surface treatment apparatus 1 using the substrate surface treatment apparatus 11 as described above, the reaction gas generated on the treatment surface 2a of the substrate 2 is converted into the rotation of the substrate 2 and the gas. It can be removed by the removal plate 13, and good etching without unevenness can be performed.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 21 disclosed in Patent Document 2, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line XX of the substrate 2 and the wiping means 22 shown in FIG. . The substrate surface processing apparatus 21 is similar to the above-described conventional substrate surface processing apparatus 1, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The substrate surface processing apparatus 21 is provided with a wiping means 22 for removing the reaction gas 10 generated on the processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2. The wiping means 22 is held by a wiping portion 26 in which a stretched porous polytetrafluoroethylene film 25 is formed on a surface of a mesh holding cylinder 24 in which a plurality of through holes 23 are opened in a mesh shape, and a holding portion 27. The wiping unit 26 is connected to a wiper mechanism (not shown), and the wiping unit 26 and a driving unit (not shown) that enable the wiping movement of the wiping unit 26 to reciprocate along the processing surface 2a of the substrate 2 are provided. And a discharge unit such as a rotary pump (not shown) that discharges the reactive gas 10 wiped from the processing surface 2a of the substrate 2 by the wiping unit 26 through the discharge pipe 28 connected to the holding unit 27 to be held. .

  The treatment liquid tank 4 is provided with a liquid reservoir 4a that is slightly smaller than the treatment liquid tank 4, and the treatment liquid 3 is accommodated in the liquid reservoir 4a. The processing liquid 3 ejected from the nozzle 6 is stored in the liquid reservoir 4a, and the amount of the processing liquid 3 exceeding a certain amount is between the liquid reservoir 4a and the processing liquid tank 12 from above the liquid reservoir 4a. Is discharged from the nozzle 6 by the pipe 9 and the pump 5 again.

  Since the substrate surface processing apparatus 21 includes the wiping means 22, the substrate 2 is reciprocated over the entire processing surface 2 a of the substrate 2 by the wiper mechanism by the wiping means 22, and the substrate 2 is moved from the through hole 23 into the wiping portion 26. The reaction gas 10 generated on the processing surface 2a can be sucked and the reaction gas 10 can be discharged to the outside by a discharge unit (not shown).

  However, such surface treatment apparatuses disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following problems. Since the surface treatment apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 performs surface treatment of a substrate by single wafer processing, it takes time to deliver the substrate. In order to shorten such time, a plurality of transfer robots are required. If a plurality of substrates are to be processed at the same time, it is necessary to increase the size of the vacuum chuck that holds the substrates, and the size of the transfer robot equipped with the vacuum chuck increases, making the apparatus complicated and expensive.

JP-A-3-272141 Japanese Patent No. 2595838

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate surface processing apparatus capable of easily transporting a substrate and removing a reaction gas generated on the surface of the substrate to uniformly perform the surface treatment of the substrate.

The present invention provides a substrate surface treatment apparatus for treating the surface of a substrate having a flat plate shape,
A treatment liquid tank for containing a treatment liquid used for substrate surface treatment;
A plurality of conveyance rollers that convey the substrate, and a plurality of conveyance rollers that are rotatably provided by being partially or fully immersed in the treatment liquid stored in the treatment liquid tank;
Roller driving means for rotationally driving the conveying roller;
Extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the transport roller between the transport roller and the transport roller at a predetermined interval so as to protrude from the same position as the processing liquid surface in a stationary state in the processing liquid tank or from the processing liquid surface, or A substrate surface processing apparatus comprising: a gas removing unit which is provided below the surface of the processing liquid and which removes gas existing in contact with a processing surface which is a substrate surface to be processed by the processing liquid.

In the present invention, the gas removing means
An opening is formed on the surface facing the processing surface.

In the present invention, the gas removing means
The length of the transport roller in the rotation axis direction is equal to or greater than the substrate width, which is the length of the substrate in the rotation axis direction of the transport roller.

In the present invention, the gas removing means
It is composed of a liquid repellent material.

In the present invention, the liquid repellent material is
It is characterized by being one of polytetrafluoroethylene, fluororesin, polyethylene, polypropylene or vinyl chloride.

  In addition, the present invention includes a height adjusting unit that adjusts a height of a surface facing the processing surface of the gas removing unit with respect to a height of the processing liquid surface in a stationary state.

In the present invention, the gas removing means
A discharge means for discharging the treatment liquid to the outside of the treatment liquid tank or a discharge circulation means for discharging the treatment liquid to the outside of the treatment liquid tank and returning the discharged treatment liquid to the treatment liquid tank is provided.

In the present invention, the discharge means or the discharge circulation means
It includes a discharge hole pierced in the gas removing means and a pipe connected to the discharge hole.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of transport rollers that are partly or wholly immersed in the processing liquid stored in the processing liquid tank and provided rotatably, roller driving means that rotationally drives the transport rollers, and a predetermined interval. Open and extend between the transfer roller and the transfer roller in the direction of the rotation axis of the transfer roller, so that it protrudes from the process liquid surface at the same position as the process liquid surface in the process liquid tank, or from the process liquid surface Gas removal means for removing gas existing in contact with the processing surface, which is a substrate surface to be processed by the processing liquid, and is present in contact with the processing surface of the substrate processed by the processing liquid. Can be easily removed, and the substrate surface can be uniformly processed while transporting the substrate with a simple configuration. In addition, a flat-flow type substrate surface treatment apparatus excellent in mass productivity is provided at low cost.

  Further, according to the present invention, the gas removing means has the opening formed on the surface facing the processing surface. The inside of the gas removing means is hollow and the inside is an atmospheric environment. Therefore, the space formed between the upper surface including the opening and the processing surface of the substrate is the surface facing the processing surface of the gas removal means, and is in contact with the processing surface of the substrate to be transported. When the gas in the bubble state that exists and moves with the substrate reaches the space of the atmospheric environment, it is trapped in the space, so that the gas in the bubble state can be easily removed from the processing surface of the moving substrate. It becomes.

  Further, according to the present invention, the gas removing means has a length in the rotation axis direction of the transport roller that is equal to or greater than a substrate width that is a length in the rotation axis direction of the transport roller. Thus, the gas existing in contact with the processing surface can be removed.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the gas removing means is made of a liquid repellent material, the gas removing means is provided so as to slightly protrude from the same position as the processing liquid surface in the stationary state or from the processing liquid surface. Even if the processing liquid adheres to the upper surface of the removing means, there is no fear that the processing liquid is held on the upper surface of the gas removing means, and there is a processing liquid between the upper surface of the gas removing means and the processing surface of the substrate. Since the space of the atmospheric environment which does not perform can be formed, the gas which exists in contact with the processing surface can be easily removed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the liquid repellent material is any one of polytetrafluoroethylene, fluororesin, polyethylene, polypropylene, or vinyl chloride, and therefore, for example, a strong acid such as hydrofluoric acid and a strong alkali such as sodium hydroxide are used. Provided is a substrate surface treatment apparatus having excellent resistance to a treatment liquid and excellent durability life.

  Further, according to the present invention, the height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the surface facing the treatment surface of the gas removal means relative to the height of the treatment liquid surface in the stationary state includes the height of the treatment liquid surface in the stationary state. Since the height of the upper surface of the gas removal means can always be in a suitable relationship, it is possible to prevent a large amount of treatment liquid from flowing into the opening of the gas removal means even if the height of the treatment liquid surface changes. The space of the atmospheric environment can be formed between the upper surface of the gas removing means and the processing surface of the substrate, and the gas existing in contact with the processing surface can be removed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the gas removing means discharges the processing liquid to the outside of the processing liquid tank or discharges the processing liquid to the outside of the processing liquid tank, and discharges the circulating processing liquid to the inside of the processing liquid tank. And the processing liquid that has flowed into the gas removal means from the opening can be discharged out of the processing liquid tank, so that the flowed processing liquid is not stored up to the opening of the gas removal means, and the gas A space in the atmospheric environment can be formed between the upper surface of the removing means and the processing surface of the substrate, and the gas existing in contact with the processing surface can be removed.

  According to the invention, the discharge means or the discharge circulation means is realized by including a discharge hole formed in the gas removal means and a pipe connected to the discharge hole.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a substrate surface processing apparatus 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of a transport roller 34 of the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the substrate transport direction 41 of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing when doing.

  The substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 is an apparatus used for single-sided treatment of the surface of a substrate 31 having a flat plate shape, and includes a treatment liquid tank 33 that contains a treatment liquid 32 used for surface treatment of the substrate 31, and a substrate 31. A plurality of transport rollers 34 that are partly or wholly immersed in the processing liquid 32 accommodated in the processing liquid tank 33 and that are rotatably provided, and are configured to rotate the transport rollers 34. The processing liquid surface 32a that extends in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transporting roller 34 between the transporting roller 34 and the transporting roller 34 at a predetermined interval and is in a stationary state in the processing liquid tank 33, with the illustrated roller driving means. (Hereinafter, may be referred to as a liquid level 32a) or a surface that is a surface of a substrate 31 that is provided so as to protrude from the processing liquid surface 32a and is processed by the processing liquid 32. Configured to include a gas removal means 35 for removing the gas 52 present in contact with the surface 31a. The substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 includes, in addition to the above-described units, those equipped in a normal substrate surface treatment apparatus, such as a temperature control means for the treatment liquid 32, but is not illustrated.

  Examples of the substrate 31 to be surface-treated in the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 include a silicon wafer and glass. The substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 is particularly preferably used for surface treatment of silicon wafers. Examples of the surface treatment of the substrate 31 include cleaning, removal of a surface-modified layer by etching, thinning, and surface shape processing. Any one of the above surface treatments can be performed by selecting the type of the treatment liquid 32 described later. It can be performed.

Various treatment liquids 32 can be used as the treatment liquid 32 used for the surface treatment of the substrate 31 depending on the purpose. For example, for etching a silicon (Si) wafer, a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and nitric acid (HNO ₃ ) (which may contain water, acetic acid, etc.), a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, Examples of the treatment of an alkali solution such as a potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and a silicon oxide film (SiO ₂ film) include hydrofluoric acid (HF) and buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF).

  The processing liquid tank 33 for storing the processing liquid 32 is a box-shaped container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The material of the treatment liquid tank 33 is determined based on chemical resistance to the treatment liquid 32 to be used, and examples thereof include stainless steel, hard vinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene (abbreviated as PTFE), polypropylene, polyethylene, and acrylic. .

  Both side wall members 33a and 33b in the longitudinal direction of the treatment liquid tank 33 are formed with non-through holes having openings on the side facing the treatment liquid 32 at the opposite positions, and bearings (not shown) are formed in the non-through holes. Is provided. In addition, a fluid seal member is provided in the mounting portion of the bearing with respect to the side wall members 33a and 33b so as to prevent leakage of the processing liquid 32 stored in the processing liquid tank 33. A pair of support members 36, 37 that support a gas removal means 35 described later are fixed to the upper surfaces of the side wall members 33 a, 33 b of the treatment liquid tank 33 by support member fixing screws 38.

  Further, in the processing liquid tank 33, an opening 33d is formed in the partition member 33c on the loader side so that the substrate 31 is transferred into the processing liquid tank 33 by a transfer roller 34 provided on the loader side outside the processing liquid tank 33. Is provided. Note that an opening is also formed in a partition member (not shown) that faces the partition member 33c, and the substrate 31 that has been surface-treated through the opening is transferred to a washing tank (not shown).

  A conveyance roller 34 is rotatably supported by bearings provided on the side wall members 33 a and 33 b of the processing liquid tank 33. A plurality of conveying rollers 34 are provided, and the arrangement interval in the substrate conveying direction 41 is such that the substrate 31 simultaneously contacts at least three conveying rollers 34 in order to stably convey the substrate 31 to be surface-treated. It is determined to be able to. In determining the arrangement interval of the conveying rollers 34, the processing speed, the configuration of the apparatus, the cost, and the like are considered as other factors. That is, when a large number of transport rollers 34 are arranged with a narrow arrangement interval, the amount of the processing liquid 32 supplied to the substrate 31 is increased, the processing speed is increased, and more gas 52 can be removed. However, since the configuration becomes complicated and the cost increases, the arrangement interval of the conveying rollers 34 is determined in consideration of these.

  In the transport roller 34, a virtual line 39 (which becomes a pass line for transporting the substrate 31, which may be hereinafter referred to as a pass line 39) connecting the rotation tops thereof is parallel to a horizontal plane that is the liquid surface 32 a of the processing liquid 32. It is provided as follows. The plurality of transport rollers 34 are provided such that the rotation top of the transport roller 34, that is, the pass line 39, is positioned higher than the liquid level 32 a of the processing liquid 32 stored in the processing liquid tank 33. The reason for this will be described later.

  The conveyance roller 34 is connected to a roller driving unit (not shown) and is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow 40. The substrate 31 is placed on the transport roller 34 and is transported in the apparatus in the direction of the arrow 41 by the transport roller 34 rotating in the direction of the arrow 40, and is placed facing the processing liquid 32 in the course of the transport. A surface 31a (hereinafter referred to as a processing surface 31a) is subjected to surface treatment.

  The transport roller 34 includes a columnar shaft portion 42 and a cylindrical roller portion 43 provided so as to be stacked on the shaft portion 42. The roller portion 43 may be formed over the entire surface of the shaft portion 42, or may be formed on a part of the shaft portion 42. In the transport roller 34 of the present embodiment, the roller portion 43 is formed so that the substrate 31 to be transported is in contact with the roller portion 43 near both ends and near the center in the direction of the rotation axis 34 a of the transport roller 34.

  The diameter of the roller portion 43 of the transport roller 34 is appropriately determined according to the size and weight of the substrate 31 to be processed, the distance between the transport rollers 34, and the like, and is not particularly limited. Is appropriate.

  For example, when the substrate 31 to be processed is a small and thin substrate such as a silicon wafer, the transport roller 34 is formed such that the diameter of the roller portion 43 is 30 mm, and the distance between the transport rollers 34 (the rotation axis of the transport roller 34). The distance between them is 50 mm. On the other hand, when the substrate 31 to be processed is a large substrate such as a glass substrate, the diameter of the roller portion 43 is formed to be 60 mm, and the interval between the conveyance rollers 34 (interval between the rotation axes of the conveyance roller 34) is 150 mm. It is arranged to be.

  Further, the conveying roller 34 is determined by chemical resistance with respect to the processing liquid 32 to be used and is preferably formed of polytetrafluoroethylene or vinyl chloride. In addition, as for the conveyance roller 34, the shaft part 42 and the roller part 43 may be integrally formed by single said material, and the shaft part 42 and the roller part 43 may be formed by a separate material. When the shaft portion 42 and the roller portion 43 are formed of different materials, for example, stainless steel can be used for the shaft portion 42.

  Next, the positional relationship between the height of the liquid surface 32 a of the processing liquid 32 stored in the processing liquid tank 33 and the transport roller 34 will be described. When processing only one surface of the substrate 31, if the pass line 39 is at a position lower than the liquid surface 32 a of the processing liquid 32, the processing liquid 32 is applied to the non-processing surface 31 b that is the surface opposite to the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31. There is a risk of sneaking around. Although a surface protective material may be formed on the non-treated surface 31b, a surface protective material forming step, a surface protective material peeling step after the surface treatment, and a cleaning step depending on the state after peeling are required. The number of processes increases, and extra material costs such as surface protection materials and stripping treatment liquids are required. Therefore, the distance h between the pass line 39 and the liquid level 32a of the processing liquid 32 is preferably larger than 0 mm.

  Further, when the treatment liquid 32 comes into contact with the treatment surface 31a of the substrate 31 by a liquid contact method described later, if the distance h is 5 mm or less, the treatment liquid 32 comes into contact with the treatment surface 31a by the surface tension of the treatment liquid 32. The liquid state can be maintained. On the other hand, if the distance h exceeds 5 mm, the liquid contact state may not be maintained. Therefore, the distance h is preferably 5 mm or less.

  The gas removing means 35 extends between the conveying roller 34 and the conveying roller 34 at a predetermined interval in the direction of the rotation axis 34 a of the conveying roller 34, and the processing liquid surface 32 a in a stationary state in the processing liquid tank 33. The gas 52 which is provided so as to protrude from the same position or the processing liquid surface 32 a and is in contact with the processing surface 31 a which is the surface of the substrate 31 processed by the processing liquid 32 is removed. The gas removing means 35 is supported via a support plate 45 by a pair of support members 36 and 37 that are fixed to the upper surfaces of the side wall members 33 a and 33 b of the processing liquid tank 33. The configurations of the support members 36 and 37 and the support plate 45 will be described later.

  The gas removal means 35 is arrange | positioned at predetermined intervals. Here, the gas removing means 35 is provided with one gas removing means 35 for every ten conveying rollers 34 in FIG. 1, and one gas removing means for every four conveying rollers 34 in FIGS. Although the example where 35 is provided is shown, the configuration and effects of the gas removing means 35 shown in FIGS. The predetermined arrangement interval of the gas removing means 35, the number of the gas removing means 35 provided, and the arrangement of the conveying roller 34 and the gas removing means 35 are not particularly limited, and depend on the size of the substrate 31 to be processed and the conveying roller 34. It can be set as appropriate from the transport speed of the substrate 31, the amount of the reaction gas 52 generated, the processing time, and the like.

  The gas removing means 35 is a hollow box-like member having an outer diameter having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an opening 35a is formed on the surface facing the processing surface 31a. The gas removing means 35 of this embodiment includes a pair of first and second side wall members 35b and 35c extending in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34, and a third and fourth side wall members 35d and 35d extending in the substrate transport direction 41. The side wall member 35e and the bottom surface member 35f are configured, and an opening 35a is formed on an upper surface that is a surface facing the bottom surface 35f. The length L1 of the gas removal means 35 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34 is provided to be equal to or greater than the substrate width W, which is the length of the substrate 31 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34. Further, the length L2 of the opening 35a of the gas removing means 35 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34 is set to be larger than the substrate width W which is the length of the substrate 31 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34. It is particularly preferred that

  The length (thickness) D1 of the gas removing means 35 in the substrate transport direction 41 and the distance D2 between the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member 35c are the diameter of the roller portion 43 of the transport roller 34 and the distance between the transport rollers 34. It can be appropriately determined according to the above. For example, when the substrate 31 to be processed is a thin substrate such as a silicon wafer, the diameter of the roller portion 43 of the transport roller 34 is 30 mm, and the distance between the transport rollers 34 is 50 mm, the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member The thickness of 35c is 3 mm, the distance D2 between the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member 35c is 4 mm, and the length (thickness) D1 of the gas removing means 35 in the substrate transport direction 41 is 10 mm. For example, when the substrate 31 to be processed is a large substrate such as a glass substrate, the diameter of the roller portion 43 of the transport roller 34 is 60 mm, and the distance between the transport rollers 34 is 150 mm, the transport roller 34 of the gas removing unit 35 is used. It is necessary to increase the length L1 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a and the length L2 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34 of the opening 35a of the gas removal means 35. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the gas removal means 35. Therefore, the thickness of the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member 35c is 5 to 10 mm, which is larger than that when the silicon wafer is used, and the distance D2 between the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member 35c is 4 to 4 mm. The length (thickness) D1 of the gas removing means 35 in the substrate transport direction 41 is 14 to 30 mm. The thicknesses of the third side wall member 35d, the fourth side wall member 35e, and the bottom surface 35f are not particularly limited, and the thickness, size, and the like of the first side wall member 35b and the second side wall member 35c of the gas removing unit 35 are not limited. It is set accordingly.

  Further, the gas removing means 35 is provided at the same position as the processing liquid surface 32a in the processing liquid tank 33 in a stationary state or so as to protrude from the processing liquid surface 32a or below the processing liquid surface 32a. When the gas removing means 35 is provided so as to protrude from the processing liquid surface 32a, the height of the processing liquid surface 32a and the height of the upper surface where the opening 35a of the gas removing means 35 protruding from the processing liquid surface 32a is formed. The difference is made smaller than the distance h between the treatment liquid surface 32 a and the treatment surface 31 a of the substrate 31. If the difference between the height of the treatment liquid surface 32a and the height of the upper surface of the gas removal means 35 is equal to or greater than h, the gas removal means 35 may come into contact with the treatment surface 31a of the substrate 31 and the substrate 31 may be damaged. When the gas removing means 35 is provided below the processing liquid surface 32a, the difference between the height of the upper surface where the opening 35a of the gas removing means 35 is formed and the height of the processing liquid surface 32a constitutes the gas removing means 35. It can be set as appropriate depending on the liquid repellency of the material to be used, and is preferably 5 mm or less so that the amount of the processing liquid 32 flowing from the opening 35a does not become excessive.

  The gas removing means 35 is connected to a discharge hole 44 formed in the gas removing means 35 and a discharge hole 44 as a discharging means for discharging the processing liquid 32 flowing from the opening 35 a out of the processing liquid tank 33. Piping 45 to be provided. In the substrate processing apparatus 30 of the present embodiment, as the discharge means, three discharge holes 44 formed in the bottom surface 35f of the gas removal means 35, three pipes 45 connected to the three discharge holes 44, and a pipe And a circulation means (not shown) for returning the treatment liquid 32 discharged out of the treatment liquid tank 45 from the treatment liquid tank 33 to the treatment liquid tank 33. The stationary state of the treatment liquid 32 in the treatment liquid tank 33 by the circulation means. The height of the liquid surface 32a is adjusted so as to be always constant. Such a discharge circulation means is provided with a dust filter or the like as necessary.

  According to the gas removal means 35 provided with such a discharge circulation means, the treatment liquid 32 that has flowed into the gas removal means 35 from the opening 35a can be discharged. A space of the atmospheric environment is formed between the opening 35a of the gas removing means 35 and the processing surface 31a of the substrate 31, and the gas 52 existing in contact with the processing surface 31a is not stored. Can be removed.

  The gas removing means 35 of this embodiment is made of a liquid repellent material. As such a liquid repellent material, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluororesin, polyethylene, polypropylene or vinyl chloride is preferably used from the viewpoint of resistance. When the gas removing unit 35 is made of such a liquid repellent material, the first side wall members 35b, 35c, 35d, and 35e forming the opening 35a of the gas removing unit 35 are liquid repellent with respect to the processing liquid 32. Therefore, an air environment space in which the processing liquid 32 does not exist can be easily formed between the upper surface including the opening 35 a of the gas removing means 35 and the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31.

  The support members 36 and 37 that support the gas removal means 35 as described above in the processing liquid tank 33 are each a rectangular bar-like member that extends long in the substrate transport direction 41, and the gas removal means 35 is supported via the support plate 45. The support portions 36a and 37a to be supported, and the support portions 36a and 37a are provided on the upper surface opposite to the side facing the liquid surface 32a of the processing liquid 32, and are cut along a plane perpendicular to the substrate transport direction 41. It consists of fixed parts 36b and 37b whose cross-sectional shape is L-shaped. The support members 36 and 37 may be formed integrally with the support portions 36a and 37a and the fixed portions 36b and 37b, respectively, and are formed by fixing the fixed portions 36b and 37b to the support portions 36a and 37a. It may be done.

  The fixing portion 36b of the support member 36 is fixed to the upper surface of the side wall member 33a of the processing liquid tank 33 by a support member fixing screw 38 at the end opposite to the side where the support portion 36a is provided. A plurality of fixing portions 36b are provided on the upper surface of the support portion 36a. The fixing portion 36b is provided at a position different from a position where a support portion 36a described later supports the support plate 45.

  The support plate 45 is a plate-like member having an L-shaped cross section when cut along a plane perpendicular to the substrate transport direction 41. On the surface of the L-shaped support plate 45 on the horizontal plane side, a hole for inserting a male screw member 48 provided in support members 36 and 37 described later is formed.

  A third side wall member 35d of the gas removing means 35 is fixed to the lower surface of the L-shaped support plate 45 on the vertical surface side, and an opening having a width through which the support plate fixing bolt 46 is inserted into the upper portion. An opening (not shown) extending in the vertical direction is formed.

  The support portion 36 a of the support member 36 supports the gas removing unit 35 via the support plate 45. A plurality of screw holes penetrating the support portion 36a in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34 are formed in the support portion 36a. The support member 36 inserts the support plate fixing bolt 46 into the screw hole formed in the support portion 36a through the opening formed in the vertical surface side of the support plate 45, and the support plate fixing bolt of the support portion 36a. The support plate 45 is fixed by screwing the support plate fixing nut 47 from the surface opposite to the side through which the 46 is inserted. The arrangement and the number of screw holes formed in the support portion 36a are determined in accordance with a predetermined diameter of the roller portion 43 of the conveyance roller 34, an interval between the conveyance rollers 34, an interval at which the gas removing means 35 is arranged, and the like. . A position where the screw hole is formed is a position where the support portion 36a supports the support plate 45.

  A male screw member 48 extending in the vertical direction is fixed to the upper surface of the support portion 36a where the support plate 45 is supported. The male screw member 48 of the support portion 36a is inserted into a hole formed in the surface on the horizontal plane side of the support plate 45, and is screwed into the male screw member 48 to fix the support plate 45 from the lower side of the support plate 45. 49 and a second nut 50 for fixing the support plate 45 from above the support plate 45. That is, the first nut 49, the support plate 45, and the second nut 50 are sequentially arranged from the lower side of the male screw member 48, and the support plate 45 is supported by the first nut 49 and the second nut 50.

  Since the support member 37 is configured in the same manner as the support member 36 except that the support plate 45 supported by the support member 37 fixes the fourth side wall member 35e of the gas removing means 35, the corresponding portions are the same. The description is abbreviate | omitted and attached | subjected.

  If the first nut 49 is loosened and the second nut 50 is tightened with the support plate fixing bolt 46 and the support plate fixing nut 47 loosened, the position of the support plate 45 can be moved downward. . Further, when the second nut 50 is loosened and the first nut 49 is tightened while the support plate fixing bolt 46 and the support plate fixing nut 47 are loosened, the position of the support plate 45 can be moved upward.

  This makes it possible to adjust the height of the gas removing means 35 by moving the support plate 45 and thus the gas removing means 35 fixed to the support plate 45 up and down. The first nut 49, the second nut 50, and the male screw member 48 are collectively referred to as height adjusting means 51. The height adjusting means 51 can adjust the height of the surface of the gas removing means 35 that faces the processing surface 31a with respect to the height of the processing liquid surface 32a in a stationary state.

  The materials constituting the support members 36 and 37 and the support plate 45 are also preferably determined based on chemical resistance and strength with respect to the treatment liquid 32 to be used. Stainless steel, hard vinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene In particular, materials such as polyethylene and acrylic are preferably used.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 will be briefly described. Here, an example of surface treatment that etches one side (processing surface) of a silicon wafer using the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 will be described. Single-sided etching of silicon wafers for the purpose of high integration of electronic equipment, etc., for the completion of devices such as LSIs, removal of work-affected layers, thinning, surface texture formation of solar cell substrates or bonding separation on the back side of substrates To be implemented. As the silicon wafer etching solution 32, a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid (hereinafter referred to as hydrofluoric acid) is usually used, and acetic acid, water, sulfuric acid or the like is mixed with the hydrofluoric acid as necessary. The

  The treatment liquid tank 33 stores in advance the nitric acid that is the treatment liquid 32. The storage amount of the processing liquid 32 is set so that the distance h between the position of the liquid surface 32a of the processing liquid 32 and the rotation top of the transport roller 34, that is, the pass line 39 to which the substrate 31 is transported, is 5 mm or less.

  When the accommodation amount of the processing liquid 32 is set, the height of the gas removing unit 35 is adjusted by the height adjusting unit 51. The height of the gas removing means 35 is adjusted so as to be equal to or higher than the height of the liquid surface 32a of the processing liquid 32 and so that the difference from the height of the liquid surface 32a of the processing liquid 32 is smaller than the distance h. The

  The substrate 31 is transferred from the loader side (not shown) through the opening 33d formed in the partition member 33c of the processing liquid tank 33 into the processing liquid tank 33, and transferred so that the processing surface 31a faces the processing liquid 32. It is placed on the roller 34. When the substrate 31 is placed on the transport roller 34, for example, the processing liquid 32 is brought into contact with the processing surface 31a of the substrate 31 as follows. A processing liquid blowing nozzle is provided in advance in the processing liquid 32 in the processing liquid tank 33 below the position where the substrate 31 is placed on a plurality of transport rollers 34 provided on the loader side in the processing liquid tank 33. The processing liquid 32 is blown up toward the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31 by the nozzle, and the processing liquid 32 is brought into contact with the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31 by utilizing the surface tension of the processing liquid 32.

  The substrate 31 that has been transported in the direction indicated by the arrow 41 in FIG. 1 while the processing liquid 32 is held in contact with the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31 is moved to the surface of FIG. It is conveyed toward the water tank (not shown) provided on the upper side.

  During the transfer process, the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31 is etched by the processing liquid 32 held in contact with the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31. Here, a gas 52 such as NOx gas is generated along with the etching of the substrate 31 and is attached to the processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31.

  According to the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 of the present embodiment, the gas removing unit 35 can form an atmospheric environment in the internal space of the gas removing unit 35 and the opening 35a of the gas removing unit 35 as described above. The space formed between the upper surface including the substrate 31 and the processing surface 31a of the substrate 31 is also an atmospheric environment, and is present in contact with the processing surface 31a of the substrate 31 to be transported. When reaching the space of the atmospheric environment, it is trapped in the space, so that the gas 52 in the bubble state can be easily removed from the processing surface 31a of the moving substrate 31.

  Further, the gas removing means 35 is formed such that the length L1 of the transport roller 34 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a is equal to or greater than the substrate width W that is the length of the substrate 31 in the direction of the rotation axis 34a of the transport roller 34. The gas 52 existing in contact with the processing surface 31 a can be removed over the entire processing surface 31 a of the substrate 31.

  As described above, according to the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 of the present invention including the gas removing means 35, the gas 52 existing on the processing surface 31a of the substrate 31 can be efficiently removed and discharged, so that the substrate 31 is discharged. Only one surface of the processed surface 31a can be uniformly etched. In addition, since the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 is a flat flow method using the transport roller 34, the substrate 31 can be continuously flowed and mass productivity is high. Further, since large-scale equipment such as a vacuum chuck and a suction hand is not required for transporting the substrate 31, it can be manufactured at a low cost with a simple structure.

  Furthermore, according to the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 of the present embodiment, the liquid surface 32a of the treatment liquid 32 can always be made constant by the discharge hole 44, the pipe 45, the circulation means, etc. formed in the gas removal means 35. In the surface treatment process, the treatment liquid 32 is always in contact with the treatment surface 31a of the substrate 31, so that the treatment surface 31a of the substrate 31 can be more easily processed.

  Further, in the substrate surface processing apparatus 30, a case where sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution or the like is used as the processing liquid 32 and the silicon wafer is subjected to one-side treatment by alkali etching is also treated with hydrofluoric acid. It was confirmed that the same effect as when the silicon wafer was acid-etched can be obtained. In the case of alkaline etching, stainless steel can be used as a material for the processing liquid tank 33 of the substrate surface processing apparatus 30.

  Further, in the substrate surface processing apparatus 30, hydrofluoric acid or buffered hydrofluoric acid is used as the processing liquid 32 and single-sided processing for removing the surface oxide film of the silicon wafer is the same as when the silicon wafer is acid-etched with hydrofluoric acid. It was confirmed that the effects of can be achieved.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a substrate surface processing apparatus 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The substrate surface processing apparatus 60 is similar to the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 of the above-described embodiment, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The transport roller 61 of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 60 is a roller for transporting four substrates at the same time, in the direction of the rotation axis of the transport roller 61, near both end portions of each of the substrates 31 that are transported every four sheets and Except that the roller portion 63 is formed so as to be in contact with the vicinity of the center portion, the configuration is the same as that of the transport roller 34 of the above-described embodiment.

  The gas removing means 64 of the substrate surface processing apparatus 60 is formed so that the length of the transport roller 61 in the rotation axis direction 61a is equal to or longer than the length of a straight line connecting the end portions of the two substrates 31 located on the outermost side. Except for this, it is configured in the same manner as the gas removing means 35 of the above-described embodiment.

  According to the substrate surface processing apparatus 60, the gas existing in contact with the substrate 31 can be removed to uniformly perform the surface treatment of the substrate 31, and a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) substrates can be flattened simultaneously. Since it can be poured, it is possible to process the substrate 31 in a large amount.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing when cut | disconnecting by the plane perpendicular | vertical to the rotating shaft of the conveyance roller 34 of the substrate surface processing apparatus 30 shown in FIG. It is a top view of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing when cut | disconnecting by the plane perpendicular | vertical to the substrate conveyance direction 41 of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 30 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the substrate surface processing apparatus 60 which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the conventional board | substrate surface processing apparatus. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 11 disclosed by patent document 1. FIG. It is a top view of the process liquid tank 12 contained in the substrate surface treatment apparatus 11 shown in FIG. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the substrate surface treatment apparatus 21 disclosed by patent document 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of the substrate 2 and the wiping means 22 shown in FIG. 9.

Explanation of symbols

30, 60 Substrate surface processing apparatus 31 Substrate 31a Processing surface 32 Processing liquid 32a Processing liquid surface 33 Processing liquid tank 34, 61 Transport roller 34a, 61a Rotating axis 35, 64 Gas removal means 36, 37 Support member 38 Support member fixing screw 39 Passline 42, 62 Shaft portion 43, 63 Roller portion 44 Discharge hole 45 Support plate 46 Support plate fixing bolt 47 Support plate fixing nut 48 Male screw member 49 First nut 50 Second nut 51 Height adjusting means 52 Gas

Claims (8)

In a substrate surface processing apparatus for processing the surface of a substrate having a flat plate shape,
A treatment liquid tank for containing a treatment liquid used for substrate surface treatment;
A plurality of conveyance rollers that convey the substrate, and a plurality of conveyance rollers that are rotatably provided by being partially or fully immersed in the treatment liquid stored in the treatment liquid tank;
Roller driving means for rotationally driving the conveying roller;
Extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the transport roller between the transport roller and the transport roller at a predetermined interval so as to protrude from the same position as the processing liquid surface in a stationary state in the processing liquid tank or from the processing liquid surface, or A substrate surface processing apparatus comprising: a gas removing unit that is provided below the surface of the processing liquid and that removes gas existing in contact with a processing surface that is a substrate surface to be processed by the processing liquid. Gas removal means
2. The substrate surface processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed on a surface facing the processing surface. Gas removal means
3. The substrate surface processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the transport roller in the rotation axis direction is equal to or greater than a substrate width which is a length of the substrate in the rotation axis direction of the transport roller. Gas removal means
4. The substrate surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate surface treatment apparatus is made of a liquid repellent material. The liquid repellent material is
5. The substrate surface treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the substrate surface treatment apparatus is any one of polytetrafluoroethylene, fluororesin, polyethylene, polypropylene, or vinyl chloride.   The height adjusting means for adjusting the height of the surface on the side facing the processing surface of the gas removing means with respect to the height of the processing liquid surface in a stationary state is included. Substrate surface treatment equipment. Gas removal means
2. A discharge means for discharging the treatment liquid to the outside of the treatment liquid tank or a discharge circulation means for discharging the treatment liquid to the outside of the treatment liquid tank and recirculating the discharged treatment liquid into the treatment liquid tank. The substrate surface treatment apparatus as described in any one of -6. The discharge means or discharge circulation means is
8. The substrate surface processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a discharge hole formed in the gas removing means and a pipe connected to the discharge hole.

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