JP2009231553A - Substrate cleaning apparatus, and substrate processing apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate cleaning apparatus can effectively clean what is needed in end parts of a substrate, and to provide a substrate processing apparatus having the same. <P>SOLUTION: A cleaning brush 531 has a brush axis 540 elongated in a vertical direction. A cylindrical cushion member 542 is attached so as to cover a periphery surface of the brush axis 540, and a cylindrical cleaning member 543 is attached so as to cover a periphery surface of the cushion member 542. A lower end part of the cushion member 542 and the cleaning member 543 are fixed to a brush plate 541. An annular cleaning member 544 is attached to a region outside the cleaning member 543 on the brush plate 541. A material which is relatively hard and which has a low flexibility is used as the cleaning member 543, and a material which is relatively soft and which has a high flexibility is used as the cushion member 542 and the cleaning member 544. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

  In order to perform various processes on various substrates such as a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, and a photomask substrate, It is used.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, generally, a plurality of different processes are continuously performed on a single substrate. The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an indexer block, an antireflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure apparatus that is an external apparatus separate from the substrate processing apparatus is disposed adjacent to the interface block.

  In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the substrate carried in from the indexer block is configured such that after the formation of the antireflection film and the coating process of the resist film are performed in the antireflection film processing block and the resist film processing block, the interface block is To the exposure apparatus. After the exposure process is performed on the resist film on the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is transported to the development processing block via the interface block. After a resist pattern is formed by performing development processing on the resist film on the substrate in the development processing block, the substrate is transported to the indexer block.

  In recent years, miniaturization of resist patterns has become an important issue as the density and integration of devices increase. In a conventional general exposure apparatus, exposure processing is performed by reducing and projecting a reticle pattern onto a substrate via a projection lens. However, in such a conventional exposure apparatus, since the line width of the exposure pattern is determined by the wavelength of the light source of the exposure apparatus, there is a limit to the miniaturization of the resist pattern.

Accordingly, a liquid immersion method has been proposed as a projection exposure method that enables further miniaturization of the exposure pattern (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the projection exposure apparatus of Patent Document 2, a liquid is filled between the projection optical system and the substrate, and the exposure light on the substrate surface can be shortened. Thereby, the exposure pattern can be further miniaturized.
JP 2003-324139 A International Publication No. 99/49504 Pamphlet

  By the way, in the projection exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, since the exposure process is performed in a state where the substrate and the liquid are in contact with each other, if a contaminant adheres to the substrate before the exposure process, the contaminant is mixed into the liquid. .

  Before the exposure process, various film forming processes are performed on the substrate. In the course of the film forming process, the edge of the substrate may be contaminated. As described above, when the exposure processing of the substrate is performed in a state where the end portion of the substrate is contaminated, the lens of the exposure apparatus is contaminated, and there is a possibility that the dimension and shape defect of the exposure pattern may occur.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of effectively cleaning a necessary portion of an end portion of a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

  (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to a first invention is a substrate processing apparatus disposed so as to be adjacent to an exposure apparatus, and is adjacent to a processing unit for processing a substrate and one end of the processing unit. And a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus, and the processing unit includes a film formation processing unit that performs a film formation process on one surface of the substrate before the exposure process. At least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit includes a substrate cleaning device that cleans the substrate after the film formation process and before the exposure processing, the substrate cleaning device includes a substrate rotation holding unit that rotates while holding the substrate, And an end cleaning brush provided so as to be able to come into contact with the end of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. The end cleaning brush includes a first cleaning member made of a first material, and a first cleaning. Provided integrally with the member and more flexible than the first material Sex and has a second cleaning member made of a high second material.

  In this substrate processing apparatus, a film forming process is performed on one surface of the substrate by the film forming unit in the processing unit. The substrate after the film formation process is transferred from the processing unit to the exposure apparatus by the transfer unit. After the exposure process is performed on the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is returned from the exposure apparatus to the processing unit by the transfer unit. After the film forming process by the film forming process unit and before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus, the substrate is cleaned by the substrate cleaning apparatus.

  In the substrate cleaning apparatus, the substrate is held and rotated by the substrate rotation holding means. In this state, the edge cleaning brush contacts the edge of the substrate. In this case, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member having different flexibility are selectively brought into contact with each other according to the region of the end portion of the substrate, thereby effectively cleaning a desired portion of the end portion of the substrate. can do.

  Thereby, the substrate can be carried into the exposure apparatus with the end portion being sufficiently clean. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the edge of the substrate, and it is possible to prevent occurrence of defective dimension and shape defect of the exposure pattern.

  (2) The substrate cleaning apparatus may further include brush rotation means for rotating the edge cleaning brush around a rotation axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means.

  In this case, the sliding speed between the edge cleaning brush and the substrate can be increased by bringing the edge cleaning brush into contact with the edge of the substrate while being rotated by the brush rotating means. Thereby, the edge part of a board | substrate can be wash | cleaned efficiently.

  (3) The first cleaning member has a cylindrical first cleaning surface having an axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means, and the second cleaning member is The second cleaning member extends from one end of the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first cleaning surface, and can contact a peripheral region of the other surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. It may have a cleaning surface.

  In this case, the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate, and the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate is cleaned. Since the first cleaning member is made of the first material having relatively low flexibility, it hardly deforms even when pressed against the substrate. Therefore, the first cleaning surface contacts only the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate. Therefore, the first cleaning surface is prevented from coming into contact with the film formed on one surface of the substrate, and the film is prevented from being damaged.

  Further, the second cleaning surface of the second cleaning member is pressed against the peripheral area of the other surface of the substrate. Since the second cleaning member is made of the second material having a relatively high flexibility, the second cleaning member is deformed by being pressed against the substrate. Therefore, the second cleaning surface contacts the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate in addition to the peripheral region on the other surface of the substrate. Thereby, the peripheral region on the other surface of the substrate and the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate can be cleaned.

  In this way, it is possible to sufficiently clean a desired portion at the edge of the substrate while preventing damage to the film formed on one surface of the substrate.

  (4) The first cleaning member has a cylindrical shape, and the end cleaning brush is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the first cleaning member, and a buffer member having higher flexibility than the first cleaning member. Furthermore, you may have.

  In this case, the load applied to the substrate from the first cleaning member can be reduced by the buffer member. Thereby, damage to the substrate can be prevented.

  (5) The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding unit, and the second cleaning member is a substrate You may have the 5th taper cleaning surface which can contact the bevel area | region of the one surface side of the board | substrate hold | maintained by the rotation holding means.

  In this case, the fourth cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate, and the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate is cleaned. Further, the fifth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate, and the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate is cleaned.

  In addition, since the second cleaning member is made of the second material having relatively high flexibility, even if the second cleaning member contacts the film formed on one surface of the substrate, damage to the film is suppressed.

  In this way, it is possible to sufficiently clean a desired portion at the edge of the substrate while preventing damage to the film formed on one surface of the substrate.

  (6) The edge cleaning brush further includes a polishing member having a polishing surface for polishing a bevel region on one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding unit, and the first cleaning member includes the substrate rotation holding unit. A fourth cleaning surface having a tapered shape capable of coming into contact with the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate, and the second cleaning member is a bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. And a tapered polishing cleaning surface may be formed by the polishing surface of the polishing member and the sixth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member.

  In this case, the fourth cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate, and the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate is cleaned.

  Further, the polishing cleaning surface of the edge cleaning brush is pressed against the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate, whereby the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate is polished by the polishing surface of the polishing member. As a result, the excessive film portion formed in the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate is scraped off. Dust and the like generated by polishing are cleaned and removed by the second cleaning member.

  In this way, it is possible to sufficiently clean a desired portion of the end portion of the substrate while reliably removing an excess portion of the film formed on one surface of the substrate.

  (7) A substrate cleaning apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate having one surface and another surface, the substrate rotation holding means rotating the substrate while holding the substrate, and the substrate rotation holding means And an end cleaning brush provided so as to be able to come into contact with the end of the substrate held by the first cleaning member. The end cleaning brush is integrated with the first cleaning member made of the first material and the first cleaning member. And a second cleaning member made of a second material having higher flexibility than the first material.

  In this substrate cleaning apparatus, the substrate is held and rotated by the substrate rotation holding means. In this state, the edge cleaning brush contacts the edge of the substrate. In this case, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member having different flexibility are selectively brought into contact with each other according to the region of the end portion of the substrate, thereby effectively cleaning a desired portion of the end portion of the substrate. can do.

  (8) The substrate cleaning apparatus may further include brush rotation means for rotating the edge cleaning brush around a rotation axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means.

  In this case, the sliding speed between the edge cleaning brush and the substrate can be increased by bringing the edge cleaning brush into contact with the edge of the substrate while being rotated by the brush rotating means. Thereby, the edge part of a board | substrate can be wash | cleaned efficiently.

  (9) The first cleaning member has a cylindrical first cleaning surface having an axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means, and the second cleaning member is The second cleaning member extends from one end of the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first cleaning surface, and can contact a peripheral region of the other surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. It may have a cleaning surface.

  In this case, the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate, and the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate is cleaned. Since the first cleaning member is made of the first material having relatively low flexibility, it hardly deforms even when pressed against the substrate. Therefore, the first cleaning surface contacts only the end surface region of the end portion of the substrate. Therefore, even if a film is formed on one surface of the substrate, the film is prevented from being damaged.

  Further, the second cleaning surface of the second cleaning member is pressed against the peripheral area of the other surface of the substrate. Since the second cleaning member is made of the second material having a relatively high flexibility, the second cleaning member is deformed by being pressed against the substrate. Therefore, the second cleaning surface contacts the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate in addition to the peripheral region on the other surface of the substrate. Thereby, the peripheral region on the other surface of the substrate and the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate can be cleaned.

  (10) The first cleaning member has a cylindrical shape, and the end cleaning brush is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the first cleaning member, and a buffer member having higher flexibility than the first cleaning member. Furthermore, you may have.

  In this case, the load applied to the substrate from the first cleaning member can be reduced by the buffer member. Thereby, damage to the substrate can be prevented.

  (11) The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding unit, and the second cleaning member is a substrate You may have the 5th taper cleaning surface which can contact the bevel area | region of the one surface side of the board | substrate hold | maintained by the rotation holding means.

  In this case, the fourth cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate, and the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate is cleaned. Further, the fifth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate, and the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate is cleaned.

  Further, since the second cleaning member is more flexible than the first cleaning member, even if a film is formed on one surface of the substrate, the film is suppressed from being damaged.

  (12) The edge cleaning brush further includes a polishing member including a polishing surface for polishing a bevel region on one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding unit, and the first cleaning member includes the substrate rotation holding unit. A fourth cleaning surface having a tapered shape capable of coming into contact with the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate, and the second cleaning member is a bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. And a tapered polishing cleaning surface may be formed by the polishing surface of the polishing member and the sixth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member.

  In this case, the fourth cleaning surface of the first cleaning member is pressed against the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate, whereby the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate is cleaned.

  Further, the polishing cleaning surface of the edge cleaning brush is pressed against the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate, whereby the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate is polished by the polishing surface of the polishing member. Therefore, when an extra film is formed in the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate, the extra film portion can be scraped off. Dust and the like generated by polishing can be cleaned and removed by the second cleaning member.

  According to the present invention, the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member having different flexibility are selectively brought into contact with each other in accordance with the region of the end portion of the substrate, so that a desired portion of the end portion of the substrate is effectively obtained. Can be cleaned. Thereby, the substrate can be carried into the exposure apparatus with the end portion being sufficiently clean. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the edge of the substrate, and it is possible to prevent occurrence of defective dimension and shape defect of the exposure pattern.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate refers to a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, a photomask glass substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, and the like. Say.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 to 4 to be described later, in order to clarify the positional relationship, arrows indicating the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to each other are attached. The X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. In each direction, the direction in which the arrow points is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the-direction. Further, the rotation direction around the Z direction is defined as the θ direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 500 includes an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, and a resist cover film removal block. 14 and an interface block 15. An exposure device 16 is arranged adjacent to the interface block 15. In the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is subjected to an exposure process by a liquid immersion method.

  Hereinafter, each of the indexer block 9, the antireflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13, the resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 is referred to as a processing block. Call.

  The indexer block 9 includes a main controller (control unit) 30 that controls the operation of each processing block, a plurality of carrier platforms 40, and an indexer robot IR. The indexer robot IR is provided with a hand IRH for delivering the substrate W.

  The antireflection film processing block 10 includes antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, an antireflection film application processing unit 50, and a first central robot CR1. The antireflection film coating processing unit 50 is provided opposite to the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 with the first central robot CR1 interposed therebetween. The first center robot CR1 is provided with hands CRH1 and CRH2 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 17 is provided between the indexer block 9 and the antireflection film processing block 10 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 17, substrate platforms PASS 1 and PASS 2 for transferring the substrate W between the indexer block 9 and the anti-reflection film processing block 10 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS1 is used when transporting the substrate W from the indexer block 9 to the antireflection film processing block 10, and the lower substrate platform PASS2 is used to transport the substrate W to the antireflection film processing block. It is used when transporting from 10 to the indexer block 9.

  The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with optical sensors (not shown) that detect the presence or absence of the substrate W. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the substrate W is placed on the substrate platforms PASS1 and PASS2. The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with a plurality of support pins fixedly installed. The optical sensor and the support pin are also provided in the same manner on the substrate platforms PASS3 to PASS13 described later.

  The resist film processing block 11 includes resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, a resist film coating processing unit 60, and a second central robot CR2. The resist film application processing unit 60 is provided to face the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111 with the second central robot CR2 interposed therebetween. The second center robot CR2 is provided with hands CRH3 and CRH4 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 18 is provided between the antireflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 18 is provided with substrate platforms PASS3 and PASS4 that are close to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the anti-reflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11. The upper substrate platform PASS3 is used when the substrate W is transported from the antireflection film processing block 10 to the resist film processing block 11, and the lower substrate platform PASS4 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist film. It is used when transporting from the processing block 11 to the processing block 10 for antireflection film.

  The development processing block 12 includes development heat treatment units 120 and 121, a development processing unit 70, and a third central robot CR3. The development processing unit 70 is provided to face the development heat treatment units 120 and 121 with the third central robot CR3 interposed therebetween. The third center robot CR3 is provided with hands CRH5 and CRH6 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 19 is provided between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 19, substrate platforms PASS 5 and PASS 6 for transferring the substrate W between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS5 is used when the substrate W is transported from the resist film processing block 11 to the development processing block 12, and the lower substrate platform PASS6 is used to transfer the substrate W from the development processing block 12 to the resist processing block 12. Used when transported to the film processing block 11.

  The resist cover film processing block 13 includes resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, a resist cover film coating processing unit 80, and a fourth central robot CR4. The resist cover film coating processing unit 80 is provided to face the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131 with the fourth central robot CR4 interposed therebetween. The fourth center robot CR4 is provided with hands CRH7 and CRH8 for delivering the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 20 is provided between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 20 is provided with substrate platforms PASS 7 and PASS 8 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13. The upper substrate platform PASS7 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the development processing block 12 to the resist cover film processing block 13, and the lower substrate platform PASS8 is used to process the substrate W on the resist cover film. Used when transported from the block 13 to the development processing block 12.

  The resist cover film removal block 14 includes post-exposure baking heat treatment units 140 and 141, a resist cover film removal processing unit 90, and a fifth central robot CR5. The post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 is adjacent to the interface block 15 and includes substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 as described later. The resist cover film removal processing unit 90 is provided to face the post-exposure bake heat treatment units 140 and 141 with the fifth central robot CR5 interposed therebetween. The fifth center robot CR5 is provided with hands CRH9 and CRH10 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 21 is provided between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block 14 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 21 is provided with substrate platforms PASS9 and PASS10 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block. The upper substrate platform PASS9 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the resist cover film processing block 13 to the resist cover film removal block 14, and the lower substrate platform PASS10 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist cover film. It is used when transporting from the removal block 14 to the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The interface block 15 includes a cleaning processing unit SD1, a sixth central robot CR6, an edge exposure unit EEW, a feed buffer unit SBF, a return buffer unit RBF, a placement / cooling unit PASS-CP (hereinafter abbreviated as P-CP). , A substrate platform PASS13, an interface transport mechanism IFR, and a drying processing unit SD2. The cleaning unit SD1 performs a cleaning process on the substrate W before the exposure process, and the drying unit SD2 performs a drying process on the substrate W after the exposure process.

  The sixth central robot CR6 is provided with hands CRH11 and CRH12 (see FIG. 4) for delivering the substrate W up and down, and a hand H1 for delivering the substrate W to the interface transport mechanism IFR. , H2 (see FIG. 4) are provided above and below. Details of the interface block 15 will be described later.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment, an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, along the Y direction, The resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 are arranged in order.

  2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the + X direction, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the −X direction. 2 mainly shows what is provided on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500, and FIG. 3 mainly shows what is provided on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500.

  First, the configuration on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 (see FIG. 1) of the antireflection film processing block 10, three coating units BARC are vertically stacked. Each coating unit BARC includes a spin chuck 51 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 52 that supplies a coating liquid for an antireflection film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 51.

  In the resist film coating processing section 60 (see FIG. 1) of the resist film processing block 11, three coating units RES are stacked in a vertical direction. Each coating unit RES includes a spin chuck 61 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 62 that supplies a coating liquid for a resist film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 61.

  In the development processing unit 70 of the development processing block 12, five development processing units DEV are stacked one above the other. Each development processing unit DEV includes a spin chuck 71 that rotates by sucking and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 72 that supplies the developer to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 71.

  In the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 of the resist cover film processing block 13, three coating units COV are stacked one above the other. Each coating unit COV includes a spin chuck 81 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 82 that supplies a coating liquid for the resist cover film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 81. As a coating solution for the resist cover film, a material having a low affinity with the resist and water (a material having low reactivity with the resist and water) can be used. For example, a fluororesin. The coating unit COV forms a resist cover film on the resist film formed on the substrate W by applying a coating liquid onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 of the resist cover film removal block 14, three removal units REM are vertically stacked. Each removal unit REM includes a spin chuck 91 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 92 that supplies a peeling liquid (for example, a fluororesin) to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 91. The removal unit REM removes the resist cover film formed on the substrate W by applying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  The method for removing the resist cover film in the removal unit REM is not limited to the above example. For example, the resist cover film may be removed by supplying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while moving the slit nozzle above the substrate W.

  On the + X side in the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW and three drying processing units SD2 are stacked one above the other. Each edge exposure unit EEW includes a spin chuck 98 that rotates by attracting and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a light irradiator 99 that exposes the periphery of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 98.

  Next, the configuration on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, two heating units (hot plates) HP and two cooling units (cooling plates) CP are provided in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 of the antireflection film processing block 10, respectively. Laminated. Further, in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  Two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked in the resist film heat treatment sections 110 and 111 of the resist film processing block 11, respectively. In addition, in the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121 of the development processing block 12, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. Further, in the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131 of the resist cover film processing block 13, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. In addition, in the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment section 140 of the resist cover film removal block 14, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked one above the other, and the two post-exposure baking heat treatment section 141 has two heating units. The unit HP, the two cooling units CP, and the substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 are stacked one above the other. In addition, in the post-exposure bake heat treatment sections 140 and 141, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are arranged at the top.

  Next, the interface block 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the interface block 15 as viewed from the + Y side. As shown in FIG. 4, in the interface block 15, on the −X side, a sending buffer unit SBF and three cleaning processing units SD1 are stacked. In the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW is disposed at the upper part on the + X side.

  Below the edge exposure unit EEW, a return buffer unit RBF, two placement / cooling units P-CP, and a substrate platform PASS13 are stacked in a vertical direction at a substantially central portion in the interface block 15. Below the edge exposure unit EEW, three drying processing units SD2 are vertically stacked on the + X side in the interface block 15.

  A sixth center robot CR6 and an interface transport mechanism IFR are provided in the lower part of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 can move up and down between the feed buffer unit SBF and the cleaning processing unit SD1, and the edge exposure unit EEW, the return buffer unit RBF, the placement / cooling unit P-CP, and the substrate platform PASS13. And it is provided so that rotation is possible. The interface transport mechanism IFR is provided so as to be vertically movable and rotatable between the return buffer unit RBF, the placement / cooling unit P-CP, the substrate platform PASS13, and the drying processing unit SD2.

(2) Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(2-1) Operation of Indexer Block to Resist Cover Film Removal Block First, the operation of the indexer block 9 to the resist cover film removal block 14 will be briefly described.

  On the carrier mounting table 40 of the indexer block 9, a carrier C that stores a plurality of substrates W in multiple stages is loaded. The indexer robot IR takes out the unprocessed substrate W stored in the carrier C using the hand IRH. Thereafter, the indexer robot IR rotates in the ± θ direction while moving in the ± X direction, and places the unprocessed substrate W on the substrate platform PASS1.

  In the present embodiment, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) is adopted as the carrier C. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an OC (open cassette) that exposes the standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pod and the storage substrate W to the outside air. ) Etc. may be used.

  Further, the indexer robot IR, the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6, and the interface transport mechanism IFR are each provided with a direct-acting transport robot that slides linearly with respect to the substrate W and moves the hand back and forth. Although it is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and an articulated transfer robot that linearly moves the hand forward and backward by moving the joint may be used.

  The unprocessed substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS1 is received by the first central robot CR1 of the antireflection film processing block 10. The first center robot CR1 carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101.

  Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film application processing unit 50. In the antireflection film coating processing unit 50, an antireflection film is applied and formed on the substrate W by the coating unit BARC in order to reduce standing waves and halation generated during exposure.

  Next, the first central robot CR1 takes out the coated substrate W from the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101. Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS3.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS3 is received by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The second central robot CR2 carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111.

  Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and carries the substrate W into the resist film coating treatment unit 60. In the resist film application processing unit 60, a resist film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the antireflection film is applied and formed by the application unit RES.

  Next, the second central robot CR2 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist film coating processing unit 60, and carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111. Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS5.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS5 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS7.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS7 is received by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13. The fourth central robot CR4 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film coating processing unit 80. In this resist cover film coating processing section 80, a resist cover film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the resist film has been applied and formed by the coating unit COV.

  Next, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 and carries the substrate W into the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131. Thereafter, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS9.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS9 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS11.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15, and predetermined processing is performed in the interface block 15 and the exposure device 16, as will be described later. After predetermined processing is performed on the substrate W in the interface block 15 and the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is carried into the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 by the sixth central robot CR6. .

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment unit 141, post-exposure baking (PEB) is performed on the substrate W. Thereafter, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W from the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS12.

  In this embodiment, post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 performs post-exposure bake, but post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 140 may perform post-exposure bake.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS12 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film removal processing unit 90. In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90, the resist cover film is removed.

  Next, the fifth central robot CR5 takes out the processed substrate W from the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS10 is placed on the substrate platform PASS8 by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS8 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 carries the substrate W into the development processing unit 70. In the development processing unit 70, development processing is performed on the exposed substrate W.

  Next, the third central robot CR3 takes out the development-processed substrate W from the development processing unit 70, and carries the substrate W into the development heat treatment units 120 and 121. Thereafter, the third central robot CR3 takes out the substrate W after the heat treatment from the development heat treatment units 120 and 121, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS6.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS6 is placed on the substrate platform PASS4 by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS4 is placed on the substrate platform PASS2 by the first central robot CR1 of the anti-reflection film processing block 10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS 2 is stored in the carrier C by the indexer robot IR of the indexer block 9. Thereby, each process of the board | substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 500 is complete | finished.

(2-2) Operation of Interface Block Next, the operation of the interface block 15 will be described in detail.

  As described above, the substrate W carried into the indexer block 9 is subjected to a predetermined process and then placed on the substrate platform PASS11 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 carries the substrate W into the edge exposure unit EEW (FIG. 4). In the edge exposure unit EEW, the peripheral portion of the substrate W is subjected to exposure processing.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the edge-exposed substrate W from the edge exposure unit EEW and carries the substrate W into one of the cleaning processing units SD1. In the cleaning processing unit SD1, the cleaning process is performed on the substrate W before the exposure process as described above.

  Here, the time of the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 16 is usually longer than the other process steps and the transport step. As a result, the exposure apparatus 16 often cannot accept a subsequent substrate W. In this case, the substrate W is temporarily stored in the sending buffer unit SBF (FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W that has been subjected to the cleaning processing from the cleaning processing unit SD1, and transports the substrate W to the sending buffer unit SBF.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W stored and stored in the sending buffer unit SBF and carries the substrate W into the placement / cooling unit P-CP. The substrate W carried into the placement / cooling unit P-CP is maintained at the same temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) as that in the exposure apparatus 16.

  If the exposure apparatus 16 has a sufficient processing speed, the substrate W is transported from the cleaning processing unit SD1 to the placement / cooling unit P-CP without storing and storing the substrate W in the sending buffer unit SBF. Also good.

  Subsequently, the substrate W maintained at the predetermined temperature by the placement / cooling unit P-CP is received by the upper hand H1 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR, and the substrate carry-in section 16a in the exposure apparatus 16 is received. (Fig. 1).

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the exposure processing in the exposure device 16 is unloaded from the substrate unloading portion 16b (FIG. 1) by the lower hand H2 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR. The interface transport mechanism IFR carries the substrate W into one of the drying processing units SD2 by the hand H2. In the drying processing unit SD2, the drying processing of the substrate W after the exposure processing is performed as described above.

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the drying process in the drying processing unit SD2 is taken out by the hand H1 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR. The interface transport mechanism IFR places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS13 with the hand H1.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS13 is received by the sixth central robot CR6. The sixth central robot CR6 transports the substrate W to the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  When the resist cover film removal block 14 temporarily cannot accept the substrate W due to a failure of the removal unit REM (FIG. 2), the substrate W after the exposure processing is temporarily stored in the return buffer unit RBF. can do.

(3) About Cleaning Processing Unit (3-1) Configuration Next, details of the cleaning processing unit SD1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning processing unit SD1. As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning processing unit SD1 includes a spin chuck 521 for holding the substrate W horizontally and rotating the substrate W about a vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate W.

  The spin chuck 521 is fixed to the upper end of the rotation shaft 523 rotated by the chuck rotation drive mechanism 522. The spin chuck 521 has an intake passage (not shown). By exhausting the inside of the intake passage while the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 521, the lower surface of the substrate W can be vacuum-sucked to the spin chuck 521, and the substrate W can be held in a horizontal posture.

  In the vicinity of the spin chuck 521, a plurality (two in this example) of lower surface nozzles 524 are provided facing outward and upward. An upper surface nozzle 525 is provided above the spin chuck 521. A cleaning liquid supply pipe 524a is connected to each lower surface nozzle 524, and a cleaning liquid supply pipe 525a is connected to the upper surface nozzle 525. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the lower surface nozzle 524 and the upper surface nozzle 525 through the cleaning liquid supply pipes 524a and 525a. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid.

  During the cleaning process of the substrate W, the substrate W rotates while being held by the spin chuck 521. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the lower surface nozzle 524 toward the lower surface of the rotated substrate W. Further, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the upper surface nozzle 525 toward the center of the upper surface of the rotated substrate W. The cleaning liquid discharged from the lower surface nozzle 524 and the upper surface nozzle 525 spreads outward by centrifugal force. Thereby, the entire front surface of the substrate W and the peripheral region on the back surface of the substrate W are cleaned.

  An end cleaning unit 530 is disposed outside the spin chuck 521. The edge cleaning unit 530 includes a cleaning brush 531 for cleaning the edge R of the substrate W. The cleaning brush 531 is held by a holding member 532 and is driven to rotate around the vertical axis by a brush rotation drive mechanism 534.

  An arm 535 is connected to the holding member 532. When the arm 535 is driven by the arm driving mechanism 536, the cleaning brush 531 moves in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

(3-2) Details of Cleaning Brush FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the cleaning brush 531. As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning brush 531 has a brush shaft 540 extending in the vertical direction. A brush plate 541 is attached to the lower end portion of the brush shaft 540.

  A cylindrical buffer member 542 is attached so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the brush shaft 540, and a cylindrical cleaning member 543 is attached so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 542. The lower ends of the buffer member 542 and the cleaning member 543 are fixed to the brush plate 541. An annular cleaning member 544 is attached to a region outside the cleaning member 543 on the brush plate 541.

  In this embodiment, a material that is relatively hard and has low flexibility is used as the cleaning member 543, and a material that is relatively soft and has high flexibility is used as the buffer member 542 and the cleaning member 544. As a material of the cleaning member 543, for example, polyurethane or nylon is used. As a material of the buffer member 542 and the cleaning member 544, for example, polyvinyl alcohol is used.

(3-3) Cleaning of Edge of Substrate As described above, in the cleaning processing unit SD1, the edge R of the substrate W is cleaned by the cleaning brush 531 of FIG. Details will be described below.

  As described above, when the substrate W is cleaned, the substrate W held by the spin chuck 521 rotates. The cleaning brush 531 is moved by the arm driving mechanism 536 so as to come into contact with the end portion R of the rotating substrate W. At that time, the cleaning brush 531 is rotationally driven by the brush rotation driving mechanism 534.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the rotation direction of the substrate W and the cleaning brush 531. As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning brush 531 and the substrate W rotate in the same direction. In this case, the sliding speed between the cleaning brush 531 and the substrate W is increased, and the end portion R of the substrate W can be efficiently cleaned.

  Note that the cleaning liquid discharged from the lower surface nozzle 524 and the upper surface nozzle 525 in FIG. 5 is guided to the end portion R through the back surface and the front surface of the substrate W by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the substrate W, and the cleaning brush 531 and the substrate W Is supplied to the contact portion with the end portion R.

  Here, a specific shape of the end portion R of the substrate W used in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a specific shape of the end portion R of the substrate W. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the end portion R of the substrate W is continuous with the upper bevel region A which is inclined so as to be continuously connected to the flat surface of the substrate W at the outer peripheral portion of the substrate W, and the flat back surface of the substrate W. And a lower bevel region C that is inclined so as to connect to the end surface region B, and an end surface region B that is substantially perpendicular to the front or back surface of the substrate. The surface of the substrate W refers to the surface of the substrate W on which various patterns such as circuit patterns are formed, and the back surface of the substrate W refers to the surface of the substrate W on the opposite side.

  Next, a method for cleaning the end portion R of the substrate W by the cleaning brush 531 will be described in more detail. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a method of cleaning the end portion R of the substrate with the cleaning brush 531.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9A, the cleaning brush 531 moves in the horizontal direction toward the substrate W, and the cleaning member 543 is pressed against the end R of the substrate W. Here, as described above, the cleaning member 543 has low flexibility. Therefore, even if the cleaning member 543 is pressed against the end surface R of the substrate W, it does not deform greatly. As a result, the cleaning member 543 substantially contacts only the end surface region B (FIG. 8) of the end portion R of the substrate W.

  Subsequently, the cleaning brush 531 moves upward while the cleaning member 543 is in contact with the end portion R of the substrate W. Accordingly, the cleaning member 544 of the cleaning brush 531 is pressed against the peripheral edge of the back surface of the substrate W as shown in FIG. Here, as described above, the cleaning member 544 is highly flexible. Therefore, the cleaning member 544 is deformed by being pressed against the substrate W. Accordingly, the cleaning member 544 comes into contact with the peripheral edge portion of the back surface of the substrate W and the lower bevel region C (FIG. 8) of the end portion of the substrate W.

  In this way, the cleaning brush 531 cleans the end surface region B of the end portion R of the substrate W, the lower bevel region C of the end portion R of the substrate W, and the peripheral portion of the back surface of the substrate W.

  In the cleaning processing unit SD1, the cleaning brush 531 hardly contacts the surface of the substrate W. This prevents the film formed on the surface of the substrate W from being damaged by contact with the cleaning brush 531.

  Further, the cleaning brush 531 hardly contacts the upper bevel area A (FIG. 8) of the end portion R of the substrate W. Therefore, even when a film is formed on the upper bevel region A of the end portion R of the substrate W, damage to the film is prevented.

  Note that when the substrate W and the cleaning brush 531 are decentered or tilted, a load is applied to the substrate W from the cleaning brush 531. In the present embodiment, since the buffer member 542 is provided between the brush shaft 540 of the cleaning brush 531 and the cleaning member 543, the load applied to the substrate W from the cleaning brush 531 is reduced. Thereby, damage to the substrate W can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the buffer member 542 of the cleaning brush 531 and the lower end of the cleaning member 543 are fixed to the brush plate 541, so that the buffer member 542 and the cleaning member 543 are prevented from being bent. This more reliably prevents the cleaning member 543 from coming into contact with the film formed on the surface of the substrate W.

(3-4) Modified Example of Cleaning Brush FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the cleaning brush 531. In the cleaning brush 531 shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface of the cleaning member 544 is formed so as to be substantially horizontal, but the shape of the cleaning member 544 may be changed according to the shape of the substrate W or the like.

  In the cleaning brush 531a shown in FIG. 10A, the upper surface of the cleaning member 544 is formed so as to be inclined outward and downward. In this case, the cleaning member 544 can be more reliably brought into contact with the lower bevel region B of the end portion R of the substrate W. Thereby, the cleaning efficiency of the lower bevel region B of the end portion R of the substrate W can be improved.

  Further, in the cleaning brush 531b shown in FIG. 10B, the upper surface of the cleaning member 544 is formed so as to incline outward and upward.

(4) Other Examples of Cleaning Brush Instead of the cleaning brush 531, a cleaning brush shown in FIG. 11 may be used. FIG. 11 is a side view showing another example of the cleaning brush.

  The cleaning brush 550 shown in FIG. 11 has a rotationally symmetric shape around the vertical axis, and the upper half region is configured by the upper cleaning member 551 and the lower half region is configured by the lower cleaning member 552. The outer peripheral surface of the upper cleaning member 551 is inclined outward and upward, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower cleaning member 552 is inclined outward and downward.

  In the present embodiment, a material that is very soft and highly flexible is used as the upper cleaning member 551, and a material that is relatively soft and highly flexible is used as the lower cleaning member 552. Note that a material softer than the cleaning member 544 in FIG. 9 is preferably used as the upper cleaning member 551, and a material having a hardness comparable to that of the cleaning member 544 in FIG. 9 is preferably used as the lower cleaning member 552.

  As a material of the upper cleaning member 551 and the lower cleaning member 552, for example, polyvinyl alcohol is used. In general, polyvinyl alcohol is used in the form of a sponge. The upper cleaning member 551 can be adjusted softer than the lower cleaning member 552 by adjusting the amount and size of the pores of the sponge.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method of cleaning the edge portion R of the substrate by the cleaning brush 550.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the upper cleaning member 551 of the cleaning brush 550 is pressed against the end portion R of the substrate W, the upper cleaning member 511 is deformed and the upper bevel region A of the end portion R of the substrate W is deformed. And the end face region B. As a result, the upper bevel region A and the end surface region B of the end portion R of the substrate W are cleaned.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the lower cleaning member 552 of the cleaning brush 550 is pressed against the end portion R of the substrate W, the lower cleaning member 552 is deformed and the lower bevel region C of the end portion R of the substrate W is deformed. And the end face region B. As a result, the lower bevel region C and the end surface region B of the end portion R of the substrate W are cleaned.

  In the cleaning brush 550, since the upper cleaning member 511 is formed of a very soft material, even if the upper cleaning member 511 contacts the film formed on the surface of the substrate W in the state of FIG. , Damage to the film can be suppressed. On the other hand, the end face region B and the lower bevel region C of the end portion R of the substrate W can be cleaned with sufficient cleaning power by the lower cleaning member 511 that is relatively harder than the upper cleaning member 511.

  As described above, when the cleaning brush 550 is used, the upper bevel region A, the end surface region B, and the lower bevel region B of the end portion R of the substrate W are suppressed while suppressing damage to the film formed on the surface of the substrate W. Can be cleaned sufficiently.

(4-a) Modification FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modification of the cleaning brush 550 shown in FIG. The cleaning brush 550 in FIG. 11 is different from the cleaning brush 550a in FIG. 13 in that the upper end portion of the lower cleaning member 552 is replaced with the upper cleaning member 551.

  When the cleaning brush 550 of FIG. 11 is used, when the lower cleaning member 552 is strongly pressed against the end portion R of the substrate W (see FIG. 12B), the upper end portion of the lower cleaning member 552 is moved to the substrate W. Or the upper bevel region A of the end portion R may be in contact. In that case, the film on the substrate W may be damaged.

  On the other hand, when the cleaning brush 550a of FIG. 13 is used, the upper cleaning member 551 contacts the film on the substrate W even if the lower cleaning member 552 is strongly pressed against the end portion R of the substrate W. Therefore, the lower cleaning member 552 does not come into contact with the film on the substrate W. Therefore, damage to the film on the substrate W can be prevented more reliably.

(4-b) Other Modifications FIG. 14 is a side view showing another modification of the cleaning brush 550 shown in FIG. The cleaning brush 550 of FIG. 11 differs from the cleaning brush 550b of FIG. 14 in that the upper cleaning member 551 and the polishing member 553 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction in the upper half region.

  When the upper half region of the cleaning brush 550 b is pressed against the end portion R of the substrate W, the upper bevel region A of the end portion R of the substrate W is polished by the polishing member 553. In this case, the film portion formed in the upper bevel region A or the end surface region B of the end portion R of the substrate W is scraped off. Dust and the like generated by polishing are cleaned and removed by the upper cleaning member 551.

  In the course of the film forming process by the coating units BARC, RES, and COV, an extra film may be formed on the peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W or the upper bevel region A of the end portion R of the substrate W. When the edge R of the substrate W is cleaned using the cleaning brush 550b of FIG. 14, the excess film portion can be removed from the substrate W.

  Conventionally, an edge rinsing process is performed on the substrate W after the film forming process in each coating unit in order to remove such an excessive film portion. In the edge rinse process, the excessive film portion is dissolved and removed by the chemical solution.

  However, it is difficult to accurately supply a chemical solution to a desired portion during the edge rinse process. Therefore, the excessive film portion cannot be sufficiently removed, or the film portion that should not be removed is removed.

  When the cleaning brush 550b is used, the shape of the polishing member 553 of the cleaning brush 550b is adjusted according to the portion of the film to be removed, so that the excessively formed film portion is accurately and reliably removed. be able to.

(5) Effects of the Embodiment In the present embodiment, the end portion R of the substrate W is cleaned in the cleaning processing unit SD1 before the exposure processing in the exposure apparatus 16. Thereby, the substrate W can be carried into the exposure apparatus 16 with the end portion R sufficiently clean. Therefore, contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the end portion R of the substrate W can be prevented, and the occurrence of a defective dimension and a defective shape of the exposure pattern can be prevented.

  Further, in the cleaning processing unit SD1, a desired portion at the end of the substrate W can be reliably cleaned without damaging the film formed on the substrate W. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the processing defects of the substrate W from occurring.

(6) Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, in the cleaning unit SD1, pure water is used as the cleaning liquid, but a surfactant, a solvent, or an alcohol chemical such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is used instead of pure water. May be. In this case, a higher cleaning effect can be obtained by chemical cleaning.

  Further, the edge cleaning unit 530 is provided in the drying processing unit SD2, and after the edge R of the substrate W after the exposure processing is cleaned by the edge cleaning unit 530 in the drying processing unit SD2, the substrate W is dried. Also good. In this case, the development processing can be performed in the development processing block 12 with the end portion R of the substrate W being sufficiently clean. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent a decrease in development performance due to contamination of the end portion R.

  Further, the cleaning processing unit SD1 or the drying processing unit SD2 may be provided in a block other than the interface block 15.

  Further, the number of the cleaning processing unit SD1, the drying processing unit SD2, the coating unit BARC, RES, COV, the development processing unit DEV, the removal unit REM, the heating unit HP, the cooling unit CP, and the mounting / cooling unit P-CP is each You may change suitably according to the processing speed of a processing block. For example, when two edge exposure units EEW are provided, the number of drying processing units SD2 may be two.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the cleaning processing unit SD1 is provided in the so-called coater / developer apparatus that performs the film forming process of the substrate W before the exposure process and the developing process of the substrate W after the exposure process has been described. The apparatus may be provided with a cleaning processing unit SD1. For example, the cleaning unit SD1 may be provided in a so-called scrubber apparatus that performs a cleaning process on the substrate W before the film forming process.

(7) Correspondence between each constituent element of claims and each element of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claims and each element of the embodiment will be described. It is not limited to.

  In the above embodiment, the indexer block 9, the antireflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block 14 are examples of processing sections. The interface block 15 is an example of a delivery unit, the coating units BARC, RES, and COV are examples of a film forming unit, and the cleaning unit SD1 or the drying unit SD2 is an example of a substrate cleaning apparatus.

  Further, the spin chuck 521 and the chuck rotation drive mechanism 522 are examples of substrate rotation holding means, the brush rotation drive mechanism 534 is an example of brush rotation means, and the cleaning brushes 531, 531 a, 531 b, 550, 550 a, and 550 b are ends. The cleaning member 543 or the lower cleaning member 552 is an example of the first cleaning member, and the cleaning member 544 or the upper cleaning member 551 is an example of the second cleaning member.

  As each constituent element in the claims, various other elements having configurations or functions described in the claims can be used.

  The present invention can be used for processing various substrates.

1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the + X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the -X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the interface block from the + Y side. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a washing | cleaning processing unit. It is sectional drawing which shows the detailed structure of a washing brush. It is a top view which shows the rotation direction of a board | substrate and a cleaning brush. It is a side view which shows the specific shape of the edge part of a board | substrate. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating the cleaning method of the edge part of a board | substrate with a cleaning brush. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of a washing brush. It is a side view which shows the other example of a washing brush. It is a figure for demonstrating the cleaning method of the edge part of a board | substrate with a cleaning brush. It is a side view which shows the modification of the washing brush shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the other modification of the washing brush shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Indexer block 10 Antireflection film processing block 11 Resist film processing block 12 Development processing block 13 Resist cover film processing block 14 Resist cover film removal block 15 Interface block 500 Substrate processing device 521 Spin chuck 522 Chuck rotation drive mechanism 531 531a, 531b, 550, 550a, 550b Cleaning brush 534 Brush rotation drive mechanism 543, 544 Cleaning member 542 Buffer member 551 Upper cleaning member 552 Lower cleaning member SD1 Cleaning processing unit SD2 Drying processing unit W Substrate

Claims (12)

A substrate processing apparatus disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus,
A processing unit for processing the substrate;
Provided adjacent to one end of the processing unit, and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus,
The processing unit includes a film forming process unit that performs a film forming process on one surface of the substrate before the exposure process,
At least one of the processing unit and the delivery unit includes a substrate cleaning apparatus that cleans the substrate after the film formation process and before the exposure process,
The substrate cleaning apparatus includes:
Substrate rotation holding means for rotating while holding the substrate;
An end cleaning brush provided so as to be able to contact the end of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The end cleaning brush is
A first cleaning member made of a first material;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a second cleaning member that is provided integrally with the first cleaning member and is made of a second material that is more flexible than the first material. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes:
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising brush rotation means for rotating the edge cleaning brush around a rotation axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. . The first cleaning member has a cylindrical first cleaning surface having an axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The second cleaning member extends from one end portion of the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first cleaning surface and is held by the substrate rotation holding unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second cleaning surface that can contact a peripheral region of the other surface. The first cleaning member has a cylindrical shape;
The said edge cleaning brush is further provided along the inner peripheral surface of the said 1st cleaning member, and further has a buffer member with a softness | flexibility higher than a said 1st cleaning member, The Claim 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Substrate processing equipment. The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact a bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The said 2nd cleaning member has a taper-shaped 5th cleaning surface which can contact the bevel area | region of the said one surface side of the board | substrate hold | maintained by the said board | substrate rotation holding means. Substrate processing equipment. The edge cleaning brush further includes a polishing member having a polishing surface for polishing the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact a bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The second cleaning member has a sixth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a taper-shaped polishing cleaning surface is formed by the polishing surface of the polishing member and the sixth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member. A substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate having one surface and another surface,
Substrate rotation holding means for rotating while holding the substrate;
An end cleaning brush provided in contact with the end of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means;
The end cleaning brush is
A first cleaning member made of a first material;
And a second cleaning member formed integrally with the first cleaning member and made of a second material having higher flexibility than the first material. 8. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising brush rotation means for rotating the edge cleaning brush around a rotation axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means. . The first cleaning member has a cylindrical first cleaning surface having an axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The second cleaning member extends from one end portion of the first cleaning surface of the first cleaning member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first cleaning surface, and is formed on the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding unit. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a second cleaning surface that can contact a peripheral region of the other surface. The first cleaning member has a cylindrical shape;
The said edge cleaning brush is further provided along the internal peripheral surface of the said 1st cleaning member, and further has a buffer member with a softness | flexibility higher than a said 1st cleaning member, The said cleaning brush is characterized by the above-mentioned. Substrate cleaning device. The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The said 2nd cleaning member has a taper-shaped 5th cleaning surface which can contact the bevel area | region of the said one surface side of the board | substrate hold | maintained by the said board | substrate rotation holding means. Substrate cleaning equipment. The edge cleaning brush further includes a polishing member including a polishing surface for polishing the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The first cleaning member has a tapered fourth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the other surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
The second cleaning member has a sixth cleaning surface that can contact the bevel region on the one surface side of the substrate held by the substrate rotation holding means,
9. The substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a tapered polishing cleaning surface is formed by the polishing surface of the polishing member and the sixth cleaning surface of the second cleaning member.

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