JP7429216B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate transported by a transport device such as a transport roller or a transport belt.

For example, in the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display devices, a substrate cleaning device (substrate processing device) is known that processes the surface of the substrate by supplying a processing liquid (for example, pure water) from a nozzle head to the surface of the substrate. . In this substrate cleaning apparatus, a nozzle head is arranged opposite to the surface of a substrate that is transported by a transport device with the surface to be processed facing upward. A high-pressure cleaning liquid (high-pressure processing fluid) is discharged from the nozzle head, and the surface of the substrate being transported is cleaned by the high-pressure cleaning liquid.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-15462

By the way, when attempting to increase the pressure of the processing fluid discharged from the nozzle head, a phenomenon occurred in which the front end and rear end of the substrate, in particular, rose from the conveying surface. In particular, thin (e.g., about 0.5 mm thick) substrates (glass substrates, liquid crystal substrates, etc.) have a large amount of lifting, and the substrate may collide with the nozzle head or the processing chamber exit, or may bounce during transportation. There is a risk that the substrate to be processed may be damaged. Further, as the substrate lifts up, the distance between the nozzle of the nozzle head and the substrate changes, so that the processing liquid cannot be uniformly supplied to the substrate, which may result in insufficient processing. Therefore, it was not possible to sufficiently increase the pressure of the processing liquid.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that can efficiently process transported substrates.

One aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a processing chamber, and applies high pressure from a nozzle disposed above the transfer device to the substrate transferred by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus that processes the surface of the substrate by discharging a processing fluid,
a rinsing liquid nozzle disposed downstream of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate, the rinsing liquid nozzle discharging a rinsing liquid onto the surface of the substrate treated with the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle;
a partition plate disposed downstream of the nozzle in the substrate transport direction and upstream of the rinsing liquid nozzle , and partitioning the processing chamber into an upstream space and a downstream space. ,
The partition plate is
The downstream side of the airflow that is generated between the lower edge and the surface of the substrate transported by the transporting device so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate. A first gap is formed that obstructs a part of the flow to and generates an upward airflow along the nozzle side surface of the partition plate,
A second gap is formed between the upper edge and the ceiling of the processing chamber to generate a suction force that causes the upward airflow to move gas from the downstream space to the upstream space. Arranged, configured.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle (part 1) in which a substrate transported by a transport device rises from a transport surface. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the principle (part 2) in which the substrate transported by the transport device rises from the transport surface. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the function of the partition plate in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the function of the partition plate in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the function of the partition plate in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the structure of the gas drawing inhibiting member in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a first modification of the gas-drawing inhibiting member. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a second modification of the gas-drawing inhibiting member. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a third modification of the gas-drawing inhibiting member. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Before describing embodiments of the present invention, let us consider the reason why, for example, when a high-pressure processing fluid is sprayed onto a substrate from a spray nozzle included in a nozzle head, the substrate rises from the conveyance surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a processing chamber 100 included in a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate W (glass substrate, liquid crystal substrate, etc.) is moved by a transport device 20 having a plurality of rollers 21 that supports the substrate W (glass substrate, liquid crystal substrate, etc.) from below. It is transported in a horizontal state from the loading port 101 toward the loading port 102 . A nozzle head 10 is arranged opposite to the upwardly facing surface of the substrate W being transported in this manner.

In such a substrate processing apparatus, the first cause will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. A high-pressure cleaning liquid (processing fluid) is discharged from the nozzle head 10 toward the surface of the substrate W, as indicated by the thick black arrow. When the cleaning liquid is discharged, an air current is generated around the discharged cleaning liquid, as shown by a thick white arrow, as it is drawn into the flow of the cleaning liquid. This airflow is blocked by the substrate W and flows along the surface of the substrate W at an extremely high speed. Due to this high-speed airflow, the upper part of the substrate W near the surface is brought into a negative pressure state according to Bernoulli's theorem. As a result, an upward force F acts on the substrate W, and this upward force F causes the tip portion of the substrate W to be transported to pass through the position directly below the nozzle head 10 (see the broken line ellipse in FIG. 1). ) may rise.

Next, the second cause will be explained with reference to FIG. When the rear end of the substrate W passes directly below the nozzle head 10, the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle head 10 is conveyed at high speed through the gap between adjacent rollers 21, as shown by the thick black arrow. It flows below the conveying surface formed by the device 20. In this case as well, as described above, the flow of the cleaning liquid draws in the surrounding gas (air), and an airflow is generated around the discharged cleaning liquid (thick white arrow). After this airflow reaches near the bottom of the processing chamber 100, it rebounds and rolls up, generating an upward airflow. Due to this upward airflow, the rear end portion of the substrate W that has passed directly below the nozzle head 10 may be lifted up.

An embodiment of the present invention that can efficiently process a substrate by preventing or suppressing the lifting of the substrate W will be described with reference to the drawings, taking into account the above-mentioned cause of the lifting of the substrate W.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG. This substrate processing apparatus 1 is characterized by having a configuration (partition plate 12 to be described later) for preventing or suppressing lifting of the substrate W that may occur due to the causes explained based on FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a processing chamber 100 . The processing chamber 100 has a side wall in which the loading port 101 is formed and a side wall in which the loading port 102 is formed in the direction Dt in which the substrate W is transported, and a ceiling portion 103 and a bottom portion 104 in the vertical direction. It is considered a closed space with a Inside the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 is provided that extends from an inlet 101 to an outlet 102. The transport device 20 has an axis (not shown) extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction Dt of the substrate W and parallel to the horizontal plane (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 3: hereinafter referred to as "direction perpendicular to the transport direction"). , and a plurality of rollers 21 mounted on this shaft. A plurality of sets of this shaft (not shown) and a plurality of rollers 21 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction Dt. The upper surface of each roller 21 forms a substrate transport surface. A substrate W to be processed (eg, rectangular with a thickness of 0.5 mm and a side of 3 m) inputted from the carry-in port 101 is transported toward the carry-out port 102 while being supported by each roller 21 of the transport device 20 .

The processing chamber 100 includes a cleaning processing section 110 that performs high-pressure cleaning of the substrate W using a cleaning liquid (an example of a processing fluid), and a rinsing processing section 120 that performs a rinsing processing of the substrate W using a rinsing liquid (pure water). There is. In the processing chamber 100, the cleaning processing section 110 is located upstream of the rinsing processing section 120 in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W.

In the cleaning processing section 110, a plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction are arranged so as to face the upwardly facing surface of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20. These plurality of nozzle heads 10 are fixed at predetermined intervals within the processing chamber 100 to a channel material 11 extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Each nozzle head 10 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) through piping. By supplying high-pressure cleaning liquid from the supply source, high-pressure cleaning liquid (for example, set within a range of 7 MPa to 15 MPa) is applied downward (in the vertical direction in FIG. 3) from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10. (high-pressure processing fluid) is discharged (see thick black arrow in FIG. 3). Further, the plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction are adjusted and arranged so as to face one shaft that constitutes the conveyance device 20 and a roller 21 supported by the shaft. be done.

Further, a partition plate 12 is provided in the cleaning processing section 110, and the partition plate 12 separates a space A on the upstream side of the partition plate 12 and a space B on the downstream side in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W. It is formed. The partition plate 12 is provided to extend vertically at a predetermined position on the downstream side of the nozzle head 10 in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W, and faces at least all the nozzle heads 10 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. (length for 10 minutes for all nozzle heads, or longer). A predetermined gap Ga is formed between the lower edge of the partition plate 12 and the substrate W transported by the transfer device 20, and a predetermined gap Ga is formed between the upper edge of the partition plate 12 and the ceiling 103 of the processing chamber 100. A gap Gb is formed. The gap Ga is formed to be slightly larger than the film thickness formed on the surface of the substrate W by the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. 60 mm) (the gap Ga is, for example, 10 mm or more). The gap Gb is smaller than the gap Ga (for example, 5 to 10 mm). Note that a device for adjusting the gaps Ga and Gb may be provided. For example, the partition plate 12 may be supported on a bracket so that it can be slid up and down. Alternatively, the partition plate 12 may be divided into two members at the center in the height direction, and each member may be supported on a bracket so that it can be slid up and down, so that the gaps Ga and Gb can be adjusted individually. You can.

Consideration will be given to how the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above prevents or suppresses the lifting of the substrate W.

The optimal arrangement position of the partition plate 12 and the gaps Ga and Gb depend on factors such as the gap between the tip of the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate W, the discharge pressure and discharge speed of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, and the following. It can be determined through experiments, taking into account the following. Note that if the nozzle head 10 is brought as close as possible to the surface of the substrate W, less gas will come into contact with the discharged cleaning liquid, and less surrounding gas will be drawn in, so it is thought that the substrate W will not be lifted up. However, if the nozzle head 10 is brought too close to the substrate W, there is a risk that the pattern etc. on the substrate will be damaged by the high pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. On the other hand, if the nozzle head 10 is placed too far away from the substrate W, the cleaning liquid at the required pressure cannot be supplied to the substrate W, making it difficult to perform efficient cleaning processing.

As already mentioned, the gap Ga should be made slightly larger than the thickness of the cleaning liquid film formed on the surface of the substrate W so that the flow of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a is not blocked by the partition plate 12. is preferred. In the present embodiment, the gap blocks, for example, about 75% of the thickness of the airflow layer drawn in by the discharge of the cleaning liquid and becomes an airflow. If the gap Ga is made wider than this, there will be no difference from the conventional one (that is, lifting of the substrate W shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will occur).

Regarding the gap Gb, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram when the gap Gb is not provided, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram when the gap Gb is too wide, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram when the gap Gb is a preferable size. In FIG. 4, although the passage of the airflow is restricted by the presence of the gap Ga, a vortex flow occurs in the space B, and this flow causes the substrate W to float up. Also in FIG. 5, the airflow that has passed through the gap Ga becomes a vortex in the space B, passes through the gap Gb in the middle of the flow, and changes into a large vortex that surrounds the partition plate 12, and this flow is the cause of the floating of the substrate W. Become. On the other hand, in FIG. 6 as well, the presence of the partition plate 12 restricts the passage of airflow (because the gap Ga is small). Further, the airflow that has passed through the gap Ga becomes a vortex above the substrate W in the space B. However, because the size of the gap Gb is appropriately formed, the airflow rising on the surface of the partition plate 12 on the side facing the nozzle 10a generates a strong suction force in the gap Gb. Due to this suction force, a part of the gas that forms the vortex in space B is moved from space B to space A via the gap Gb. Therefore, even if a vortex occurs above the substrate W in FIG. 6, it can be suppressed to such an extent that it does not affect the lifting of the substrate W, and thereby the airflow that causes the lifting of the substrate W can be suppressed. It is considered possible.

Note that the partition plate 12 is provided downstream of the nozzle head 10 and upstream of a position where the substrate W may float in the transport direction Dt. The position where the substrate W may lift can be determined in advance through experiments or the like. For example, in the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the position where the substrate W may be lifted is determined.

Further, the gaps Ga and Gb may be provided by forming one or more elongated holes in the partition plate 12. For example, the end of the partition plate 12 on the ceiling 103 side may be provided in contact with the ceiling 103, and a long hole serving as the gap Gb may be provided in a predetermined portion of the partition plate 12 on the ceiling 103 side. The position and number of long holes, and the size of the long holes are set so as to have the same effect as the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, as described above.

Returning to FIG. 3, the rinse processing section 120 is provided with a plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 on the upper side and a plurality of lower processing liquid pipes 15 on the lower side with the transport device 20 in between. Each of the plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 and each of the plurality of lower processing liquid pipes 15 extend in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W, and each of the plurality of lower processing liquid pipes 15 is arranged so as to face one of the plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14. has been done. Each upper processing liquid pipe 14 has a plurality of nozzles 14a that open downward and are formed at a predetermined interval, and each lower processing liquid pipe 15 has a plurality of nozzles 15a that open upward and are formed at a predetermined interval. It is formed. Each of the upper processing liquid pipe 14 and the lower processing liquid pipe 15 is connected to a rinsing liquid supply source (not shown) through piping. The rinsing liquid from the supply source is supplied to the upper processing liquid pipe 14, the rinsing liquid is discharged downward from each nozzle 14a of the upper processing liquid pipe 14, and the rinsing liquid from the supply source is supplied to the lower processing liquid pipe 15. The rinsing liquid is supplied upward from each nozzle 15a of the lower processing liquid pipe 15. With the rinsing liquid discharged from each nozzle 14a of the upper processing liquid pipe 14 and the rinsing liquid discharged from each nozzle 15a of the lower processing liquid pipe 15, both the front and back surfaces of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20 are processed ( rinsing process).

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above-described structure, the substrate W carried in from the loading port 101 and transported by the transport device 20 enters the cleaning processing section 110. In the cleaning processing section 110, a high-pressure cleaning liquid (processing fluid) discharged from the nozzle 10a is supplied to the surface of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20, and foreign matter on the surface of the substrate W is removed (cleaned). Then, the substrate W, which has been processed in the cleaning processing section 110 and is transported by the transport device 20, enters the next rinsing processing section 120. In the rinsing processing section 120, the substrate W transported by the transport device 20 has both its front and back surfaces cleaned by the rinsing liquid discharged from the nozzles 14a and 15a of the upper processing liquid pipe 14 and the lower processing liquid pipe 15, respectively. After being processed, it is carried out from the outlet 102 and moved to the next processing step (for example, a drying step).

In the process in the cleaning processing unit 110 described above, surrounding gas is drawn in by the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a (see the thick black arrow in FIG. 3), and the airflow generated in this drawn-in manner cleans the substrate W. It flows at high speed along the surface (see thick white arrow in Figure 3). However, a part of the airflow flowing downstream in the transport direction Dt on the surface of the substrate W hits the partition plate 12, and the airflow allowed by the gap Ga existing between the lower end of the partition plate 12 and the substrate W (for example, , about 25% of the thickness of the airflow layer) will flow further downstream. In other words, part of the gas drawn in by the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle head 10 is prevented from flowing further downstream due to the presence of the partition plate 12. As a result, the airflow along the surface of the substrate W decreases on the downstream side of the arrangement position of the partition plate 12 in the substrate transport direction. Moreover, as explained using FIG. 6, although a vortex flow occurs above the substrate W in the space B, it can be suppressed to the extent that it does not affect the floating of the substrate W due to the presence of an appropriate gap Gb. . Thereby, the negative pressure generated in the upper part near the surface of the substrate W can be lowered (compared to the case where the partition plate 12 is not provided, the negative pressure can be brought closer to zero). As a result, the upward force acting on the substrate W (F shown in FIG. 1) is reduced, and the portion (tip portion) of the substrate W being transported that passes directly under the nozzle head 10 is prevented from lifting up, or Can be suppressed.

According to the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, a substrate can be processed efficiently. This prevents damage to the substrate by preventing the substrate W from colliding with the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 or the side wall around the outlet 102, or by suppressing flapping of the substrate W. This is because it is possible. Alternatively, since lifting of the substrate can be prevented or suppressed, the substrate can be transported in a nearly flat state, so cleaning processing can be performed while uniformly supplying processing fluid to the substrate W, and the surface of the substrate can be processed almost uniformly. This is because it can be done.

Next, a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIG. This substrate processing apparatus is characterized by having a structure (fluid enclosing member 13 to be described later) that prevents the substrate W from floating up, which may occur due to the causes explained based on FIG. 2.

In FIG. 7, this substrate processing apparatus 1a has a processing chamber 100, as in the first embodiment described above (see FIG. 3), and a cleaning processing section 110 and a rinsing processing section 120 are installed in the processing chamber 100. It is equipped with Inside the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 is provided that extends from an inlet 101 to an outlet 102. Similar to the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), the rinsing processing unit 120 includes a plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 each having a plurality of nozzles 14a formed on the upper side with the transport device 20 in between, and a plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 on the lower side with the transport device 20 in between. A plurality of lower processing liquid pipes 15 each having a plurality of nozzles 15a formed therein are provided. The rinsing liquid is discharged downward from each nozzle 14a of the upper processing liquid pipe 14, and the rinsing liquid is discharged upward from each nozzle 15a of the lower processing liquid pipe 14.

Further, in the cleaning processing section 110, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), a plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11 at predetermined intervals are installed to handle the substrates W transported by the transport device 20. It is placed opposite an upwardly facing surface. A high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged downward from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10.

Further, in the cleaning processing section 110, instead of the partition plate 12 described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), a fluid enclosing member 13 is provided facing the plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11. It is provided below the conveyance device 20 as shown in FIG. The fluid enclosing member 13 has two return plates 13a and 13b that partition a predetermined range in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W below the roller 21 facing the plurality of nozzle heads 10. The upper end of one of the return plates 13a is formed with a return part 13c that is bent inward and protrudes, and the upper end of the other return plate 13b is also formed with a return part 13d that is bent inward and protruded. A horizontal plate portion 13e is formed between the lower end of one of the two return plates 13a and 13b located on the upstream side in the conveyance direction Dt and the return portion 13c. A horizontal plate portion 13f is also formed at the lower end of the other partition plate 13b. The horizontal plate portion 13e is provided on the return plate 13a so as to extend (eg, extend in the horizontal direction) toward the loading port 101 side, which is the upstream side in the conveyance direction Dt from the return plate 13a. The horizontal plate portion 13f is provided on the return plate 13b so as to extend downstream from the return plate 13b in the transport direction Dt (eg, extend in the horizontal direction). The horizontal plate portion 13e is provided at a position higher than the horizontal plate portion 13f (closer to the transport device 20), and at a position where the end portion does not interfere with the lower processing liquid pipe 15. The gap between the tops of the turned parts 13c and 13d and the lower surface of the substrate W to be transported is approximately 5 mm to 10 mm. Further, the roller 21 facing the nozzle head 10 is positioned between the two return portions 13c and 13d of the fluid enclosing member 13. Each of the return plates 13a and 13b faces each other in parallel, and is arranged so as to face at least all the nozzle heads 10 (so as to have a length of 10 minutes for all the nozzle heads, or longer) in the transport direction. , and each lower portion has a shape substantially parallel to the bottom portion 104 to form a space near the bottom portion 104 of the processing chamber 100 . Like the return plates 13a and 13b, the horizontal plate parts 13e and 13f are arranged in the transport direction so as to face at least all the nozzle heads 10 (so that they have a length equal to or longer than 10 minutes for all the nozzle heads). It is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the

In the cleaning processing section 110 (substrate processing apparatus) described above, when the rear end of the substrate W passes directly below the nozzle head 10, the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 flows between the rollers 21 of the transport device 20. The fluid flows into the fluid enclosing member 13 at high speed through the gap. Then, an air current flowing into the fluid enclosing member 13 is generated so as to be drawn into the cleaning liquid flowing into the fluid enclosing member 13 at high speed. Most of the generated airflow spreads to the bottom of the processing chamber 100. Further, the airflow flowing as if rebounding from the bottom part 104 is turned downward by the horizontal plate parts 13e, 13f and the return parts 13c, 13d of the return plates 13a, 13b, and is directed upward from the bottom part 104 into the conveying device 20. This prevents it from rolling up (see thick white arrow in Figure 7). In this way, by providing the fluid enclosing member 13, the airflow generated when the high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle 10a is prevented from being rolled up in the processing chamber 100 (cleaning processing section 110). It is possible to prevent or suppress the rear end portion of the substrate W that has passed directly below the substrate W from floating up (see FIG. 2).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal plate part 13e is provided so that one end may be in contact with the return plate 13a, and the other end may be in contact with the side wall in which the loading port 101 is formed. One end of the horizontal plate portion 13f is provided on the return plate 13b, and the other end is provided on the rinse portion 120 side so as to form an opening of the fluid enclosing member 13. The fluid enclosing member 13 prevents the airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10 from colliding with the bottom of the processing chamber 100 and bouncing back toward the transfer device 20 side. The airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a heads toward the bottom of the processing chamber 100 along the return plates 13a and 13b. Part of the airflow that bounced off the bottom of the processing chamber 100 heads toward the horizontal plate portion 13e and partly toward the horizontal plate portion 13f. The airflow that has collided with the horizontal plate portion 13e remains within the fluid enclosing member 13 without moving toward the upper side of the processing chamber 100 (toward the transport mechanism 20 side). Although some of the airflow that collides with the horizontal plate portion 13f flows toward the rinse portion 120, the horizontal plate portion 13f prevents the strong airflow from flowing toward the rinse portion 120.

Here, as described above, the horizontal plate portion 13e is provided at a higher position than the horizontal plate portion 13f. This is because the airflow generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a collides with the bottom of the processing chamber 100 and is retained within the fluid enclosure member 13 by the horizontal plate portions 13e and 13f and the return portions 13c and 13d. . Then, the air pressure inside the fluid enclosing member 13 will gradually increase, and the amount of airflow flowing into the rinsing part 120 from the end of the horizontal plate part 13f on the rinsing part 120 side will increase. As a result, the substrate W transported by the transport device 20 may flap. By providing the horizontal plate portion 13e at a high position, it is possible to prevent the air pressure within the fluid enclosure member 13 from becoming significantly high.

According to the invention according to the second embodiment described above, the substrate W to be cleaned by the high-pressure cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a is prevented or suppressed from lifting up at its rear end portion, and is transferred to the transfer device 20 in a stable posture. transported by. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, collision of the substrate W with the nozzle 10a and the side wall around the outlet 102 is prevented, and flapping of the substrate W can be suppressed. Therefore, damage to the board can be prevented. Further, by being able to prevent or suppress lifting of the substrate W, the substrate W can be transported in a nearly flat state, so that the cleaning process can be performed while uniformly supplying the processing fluid to the substrate W. For these reasons, the substrate W can be processed efficiently.

Next, a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 8 and 9. In this substrate processing apparatus, in place of the aforementioned partition plate 12 (see FIG. 3) and fluid enclosure member 13 (see FIG. 7), a device is installed to prevent air from being drawn into the flow of cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a at high speed. It is characterized in that it has a configuration (a gas-drawing inhibiting member 16 to be described later).

The substrate processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a processing chamber 100, and a cleaning processing section 110 and The rinsing processing section 120 is also provided. Inside the processing chamber 100, a transport device 20 is provided that extends from an inlet 101 to an outlet 102. The cleaning processing section 110 is provided with a plurality of nozzle heads 10 fixed to the channel material 11, and the rinsing processing section 120 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 14a above the transport device 20. A plurality of upper processing liquid pipes 14 are provided, and a plurality of lower processing liquid pipes 15 each having a plurality of nozzles 15a are provided below the transport device 20.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cleaning processing section 110 in the substrate processing apparatus configured as described above is provided with a gas drawing inhibiting member 16. In addition, in FIG. 8, the channel material 11, the upper processing liquid pipe 14, and the lower processing liquid pipe 15 are omitted for simplification of the drawing. This gas-drawing inhibiting member 16 includes two plate-shaped cover plates 16a and 16b each extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 9). These two cover plates 16a and 16b have a length that faces at least all the nozzle heads 10, and the channel material 11 is attached to the channel material 11 to which a plurality of nozzle heads 10 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction are fixed. They are fixed so as to be sandwiched in a direction parallel to the transport direction Dt. These two cover plates 16a and 16b partition a predetermined range in the transport direction Dt, including the space between the tip of each nozzle head 10 and the surface of the substrate W transported by the transport device 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the lower end portions of the two cover plates 16a and 16b are provided so as to extend below the nozzle 10a (discharge port) of the nozzle head 10. In this embodiment, the gap between the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate is, for example, 40 mm to 60 mm, while the gap between the lower ends of the cover plates 16a and 16b and the surface of the substrate W is set to about 25 mm to 35 mm.

In such a cleaning processing unit 110 (substrate processing apparatus), when the high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle 10a, surrounding gas (see the broken line arrow in FIG. 9) is drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid. is hindered. In other words, the drawing of gas around the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a, which causes airflow, is prevented or reduced. Thereby, it is possible to block the airflow that is generated as if being drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid, and it is possible to suppress the generation of the airflow.

Therefore, while the substrate W is being transported by the transport device 20, the tip of the substrate W that has passed the position directly below the nozzle head 10 is lifted (see FIG. 1), and the substrate that has passed the position directly below the nozzle head 10 is lifted. It is possible to suppress the lifting of the rear end portion of the W (see FIG. 2). Thereby, the substrate can be efficiently processed similarly to the first and second embodiments of the present invention described above.

It is desirable that the gas-drawing inhibiting member 16 described above be provided so that the distance between the cover plates 16a, 16b and the nozzle head 10 is as small as possible. The wider the space between the nozzle head 10 and the cover plates 16a, 16b, the easier it is for the gas present in this space to be drawn in by the force of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a of the nozzle head 10, and the easier it is to generate an air current. Become. Furthermore, if the distance between the nozzle head 10 and the cover plates 16a, 16b is wide, it becomes easy for new gas to enter through the gap between the covers 16a, 16b and the surface of the substrate W, and this gas is drawn in by the force of the discharge of the cleaning liquid. It will be. Therefore, it is desirable that the cover plates 16a, 16b be provided at positions approximately equal to the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. As an example of preventing gas from newly flowing into the space between the cover plates 16a, 16b and the nozzle head 10 and drawing in the gas generated by the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10a, each of FIGS. It can also be configured as shown.

The gas-drawing inhibiting member 16 (first modification example) shown in FIG. It is provided with two opposing plate portions 16c and 16d that protrude from each other and are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. The two opposing plate parts 16c and 16d are provided over the entire length of each cover plate 16a and 16b in the longitudinal direction. The interval between the two opposing plate parts 16c and 16d is set to about the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. According to such a gas drawing inhibiting member 16, the drawing of surrounding gas can be further reduced without interfering with the supply of the compressed processing fluid discharged from the nozzle 10a. Therefore, lifting of the substrate W can be further suppressed.

The gas drawing inhibiting member 16 (second modification example) shown in FIG. 11 is provided on the inner surfaces of the two cover plates 16a and 16b, and is inclined so as to gradually protrude toward the direction in which the high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle 10a. It is provided with inclined parts 16e and 16f (inclined members). The two inclined portions 16e and 16f are provided over the entire length of each cover plate 16a and 16b in the longitudinal direction. The gap between the lower end portions of the inclined portions 16e and 16f is set to approximately the discharge width of the high-pressure cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a. The same effect as the opposing plate portions 16c and 16d shown in FIG. 10 can also be obtained in such a gas draw-in inhibiting member 16.

As shown in FIG. 12, the two cover plates 16a and 16b constituting the gas intake inhibiting member 16 are arranged inside the channel material 11, and the high pressure discharged from the nozzle 10a is set between the two cover plates 16a and 16b. It can be set to approximately the discharge width of the cleaning liquid (third modification). According to such a gas drawing inhibiting member 16, the same effect can be obtained without providing the opposing plate portions 16c and 16d shown in FIG. 10 and the inclined portions 16e and 16f shown in FIG. 11.

According to the invention according to the third embodiment described above, when the high-pressure cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle 10a, surrounding gas is prevented or reduced from being drawn into the high-speed flow of the cleaning liquid. Thereby, lifting of the substrate can be prevented or suppressed, and the substrate can be processed efficiently.

In each of the embodiments described above, the partition plate 12 (first embodiment: see FIG. 3), the fluid enclosing member 13 (second embodiment: see FIG. 4), and the gas entrainment inhibiting member 16 (third embodiment) (see FIGS. 8 to 12) were separately provided in the cleaning processing section 110. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any two or three of the partition plate 12, the fluid enclosing member 13, and the gas intake inhibiting member 16 may be applied in combination to the cleaning processing unit 110 (substrate processing apparatus). can. By these combinations, lifting of the substrate W to be transported can be more reliably prevented.

FIG. 13 shows the first embodiment described in FIG. 3, the fluid enclosing member 13 of the second embodiment (see FIG. 7), and the gas entrainment inhibiting member 16 of the third embodiment (see FIG. 9). This is an example of a combination of The respective functions are the same as described in each embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.
In this embodiment, the discharge pressure from the nozzle is 7 MPa to 15 MPa, the gap Ga is 10 mm or more, the gap Gb is 5 mm to 10 mm, the gap Gc between the tip of the nozzle 10a and the surface of the substrate W is 40 mm to 60 mm, and the cover plate 16a is , 16b and the surface of the substrate W were set to be 25 mm to 35 mm. In other words, when adjusting so that Gc>Gd>Ga>Gb, it was possible to reliably prevent or suppress the floating of the substrate W being transported.

In each of the embodiments described above, a cleaning liquid is used as the processing fluid, but the processing fluid is not limited to this, and the processing fluid can be any liquid, gas, gas, or liquid type necessary for processing the substrate W. It may be a mixture.

The substrate processing apparatus described above is a substrate cleaning apparatus (cleaning processing unit 110) that performs a cleaning process on the surface of the substrate W, but if the substrate is processed by high-pressure processing fluid discharged from a nozzle head, there are no particular limitations. Not done.

Further, in the embodiment, the conveyance device is configured with rollers, but belt conveyance may also be used. In particular, in order to carry out the second embodiment by belt conveyance, a gas-permeable belt may be used, or the substrate may be conveyed while supporting both ends of the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction with separate conveyor belts. It may be configured as follows. Furthermore, although the substrate is conveyed horizontally, it may be conveyed at an angle (for example, about 10 degrees) with respect to the horizontal direction.

Further, in each embodiment, a plurality of nozzle heads 10 are arranged in one row, but multiple rows may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

Note that, for example, in FIG. 3, the airflow drawn into the flow of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle 10a and directed toward the upstream side in the transport direction Dt of the substrate W escapes to the outside of the processing chamber 100 from the import port 101, so that the transport of the substrate W is prevented. has almost no effect. Therefore, if there is no discharge port such as a carry-in port, the partition plate 12 may also be arranged on the upstream side with respect to the nozzle 10a. Further, an exhaust device may be provided within the processing chamber 100.

Several embodiments and modifications of each part of the present invention have been described above, but these embodiments and modifications of each part are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. . These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims.

1, 1a Substrate processing apparatus 10 Nozzle head 11 Channel material 12 Partition plate 13 Fluid enclosing member 14 Upper processing liquid pipe 15 Lower processing liquid pipe 16 Gas drawing inhibiting member 20 Conveying device 21 Roller 100 Processing chamber 101 Carrying inlet 102 Carrying out port 103 Ceiling 104 Bottom

Claims (6)

A processing chamber is provided, and the surface of the substrate is processed by discharging a high-pressure processing fluid from a nozzle arranged above the transfer device to the substrate transferred by the transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a rinsing liquid nozzle disposed downstream of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate, the rinsing liquid nozzle discharging a rinsing liquid onto the surface of the substrate treated with the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle;
a partition plate disposed downstream of the nozzle in the substrate transport direction and upstream of the rinsing liquid nozzle , and partitioning the processing chamber into an upstream space and a downstream space. ,
The partition plate is
The downstream side of the airflow that is generated between the lower edge and the surface of the substrate transported by the transporting device so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate. A first gap is formed that obstructs a part of the flow to and generates an upward airflow along the nozzle side surface of the partition plate,
A second gap is formed between the upper edge and the ceiling of the processing chamber to generate a suction force that causes the upward airflow to move gas from the downstream space to the upstream space. The installed substrate processing equipment. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate is arranged such that the first gap is smaller than the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second gap is smaller than the first gap . A predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate below the transport device facing the nozzle is partitioned, and an air flow generated to be drawn into the flow of high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle flowing into the predetermined range from above. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fluid enclosing member that prevents the transport device from rolling up upward. A gas-drawing inhibiting member partitions a predetermined space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate and prevents gas from being drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A processing chamber is provided, and a high-pressure processing fluid is discharged from a nozzle disposed above the transfer device to a substrate transferred by a transfer device with the surface to be processed facing upward in the processing chamber, and the surface of the substrate is A substrate processing apparatus that processes
a rinsing liquid nozzle disposed downstream of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate, the rinsing liquid nozzle discharging a rinsing liquid onto the surface of the substrate treated with the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle;
a partition plate that is disposed downstream of the nozzle in the transport direction of the substrate and upstream of the rinsing liquid nozzle , and partitions the processing chamber into an upstream space and a downstream space ;
A predetermined range in the transport direction of the substrate below the transport device facing the nozzle is partitioned, and an air flow generated to be drawn into the flow of high-pressure processing fluid from the nozzle flowing into the predetermined range from above. a fluid enclosing member that prevents the transport device from rolling upward;
two cover plates that partition a predetermined range of the space between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate in the conveying direction of the substrate and prevent gas from being drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle; , has
The partition plate is
The downstream side of the airflow that is generated between the lower edge and the surface of the substrate transported by the transporting device so as to be drawn into the flow of the high-pressure processing fluid discharged from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate. A first gap is formed that obstructs a part of the flow to and generates an upward airflow along the nozzle side surface of the partition plate,
A second gap is formed between the upper edge and the ceiling of the processing chamber to generate a suction force that causes the upward airflow to move gas from the downstream space to the upstream space. placed ,
The first gap Ga, the second gap Gb, the gap Gc between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the substrate, and the gap Gd between each cover plate and the surface of the substrate. The relationship is
Gc>Gd>Ga>Gb
A substrate processing device.

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