Processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12374564-B2
Application number	US-202117904296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2021
Priority date	Feb 17, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A processing apparatus includes a chuck configured to hold a substrate; a moving unit to which a processing tool configured to process the substrate is mounted; a sprinkler configured to spray a cleaning liquid configured to clean the moving unit from an outside of the moving unit; and a housing accommodating the chuck, the processing tool, and the sprinkler therein. The sprinkler includes a fixed unit fixed to an inside of the housing, and a rotating unit rotatably supported at the fixed unit. The rotating unit includes a nozzle configured to discharge the cleaning liquid, and a rotation block configured to hold the nozzle.

First claim

I claim:

1. A processing apparatus, comprising:
a chuck configured to hold a substrate;
a moving unit to which a processing tool configured to process the substrate is mounted, wherein the moving unit comprises a flange to which the processing tool is mounted and a spindle shaft on which the flange is provided;
a sprinkler configured to spray a cleaning liquid configured to clean the moving unit from an outside of the moving unit; and
a housing accommodating the chuck, the processing tool, and the sprinkler therein,
wherein the sprinkler comprises a fixed unit fixed to an inside of the housing, and a rotating unit rotatably supported at the fixed unit,
wherein the rotating unit comprises a nozzle configured to discharge the cleaning liquid toward the moving unit to clean the moving unit, and a rotation block configured to hold the nozzle,
wherein the rotating unit rotates while spraying the cleaning liquid from the nozzle toward the moving unit and the housing to clean the moving unit and the housing,
wherein the moving unit comprises a spindle cover that surrounds the spindle shaft, and
wherein the nozzle is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid toward the spindle cover.

2. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein when viewed from a direction parallel to a rotation center line of the rotation block, a discharge line of the nozzle lies parallel to an orthogonal line to the rotation center line of the rotation block while being deviated therefrom.

3. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the nozzle includes multiple nozzles, and the multiple nozzles are mounted to the single rotation block.

4. The processing apparatus of claim 3 ,
wherein the multiple nozzles have different discharge angles and are mounted to the single rotation block.

5. The processing apparatus of claim 3 ,
wherein the multiple nozzles are arranged rotationally symmetrically about a rotation center line of the single rotation block.

6. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the rotating unit comprises a counter weight on an opposite side from the nozzle with respect to a rotation center line of the rotation block.

7. The processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotation stop detector configured to detect a stop of a rotation of the rotation block of the sprinkler.

8. The processing apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the rotation stop detector is located outside the housing, and comprises a light emitter and a light receiver,
the rotating unit of the sprinkler comprises a light reflecting member configured to reflect light of the light emitter to the light receiver, and
a through hole, which is a passage for the light, is formed at each of the fixed unit of the sprinkler and the housing.

9. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the fixed unit comprises a mounting plate mounted to the housing, a fixed shaft disposed on a rotation center line of the rotation block, a first gap forming portion forming a gap with respect to the rotation block at a first end of the fixed shaft, and a second gap forming portion forming a gap with respect to the rotation block at a second end of the fixed shaft.

10. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing comprises a top panel forming a top surface of the housing, and
the fixed unit comprises a mounting plate horizontally mounted to a bottom surface of the top panel, a fixed shaft disposed on a rotation center line of the rotation block, and a ring protruded from a periphery of a bottom surface of the mounting plate to surround the fixed shaft.

11. The processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing comprises a top panel forming a top surface of the housing, and a side panel forming a side surface of the housing, and
the sprinkler is disposed at a position where the sprinkler is allowed to supply the cleaning liquid to the top panel or the side panel.

12. The processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a measuring device configured to measure a thickness of the substrate held by the chuck,
wherein the sprinkler supplies the cleaning liquid to the moving unit and the measuring device.

13. A processing apparatus, comprising:
a chuck configured to hold a substrate;
a moving unit to which a processing tool configured to process the substrate is mounted;
a sprinkler configured to spray a cleaning liquid configured to clean the moving unit from an outside of the moving unit; and
a housing accommodating the chuck, the processing tool, and the sprinkler therein,
wherein the sprinkler comprises a fixed unit fixed to an inside of the housing, and a rotating unit rotatably supported at the fixed unit,
wherein the rotating unit comprises a nozzle configured to discharge the cleaning liquid, and a rotation block configured to hold the nozzle,
wherein the sprinkler includes a first flow path through which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the fixed unit to the nozzle via the rotation block, and a second flow path branched off from the first flow path to allow the cleaning liquid to leak from a gap between the fixed unit and the rotation block, and
wherein the second flow path includes a cylindrical portion centered on a rotation center line of the rotation block.

14. The processing apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein the rotation center line of the rotation block is vertically disposed, and
the second flow path includes a first supply portion configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a top surface of the rotation block.

15. The processing apparatus of claim 14 ,
wherein the top surface of the rotation block includes a conical surface that is inclined vertically downwards as it goes outwards in a diametrical direction from the rotation center line of the rotation block.

16. The processing apparatus of claim 14 ,
wherein the second flow path includes a second supply portion configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a bottom surface of the rotation block.

17. The processing apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein the sprinkler comprises an adjusting member configured to adjust a distribution ratio between a flow rate of the cleaning liquid discharged by the nozzle and a flow rate of the cleaning liquid leaking form the gap between the fixed unit and the rotation block.

18. The processing apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein the rotation center line of the rotation block is vertically disposed,
the second flow path comprises a first supply portion configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a top surface of the rotation block, a first intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the first supply portion, a second supply portion configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a bottom surface of the rotation block, and a second intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the second supply portion,
the sprinkler comprises a first adjusting member and a second adjusting member configured to adjust a distribution ratio between a flow rate of the cleaning liquid discharged by the nozzle and a flow rate of the cleaning liquid leaking from the gap between the fixed unit and the rotation block, and
the first adjusting member is disposed at the first intermediate portion and the second adjusting member is disposed at the second intermediate portion.

19. A processing apparatus, comprising:
a chuck configured to hold a substrate;
a moving unit to which a processing tool configured to process the substrate is mounted;
a sprinkler configured to spray a cleaning liquid configured to clean the

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Wakamatsu Takayoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/76

  using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches · CPC title

• H10P72/0404 Primary

  for general liquid treatment, e.g. etching followed by cleaning · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title