阅读说明：本技术 处理液体切换装置 (Treatment liquid switching device ) 是由 小池喜雄 野仓昇 于 2019-06-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种处理液体切换装置,其能够防止导管的旋转动作受到阻碍,并且能够防止由处理液体造成装置周边的污染。该处理液体切换装置为一下构成,其具备：排出管,其从前端的排出口排出研磨剂；导管,其一端经由圆周方向的第一间隙插入有排出管的前端,并在另一端形成喷出口,并且以排出管的轴向为旋转中心能够旋转地被设置；液体接受管,其内导管的另一端经由圆周方向的第二间隙插入并且其一端相对于排出管(2)具有保持同轴状态的接受口,并其另一端具有第一分离口及第二分离口,喷出口的开口中心设置在相对于引导管的轴向偏离的位置,并且能够旋转地保持引导管的保持机构配置在导管的外周侧。(The invention provides a treatment liquid switching device, which can prevent the rotation action of a conduit from being obstructed and prevent the pollution of the periphery of the device caused by treatment liquid. The processing liquid switching device is composed of: a discharge pipe for discharging the abrasive from the discharge port at the tip; a duct having one end into which a tip end of the discharge pipe is inserted via a first gap in a circumferential direction, having a discharge port formed at the other end, and being provided rotatably around an axial direction of the discharge pipe as a rotation center; and a liquid receiving tube in which the other end of the inner tube is inserted with a second gap in the circumferential direction, one end of the inner tube has a receiving port held in a coaxial state with respect to the discharge tube (2), and the other end of the inner tube has a first separation port and a second separation port, the center of the opening of the discharge port is provided at a position deviated from the axial direction of the guide tube, and a holding mechanism for rotatably holding the guide tube is disposed on the outer circumferential side of the tube.)

1. A treatment liquid switching device is characterized by comprising:

a discharge pipe for discharging the treatment liquid from a discharge port formed at the front end;

a pipe having one end into which a tip end of the discharge pipe is inserted via a first gap in a circumferential direction, and having a discharge port for discharging the treatment liquid formed at the other end, the pipe being rotatably held around an axial direction of the discharge pipe as a rotation center; and

a liquid receiving tube having the other end inserted into the liquid receiving tube via a second gap in a circumferential direction, and having a receiving port at one end of the liquid receiving tube, the receiving port being held in a coaxial state with respect to the discharge tube, and a plurality of separation ports at the other end of the liquid receiving tube,

the opening center of the ejection port is set at a position offset from the rotation center of the conduit,

a holding mechanism for rotatably holding the catheter is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the catheter.

2. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 1,

a partition wall is formed inside the liquid receiving tube, and partitions an internal space of the liquid receiving tube with respect to the plurality of separation ports.

3. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 1,

the catheter is provided with an indicator indicating a position in a rotational direction of the catheter.

4. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 2,

the catheter is provided with an indicator indicating a position in a rotational direction of the catheter.

5. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 1,

the ejection port opens in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the conduit.

6. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 2,

the ejection port opens in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the conduit.

7. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 3,

the ejection port opens in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the conduit.

8. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 4,

the ejection port opens in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the conduit.

9. The treatment liquid switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

a shield plate formed with the ejection port is provided at the other end of the conduit,

the normal direction of the shield plate is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the duct,

the inclination of the shield plate is formed to have a descending gradient toward the ejection port.

10. The treatment liquid switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

an annular cover member is provided at the receiving port to cover the second gap.

11. The treatment liquid switching apparatus according to claim 9,

an annular cover member is provided at the receiving port to cover the second gap.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a treatment liquid switching device for switching a flow direction of a treatment liquid.

Background

Conventionally, a polishing liquid switching device is known which includes: a discharge pipe which discharges the polishing liquid used in the polishing apparatus from the discharge port; a duct rotatably fitted to one end of the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall of the discharge port; a liquid container which is provided on the lower side of the duct and has an upper portion as an opening and an interior divided into a plurality of liquid receiving areas (for example, refer to patent document 1). In this polishing liquid switching device, the conduit is rotated about the discharge port above the liquid container to switch the liquid receiving region into which the polishing liquid discharged from the discharge port formed at the distal end of the conduit flows.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the conventional polishing liquid switching apparatus, since one end of the guide pipe is rotatably fitted on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall of the discharge port from which the polishing liquid is discharged, the discharge pipe and the guide pipe are in contact with each other. Therefore, when the polishing liquid flowing out from the discharge port enters between the peripheral wall of the discharge pipe and the guide pipe, the guide pipe is fixed to the discharge pipe by drying the entered polishing liquid, and a problem arises in that the rotation operation of the guide pipe is hindered.

In addition, since the ejection hole of the guide pipe moves above the liquid container, the polishing liquid flowing out of the discharge port splashes, which can cause contamination around the polishing liquid switching device and malfunction of the device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a treatment liquid switching apparatus capable of preventing a rotation operation of a conduit from being hindered and preventing a periphery of the apparatus from being contaminated by a treatment liquid such as a polishing liquid.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a treatment liquid switching device including: a discharge pipe for discharging the treatment liquid from a discharge port formed at the front end; a pipe having one end into which a tip end of the discharge pipe is inserted via a first gap in a circumferential direction (circumferential direction), and having a discharge port for discharging the treatment liquid formed at the other end, and being provided rotatably around an axial direction of the discharge pipe as a rotation center; a liquid receiving tube in which the other end of the guide tube is inserted through a second gap in the circumferential direction and one end of which has a receiving port that is held in a coaxial state with respect to the discharge tube, the other end of the liquid receiving tube having a plurality of separation ports.

Further, an opening center of the ejection port is provided at a position deviated from a rotation center of the catheter, and a holding mechanism that rotatably holds the catheter is disposed on an outer peripheral side of the catheter.

Effects of the invention

According to the treatment liquid switching device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the pipe from being hindered, and to prevent the periphery of the device from being contaminated by the treatment liquid.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explanatory view showing a polishing apparatus including a treatment liquid switching apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a treatment liquid switching device of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a treatment liquid switching device according to a first embodiment, wherein (a) is a section a-a in fig. 2, (B) is a section B-B in fig. 2, and (C) is a section C-C in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of switching the treatment liquid by the treatment liquid switching device of the first embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a treatment liquid switching device according to the present invention will be described based on a first embodiment shown in the drawings.

(first embodiment)

Hereinafter, the configuration of the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment will be described as "the configuration of the polishing apparatus including the treatment liquid switching device" and "the detailed configuration of the treatment liquid switching device".

[ constitution of polishing apparatus having treatment liquid switching device ]

The treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is used when the polishing apparatus 101 separates the polishing agent K (treatment liquid) used for polishing the thin plate-like wafer W into circulation and discharge. The treatment liquid switching device 1 is used for the purpose of separating the polishing slurry K described in the first embodiment, and is also used, for example, when the polishing slurry K is separated according to the type thereof.

As shown in fig. 1, the polishing apparatus 101 includes a surface plate 102 having a polishing pad 102a attached (stuck) to a surface thereof, and a planetary gear 103 for holding the wafer W. In the polishing apparatus 101, the surface plate 102 and the pinion 103 are rotated while the polishing pad 102a is pressed against the wafer W by the pinion 103, thereby polishing the wafer W.

When the wafer W is polished by the polishing apparatus 101, the polishing slurry K is supplied from the polishing slurry supply apparatus 104 onto the polishing pad 102a, thereby improving the polishing accuracy and polishing rate of the wafer W.

Here, in the polishing apparatus 101, there are cases where the used polishing agent K used is recyclable or non-recyclable. Therefore, as shown in fig. 1, the waste liquid receiving portion 101a provided in the polishing apparatus 101 is provided with the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Then, the flow direction of the polishing slurry K discharged from the polishing apparatus 101 is changed by the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1, and the polishing slurry K is separated into a circulation type and a discharge type.

[ detailed construction of treatment liquid switching device ]

As shown in fig. 2, the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment includes a discharge pipe 2, a conduit 10, a liquid receiving pipe 5, and a rotation control unit 6.

The discharge tube 2 is a tube having one end 21 communicating with the waste liquid receiving portion 101a (see fig. 1) and having a discharge port 23 formed at a leading end 22 for discharging the abrasives K. In the discharge pipe 2, the discharge port 23 faces below the polishing apparatus 101, and the axial direction O of the tip of the discharge pipe 2 is vertical. Hereinafter, the "axial direction of the discharge pipe 2" refers to the axial direction O of the tip end of the discharge pipe 2, that is, the opening direction of the discharge port 23.

As shown in fig. 2, the guide duct 10 is formed of a rotary duct 3 and a guide duct 4 connected to the rotary duct 3.

The rotary pipe 3 is a straight pipe, and both ends are open. On the other hand, the guide tube 4 is a straight tube having one end 41 opened and the other end 42 closed by a shield plate 45. In a state where the tip 32 of the rotary pipe 3 is inserted into the one end 41 of the guide pipe 4, the tip 32 of the rotary pipe 3 is connected to the one end 41 of the guide pipe 4, and the rotary pipe 3 and the guide pipe 4 form the catheter 10. Here, the connection of the guide tube 4 and the rotary tube 3 may be performed by using, for example, bolts or welding, or may be performed by screwing each other by forming thread grooves on the outer circumferential surface 33 of the rotary tube 3 and the inner circumferential surface 44 of the guide tube 4, respectively.

In the catheter 10, the tip 22 of the discharge tube 2 is inserted into one end 31 of the rotary tube 3. In addition, in the first embodiment, the leading end 22 of the discharge tube 2 inserted into the rotary tube 3 passes through the rotary tube 3, and the discharge port 23 is inserted inside the guide tube 4.

Also, between the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 and the inner peripheral surface 34 of the rotary tube 3, and between the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 and the inner peripheral surface 44 of the guide tube 4, first gaps S1 in the circumferential direction are provided, respectively. That is, the distal end 22 of the discharge tube 2 is inserted into the catheter 10 through the first gap S1.

Further, the width of the first gap S1 is uniformly set over the entire circumference of the rotary pipe 3 and the guide pipe 4. In addition, the "width of the first gap S1" refers to the distance from the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 to the inner peripheral surface 34 of the rotary tube 3, and the distance from the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 to the inner peripheral surface 44 of the guide tube 4.

Further, a bearing 110 is fitted (fitted) on an outer peripheral surface 33 of one end 31 of the rotary pipe 3 forming the guide pipe 10. The bearing 110 is supported by the polishing apparatus 101 via a holder 111.

Accordingly, the pipe 10 is held (supported) so as to be rotatable about the axial direction O of the drain pipe 2 in a coaxial state in which the axial direction of the pipe itself coincides with the axial direction O of the drain pipe 2. The holding mechanism 30 for rotatably holding the catheter 10 is composed of a bearing 110 and a holder 111, and the holding mechanism 30 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the catheter 10 and outside the liquid receiving tube 5.

A discharge port 46 is formed in the shield plate 45 that closes the other end 42 of the guide tube 4, and the discharge port 46 is used to discharge the abrasives K flowing out of the discharge tube 2. The ejection port 46 is provided at a position shifted (deviated) in the horizontal direction with its opening center O1 with respect to the axial direction O as the rotation center of the catheter 10, and has an arc shape in plan view along the edge of the guide tube 4 (see fig. 3 (c)). The discharge port 46 is opened (opened) downward in a direction parallel to the axial direction O of the catheter 10, i.e., in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, the normal direction of the shield plate 45 is inclined with respect to the axial direction O of the pipe 10. Here, the inclination of the shield plate 45 is formed in a descending gradient (descending slope) toward the ejection port 46. That is, the other end 42 of the catheter 10 takes an inclined so-called chamfered cylindrical shape, and is formed with an ejection port 46 at the tube leading end. In addition, in the present first embodiment, a peripheral wall 46a rising in the axial direction O of the conduit 10 is formed on the peripheral edge of the ejection port 46.

Further, on the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide tube 4, an indicating portion 7 is provided, the indicating portion 7 indicating (indicating) a position in the rotational direction of the catheter 10. The indicating section 7 includes an indicating lever 71, a first sensor 72, and a second sensor 73.

The indication rod 71 is a rod member extending in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide tube 4, and is disposed on a straight line X connecting in the horizontal direction between the axial direction O and the opening center O1 of the ejection orifice 46, and at a position above the ejection orifice 46 (see fig. 3 (a)). The indicating rod 71 reflects the sensing light irradiated from the first sensor 72 or the second sensor 73.

The first sensor 72 is mounted on a surface of the holder 111 facing the indicating rod 71, and is held in a position above the first separation port 56a of the liquid receiving tube 5. The first sensor 72 emits sensing light downward. When the indication lever 71 is disposed below the first sensor 72 to reflect the light and the first sensor 72 detects the reflected light, the control arithmetic unit 61 of the rotation control unit 6 receives an input indicating that the reflected light is detected.

The second sensor 73 is mounted on the surface of the holder 111 facing the indication rod 71, and is held in a position above the second separation port 56b of the liquid reception tube 5. The second sensor 73 emits sensing light downward. When the indication lever 71 is disposed below the second sensor 73 to reflect and sense light and the second sensor 73 detects the reflected light, the control arithmetic unit 61 of the rotation control unit 6 receives an input indicating that the reflected light is detected.

The liquid receiving pipe 5 is a straight pipe, has a receiving port 55 formed at one end 51 thereof, has a pair of separation ports (a first separation port 56a and a second separation port 56b) formed at the other end 52 thereof, and is supported on the polishing apparatus 101, a floor surface, and the like via a support structure (not shown). Here, the receiving port 55 is opened in the axial direction O of the liquid receiving tube 5, and the other end 42 of the guide tube 4 forming the catheter 10 is inserted via the second gap S2 in the circumferential direction. Further, the width of the second gap S2 is uniformly provided over the entire circumference of the guide tube 4. In addition, the "width of the second gap S2" refers to the distance from the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide pipe 4 to the inner peripheral surface 5a of the liquid receiving pipe 5.

Accordingly, the liquid receiving tube 5 is held coaxially with respect to the axial direction O of the guide tube 10, with its own axial direction O coinciding with the axial direction O of the guide tube 10. Further, in the first embodiment, the receiving opening 55 of the liquid receiving tube 5 is provided with an annular cover member 58. The inner periphery of the cover member 58 contacts the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide tube 4, and the outer periphery thereof protrudes outward than the receiving opening 55 so as to cover the second gap S2.

The first and second separation ports 56a and 56b are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the liquid receiving pipe 5 and are open in the radial direction, respectively, where the first and second separation ports 56a and 56b are formed in opposite positions sandwiching the axial direction O. Further, a first outflow pipe 57a is connected to the first separation port 56 a. The second outflow pipe 57b is connected to the second separation port 56 b.

Further, a partition wall 54 is formed inside the liquid receiving pipe 5, the partition wall 54 standing in the axial direction O from the bottom surface 53 closing the other end 52 of the liquid receiving pipe 5, and partitioning the internal space H of the liquid receiving pipe 5 with respect to the first separation port 56a and the second separation port 56b, respectively. Here, the partition wall 54 is formed at a position where the distance from the first separation port 56a and the second separation port 56b becomes equal by passing through the axial direction O. In addition, the first and second separation ports 56a and 56b face the partition wall 54, respectively. Further, the partition wall 54 is set to the maximum size from the height dimension of the bottom surface 53 without contacting the other end 42 of the guide tube 4 inserted into the liquid receiving tube 5. Further, in the first embodiment, the bottom surface 53 is inclined in a descending gradient from the position where the partition wall 54 is formed to each of the separation ports 56a, 56 b.

The rotation control unit 6 includes: a control arithmetic unit 61 including a cpu (central Processing unit) and a memory; and a rotation driving part 62 for rotating the catheter 10.

The control arithmetic unit 61 determines the necessity of the orientation and rotation of the catheter 10 (whether or not rotation is necessary) based on the program stored in the memory and the inputted necessary information. When it is determined that the catheter 10 needs to be rotated, a control command is output to the rotation driving unit 62 to control the operation (operation) of the rotation driving unit 62. The necessary information input to the control arithmetic unit 61 includes, for example, detection information of reflected light from the first sensor 72 or the second sensor 73, a pH state of the polishing agent K, a state of abrasive grain concentration, and detection information from a sensor that detects a state of contamination with foreign matter.

The rotation driving unit 62 is attached to the polishing apparatus 101, and is mechanically connected to the rotary pipe 3 by a belt, a gear, and the like, not shown. The rotary tube 3 formed in the catheter 10 is driven by the input of a control command from the control arithmetic unit 61, and is rotated.

Hereinafter, the "problem in the separation of the abrasives" will be described, and the operation of the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be successively described as "the action of switching the abrasives", "the action of interposing the gap between the pipe insertion portions", "the action of inserting and disposing the plurality of pipes", "the action of coaxially disposing the plurality of pipes", and "the action of other features".

[ problem when separating polishing agent ]

In a treatment liquid switching device for collecting the polishing agent K used in polishing by the polishing apparatus 101 and separating the polishing agent K for circulation, discharge, or the like, it is conceivable that one end of the conduit is rotatably fitted to the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall of the discharge port from which the polishing agent K is discharged. In this case, since the discharge pipe and the guide pipe are in contact with each other, when the abrasives K flowing out from the discharge port enter (are immersed in) between the peripheral wall of the discharge pipe and the guide pipe, the guide pipe is fixed with respect to the discharge pipe when the abrasives K are dried. As a result, the rotational movement of the catheter is hindered.

Even if the conduit is fixed to the discharge pipe by the abrasives K intruding between the peripheral wall of the discharge pipe and the conduit, the conduit can be rotated by increasing the driving force of the rotation driving section to cancel the fixed state. However, in this case, it is necessary to increase the driving force of the rotation driving unit more than necessary in view of the elimination of the fixed state. That is, the rotary drive portion must be made larger than necessary. Therefore, the size of the treatment liquid switching device is increased, and the cost is increased.

Further, when the pipe is rotated in a state where the abrasive K entered between the peripheral wall of the discharge pipe and the pipe is dried, the dried abrasive K is crushed between the discharge pipe and the pipe to generate abrasion dust. When the abrasion dust is mixed into the circulating abrasive K, it causes scratching and crushing of the wafer W.

Further, when the liquid receiver having its inside divided by the plurality of liquid receiving regions is disposed below the conduit and the conduit is rotated above the liquid receiver, the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection port formed at the tip of the conduit are dropped (flowed out) in a state of being exposed to the outside of the treatment liquid switching device. Therefore, there is a problem that the polishing slurry K is easily scattered. In particular, when the polishing agent K flows out when the ejection port moves in the air, the splashed droplets are scattered in a wide range, and may contaminate the periphery of the polishing apparatus or cause mechanical troubles.

In addition, when the position of the ejection port is changed by sliding the catheter, it is necessary to secure a movable range of the catheter and the driving device for moving the catheter. Therefore, the increase in the size of the treatment liquid switching device causes an increase in the area occupied by the polishing device or a limitation in the number of polishing devices installed in a predetermined place.

[ switching action of polishing agent ]

When the polishing apparatus 101 polishes the wafer W and discharges the used polishing slurry K, the polishing slurry K flows from the waste liquid receiving portion 101a into the discharge pipe 2 of the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The polishing slurry K flows out from a discharge port 23 formed at the distal end 22 of the discharge pipe 2. Here, the tip 22 of the discharge pipe 2 is inserted into the one end 31 of the rotary pipe 3, and the discharge port 23 is inserted into the guide pipe 4. That is, the abrasives K flowing out of the discharge port 23 flow into the conduit 10.

The other end 42 of the guide tube 4 is closed by a shield plate 45, and the shield plate 45 has a discharge port 46 formed therein. Therefore, the polishing slurry K flowing into the conduit 10 flows out from the ejection port 46, and further flows into the liquid receiving tube 5 into which the guide tube 4 forming the conduit 10 is inserted.

At this time, the opening center O1 of the ejection port 46 is set at a position shifted in the horizontal direction with respect to the axial direction O as the rotation center of the catheter 10. On the other hand, the liquid receiving tube 5 is held in a uniform coaxial state with its own axial direction O with respect to the axial direction O of the guide tube 10. Therefore, the abrasives K flow into a position shifted in the horizontal direction with respect to the axial direction O of the liquid receiving pipe 5.

In contrast, a pair of separation ports (a first separation port 56a, a second separation port 56b) that are open (opened) in the radial direction and are formed at positions facing each other are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the other end 52 of the liquid receiving tube 5. Therefore, as shown in fig. 2, when the ejection port 46 faces the first separation port 56a, the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection port 46 flow into the first outflow pipe 57a as circulation (for circulation) from the first separation port 56 a. As shown in fig. 4, when the discharge port 46 faces the second separation port 56b, the abrasives K flowing out of the discharge port 46 flow into the second outflow pipe 57b from the second separation port 56b as a discharge.

As described above, in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, the direction in which the ejection port 46 is directed, that is, the direction (direction) of the conduit 10 is controlled to switch the flow direction of the abrasives K, and the abrasives K flowing into the first outflow pipe 57a and the abrasives K flowing into the second outflow pipe 57b can be separated according to the purpose and application.

The orientation of the catheter 10 is controlled by the control arithmetic unit 61 of the rotation control unit 6. That is, the control arithmetic unit 61 inputs the following information: the pH state of the polishing agent K used in the polishing apparatus 101; the abrasive grain concentration state; detection information of a foreign matter contamination state detected from the sensor; information on the detection of the reflected light from the first sensor 72 and the second sensor 73.

The control arithmetic unit 61 determines the actual orientation of the catheter 10 and the direction in which the catheter 10 should face, based on the necessary information input from each sensor. When the actual orientation of the catheter 10 coincides with the direction in which the catheter 10 should face, the control arithmetic unit 61 does not need to rotate the catheter 10, and therefore, maintains the current state.

On the other hand, when the actual orientation of the catheter 10 does not match the direction in which the catheter 10 is to be faced, the control arithmetic unit 61 inputs a control command to the rotational driving unit 62 to operate the rotational driving unit 62, and rotates the catheter 10 by 180 ° about the axial direction O.

Here, the opening center O1 of the ejection port 46 is set at a position shifted in the horizontal direction with respect to the axial direction O as the rotation center of the catheter 10. As a result, when the catheter 10 rotates, the discharge port 46 rotates about the axial direction O, and the discharge port 46 can be made to face any desired one of the first separation port 56a and the second separation port 56 b. And may oppose each other. Further, the abrasives K can be discharged in a desired direction.

[ mediation effect of gap in tube insertion part ]

In the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the tip 22 of the discharge pipe 2, in which the discharge port 23 through which the polishing agent K flows out is formed, is inserted into the guide pipe 10 through the first gap S1 in the circumferential direction. That is, spaces (first gaps S1) are formed between the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 and the inner peripheral surfaces 34, 44 of the rotary tube 3 and the guide tube 4, respectively, and the discharge tube 2 is not brought into contact with the guide tube 10. Therefore, even if the abrasives K flowing out of the discharge port 23 flow into between the outer peripheral surface 24 of the discharge tube 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 10 (the inner peripheral surface 34 of the rotary tube 3 and the inner peripheral surface 44 of the guide tube 4), there is no case where the guide tube 10 is fixed with respect to the discharge tube 2.

Further, the other end 42 of the guide tube 4 forming the guide tube 10 is inserted in the circumferential direction via the second gap S2 with respect to the liquid receiving tube 5. Therefore, a space (second gap S2) is formed between the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide pipe 4 and the inner peripheral surface 5a of the liquid receiving pipe 5 so that the guide pipe 10 does not contact the liquid receiving pipe 5. As a result, even if the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection ports 46 enter between the outer peripheral surface of the conduit 10 (the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide pipe 4) and the inner peripheral surface 5a of the liquid receiving pipe 5, there is no case where the conduit 10 is fixed with respect to the liquid receiving pipe 5.

Further, in this treatment liquid switching apparatus 1, the holder 111 mounted on the polishing apparatus 101 and the holding mechanism 30 formed of the bearing 110 supported by the holder 111 rotatably hold the outer peripheral surface 33 of the one end 31 of the rotary pipe 3. That is, the holding mechanism 30 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the conduit 10 and is provided outside the liquid receiving tube 5.

Therefore, the bearing 110 of the holding mechanism 30 is provided at a position where the abrasives K hardly intrude, and the abrasives K can be prevented from contacting and adhering to the bearing 110. As a result, the rotation of the pipe 10 is not hindered by the abrasive K, and the rotation operation of the pipe 10 can be prevented from being hindered.

In addition, since the rotation operation of the catheter 10 is not hindered, it is not necessary to increase the driving force of the rotation driving section 62 of the rotation control section 6 more than necessary, and it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the treatment liquid switching device and make it an inexpensive device. Further, since the polishing slurry K does not contact the bearing 110, abrasion dust generated by the grinding of the dried polishing slurry K does not occur. Therefore, the wafer W can be prevented from being scratched or crushed by the abrasion dust.

[ multiple tubes insertion arrangement Effect ]

In the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the tip 22 of the discharge pipe 2 is inserted into the rotary pipe 3, and the discharge port 23 through which the abrasives K flow out discharges the abrasives K inside the guide pipe 4 connected to the rotary pipe 3. Further, the other end 42 of the guide tube 4 is inserted into the liquid receiving tube 5, and the ejection port 46 from which the abrasives K flowing into the guide tube 4 flow out discharges the abrasives K inside the liquid receiving tube 5. That is, the discharge tube 2, the guide tube 10, and the liquid receiving tube 5 are in a so-called nested state.

Therefore, the polishing slurry K can flow into the first outflow pipe 57a or the second outflow pipe 57b from the discharge pipe 2 without being exposed to the outside of the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1. Accordingly, the polishing agent K does not spread around the processing liquid switching device 1, and the polishing device 101 and the periphery of the processing liquid switching device 1 can be prevented from being contaminated by scattering of the polishing agent K.

In addition, since contamination around the polishing apparatus 101 and the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 can be prevented, the cleaning time of the polishing apparatus 101 and the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 by the user can be shortened. Further, it is also possible to prevent the scattered abrasive K from entering the inside of the polishing apparatus 101, thereby keeping the inside of the polishing apparatus 101 clean, and to reduce the risk of malfunction caused by the dried abrasive K. Further, since the polishing slurry K is not scattered, the loss of the polishing slurry K due to scattering can be eliminated.

[ coaxial arrangement of a plurality of tubes ]

In the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the conduit 10 and the liquid receiving tube 5 are coaxial with each other with respect to the axial direction O of the discharge tube 2. Further, the pipe 10 is rotated with the axial direction O as a rotation center and the ejection port 46 is made to face a desired separation port.

Therefore, the footprint of the treatment liquid switching device 1 can be reduced as compared with a device in which the position of the ejection port is changed by sliding the catheter, and an increase in the size of the treatment liquid switching device 1 can be suppressed. Moreover, by not increasing the size of the treatment liquid switching device 1, the number of polishing devices provided in a predetermined position can be improved, and contribution can be made to improvement of production efficiency.

Further, as in the case of the device for slidably guiding the pipe 4, since it is not necessary to secure a movable range of the pipe and the driving device for moving the pipe, it is possible to enlarge a working area of a user and improve workability of loading and unloading the wafer W to and from the polishing apparatus 101.

[ Effect of other characteristics ]

In the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, a partition wall 54 standing in the axial direction O is formed on the bottom surface 53 closing the other end 52 of the liquid receiving tube 5, and the internal space H of the liquid receiving tube 5 is partitioned by the partition wall 54 for the first separation port 56a and the second separation port 56b, respectively. Therefore, the abrasives K flowing into the liquid receiving tube 5 can be prevented from flowing toward the separation port opposite to the separation port facing the ejection port 46 (for example, the second separation port 56b when the ejection port 46 faces the first separation port 56 a), and the abrasives K can be guided to a desired separation port.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the bottom surface 53 of the liquid receiving tube 5 is inclined so as to form a downward slope from the position where the partition wall 54 is formed toward the separation ports 56a, 56 b. Therefore, the abrasives K are prevented from passing over the partition wall 54, and the abrasives K are further strongly guided to the desired separation port.

In addition, in the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the indicating portion 7 indicating the rotational position of the guide tube 10 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide tube 4. Therefore, the orientation of the conduit 10 can be easily grasped, and the abrasives K can be appropriately guided toward a desired separation port by appropriately controlling the rotational position of the conduit 10.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the indicating section 7 has: a command lever 71 provided on the guide tube 4; and a first sensor 72 and a second sensor 73 for emitting sensing light to the indicating rod 71. Therefore, the rotational position of the catheter 10 can be automatically detected, and the orientation of the catheter 10 can be grasped more easily.

In the first embodiment, the ejection port 46 opens in a direction parallel to the axial direction O of the catheter 10 and faces downward in the vertical direction. Therefore, since the abrasives K flowing out from the ejection ports 46 flow downward in the vertical direction from the ejection ports 46, the abrasives K hardly get entangled to the outer peripheral surface 43 side of the guide tube 4. As a result, the abrasives K can be suppressed from entering between the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide pipe 4 and the inner peripheral surface 5a of the liquid receiving pipe 5.

Further, a peripheral wall 46a rising along the axial direction O of the conduit 10 is formed on the peripheral edge of the ejection port 46. Therefore, the flow direction of the abrasives K is restricted by the peripheral wall 46a, and the entanglement of the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection port 46 can be further suppressed.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, the normal direction of the shielding plate 45 provided at the other end 42 of the guide pipe 4 is inclined with respect to the axial direction O of the pipe 10, and the other end 42 of the guide pipe 4 is formed in a so-called inclined cylindrical shape. Further, the inclination of the shielding plate 45 is formed as a downward slope toward the ejection port 46, and the ejection port 46 is formed at the tube tip of the other end 42 of the guide tube 4 of the inclined cylindrical shape.

Accordingly, even when the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection ports 46 adhere to the outside of the shield plate 45, the abrasives K can be suppressed from entering the outer peripheral surface 43 side of the guide tube 4. As a result, the abrasives K can be further suppressed from entering between the outer peripheral surface 43 of the guide pipe 4 and the inner peripheral surface 5a of the liquid receiving pipe 5.

Also, in the first embodiment, the receiving opening 55 of the liquid receiving tube 5 is provided with the annular cover member 58, and the cover member 58 covers the second gap S2. Therefore, even if the abrasives K flowing out of the ejection port 46 are scattered inside the liquid receiving pipe 5 and the splashes of the abrasives K enter the second gap S2, the scattered abrasives K can be prevented from being scattered from the receiving port 55 to the outside of the processing liquid switching device 1. This can further suppress contamination around the polishing apparatus 101 and the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1.

In the above, although the treatment liquid switching device of the present invention has been described based on the first embodiment, the specific structure is not limited to this example, and design modification and addition of technical contents are allowed as long as they do not exceed the gist of the invention of the claims.

The polishing apparatus 101 of the first embodiment is a single-side polishing apparatus for polishing one side of a wafer W, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any grinding device or polishing device such as a double-side polishing device, an edge polishing device, a single-side grinding device, a double-side grinding device, an edge grinding device, or the like may be used as long as the surface of the wafer W is ground or polished.

Further, in the first embodiment, an example of the polishing apparatus 101 to which the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 is applied is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the processing liquid switching apparatus 1 can be applied to an apparatus for performing etching, cleaning, or the like of a workpiece.

In addition, in the first embodiment, an example in which the processing liquid switching device 1 is applied to the polishing device 101 to separate the polishing agent K is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Since the treatment liquid to be separated is only a liquid for treating the workpiece, for example, when the treatment liquid switching device 1 is applied to a device for performing etching or cleaning of the workpiece, it can be applied to separating the treatment liquid used by these devices.

Further, an example in which the guide tube 10 is formed by the rotary tube 3 and the guide tube 4 is shown in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The rotary pipe 3 and the guide pipe 4 may be integrally molded with the guide pipe 10 and may be formed of one pipe member. Further, the duct 10 may be formed by connecting a plurality of (3 or more) pipe members.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the liquid receiving pipe 5 has a pair of separation ports (first separation port 56a, second separation port 56b) and is separated into the abrasives K flowing to the first outflow pipe 57a and the abrasives K flowing to the second outflow pipe 57 b. However, the number of the separation ports formed in the liquid receiving tube 5 may be set arbitrarily, and may be 3 or more.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the shape of the ejection port 46 is arc-shaped in plan view along the edge of the guide tube 4, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be circular, square, or the like as long as it is a shape capable of ejecting the treatment liquid.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the ejection port 46 is opened in a direction parallel to the axial direction O (downward in the vertical direction). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the ejection port 46 may be, for example, opened in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction O (e.g., inclined downward). In addition, the peripheral wall 46a may not be formed.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, an example is shown in which a pair of separation ports (the first separation port 56a and the second separation port 56b) are formed on the circumferential surface of the liquid receiving pipe 5, respectively, and face each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first separation port 56a may be formed in the bottom surface 53 and opened in the axial direction O, and the second separation port 56b may be formed in the outer circumferential surface and opened in the radial direction.

Further, the partition wall 54 may not be formed inside the liquid receiving tube 5. Further, the bottom surface 53 of the liquid receiving tube 5 may be formed as a flat surface.

The treatment liquid switching device 1 according to the first embodiment includes the rotation control unit 6, and the control command from the control arithmetic unit 61 is input to the rotation driving unit 62, and the catheter 10 is rotated by automatically rotating the rotary tube 3. However, the rotation driving unit 62 of the rotation control unit 6 may be mechanically connected to the guide tube 4, and the guide tube 4 may be rotated to rotate the catheter 10. Further, the rotation driving part 62 may be any actuator such as a motor or a cylinder capable of obtaining power, and further, the rotation of the catheter 10 may be manually performed by an operator. In the case of manually rotating the catheter 10, the catheter 10 may be rotated by using the indication lever 71 or the like.

Further, in the treatment liquid switching device 1 of the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the indicating portion 7 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the conduit 10 as the indicating rod 71, and reflects the sensing light irradiated from the first sensor 72 or the second sensor 73. However, the indicating section 7 may be provided by, for example, coloring or marking the outer peripheral surface of the catheter 10 without protruding as in the case of the indicating rod 71. The sensor may be a detectable sensor such as a magnetic sensor or a limit switch, for example, other than the optical sensor. Further, the position in the rotational direction may be determined by a recognition means such as a camera or visual inspection without providing a sensor. Further, the position in the rotational direction may also be determined by positioning control using a drive source. In any case, the position of the catheter 10 in the rotational direction may be grasped from the outside.

Description of the symbols

1 treatment liquid switching device

2 discharge pipe

3 rotating tube

4 guide tube

5 liquid receiving tube

5a inner peripheral surface

7 indicating part

10 catheter

21 one end of

22 front end

23 discharge port

30 holding mechanism

31 one end of

32 front end

41 one end

42 other end of the tube

45 shield plate

46 outlet

51 one end

52 another end of the tube

54 partition wall

55 receiving port

56a first separation opening

56b second separation port

58 cover component

101 grinding device

H inner space

O axial direction

O1 open center

S1 first gap

S2 second gap