# US 2009/0260655 A1 · Substrate Cleaning System, Substrate Cleaning Method, Subtrate Cleaning Program, and Program Recording Medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260655 A1 - Document ID: US20090260655A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/992,164 - Filed: 2006-09-20 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-10-05 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Yuji Takimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260655A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0412: {using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes} - B08B 1/36: rotating about an axis orthogonal to the surface - B08B 3/00: Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam (B08B9/00 takes precedence) - G02F 1/1303: {Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs} - H10P 72/0411: {for wet cleaning or washing} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - G02F 1/1316: {Methods for cleaning the liquid crystal cells, or components thereof, during manufacture: Materials therefor} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A substrate cleaning system according to the present invention comprises cleaning devices, and a controller for controlling the driving of the cleaning devices in accordance with driving recipes predetermined. The controller prioritizes the cleaning devices, calculates, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, a time in which the two cleaning devices can interfere with each other, and sets the calculated time as a waiting time. The cleaning device having the higher priority is made to start cleaning a substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position, while the cleaning device having the lower priority is kept waiting in a predetermined waiting position. When or after the waiting time has elapsed since the cleaning device having the higher priority started cleaning, the cleaning device having the lower priority is made to move from the waiting position and start cleaning the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate, and a controller for controlling the driving of the cleaning devices in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, wherein the controller prioritizes the cleaning devices; calculates, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, a time in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other and sets the calculated time as a waiting time; makes the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeps the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a predetermined waiting position; and moves the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the waiting time has elapsed since the cleaning device having the higher priority started cleaning, and makes the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets travel coordinate axes, each of which is characteristic of a cleaning device; unifies the travel coordinate axes into a unified travel coordinate axis; and sets the waiting time by using the unified travel coordinate axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller judges, on the basis of the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the higher priority and the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the lower priority, whether the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other, and sets the waiting time when it is judged that the interference can occur. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 3, wherein if the controller has judged, on the basis of the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the higher priority and the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the lower priority, that the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other two or more times, the controller calculates the time in which the two cleaning devices can interfere with each other in each time and sets longest time among the calculated times as the waiting time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 4, wherein when a direction in which the cleaning device having the higher priority performs cleaning is the same as a direction in which the cleaning device having the lower priority performs cleaning, the controller calculates a time in which one of the cleaning devices, sitting in the cleaning-starting position, can interfere with the other, and a time in which one of the cleaning devices, sitting in a cleaning end position, can interfere with the other, and sets longer time among the calculated times as the waiting time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is positioned between a retreat position, set outside the substrate, in which the cleaning device having the lower priority is held when the cleaning device having the lower priority is not cleaning the substrate, and the cleaning-starting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority, the three positions being on a horizontal line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is at a position horizontally apart from the cleaning device having the higher priority, sitting in the cleaning-starting position, by a minimum accessible distance that is the distance of the cleaning device having the lower priority from the cleaning device having the higher priority when the cleaning device having the lower priority gets closest to the cleaning device having the higher priority without coming into contact with the cleaning device having the higher priority. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device having the lower priority has a cleaning member that will face the substrate, the cleaning member moves in such a fashion that, after vertically come away from the substrate, the cleaning member vertically re-approaches the substrate as the cleaning device having the lower priority moves, to the cleaning-starting position, from a retreat position, set outside the substrate, in which the cleaning device having the lower priority is held when the cleaning device having the lower priority is not cleaning the substrate, and the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is in the route of the cleaning member vertically re-approaching the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein a region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other is set as an interference region, and the time in which the interference can occur is obtained by calculating the difference between the time needed for the cleaning device having the higher priority to come out of the interference region after leaving the cleaning-starting position, and the time needed for the cleaning device having the lower priority to reach a position in the interference region, closest to the cleaning device having the higher priority, after leaving the waiting position. ### Claim 10 A substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate and a controller for controlling the driving of the cleaning devices in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, wherein the controller prioritizes the cleaning devices; sets, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, an interference region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other; makes the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeps the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a predetermined waiting position; and moves the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the cleaning device having the higher-priority has come out of the interference region, and makes the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate cleaning system according to claim 10, wherein the interference region ranges between the position of the end, nearest to the cleaning device having the lower priority, of the cleaning device having the higher priority, sitting in the cleaning-starting position, and the position of the end, nearest to the cleaning device having the higher priority, of the cleaning device having the lower priority, sitting in the cleaning-starting position. ### Claim 12 A substrate cleaning method of cleaning substrates by controlling the driving of cleaning devices in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, comprising the steps of: prioritizing the cleaning devices; calculating, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, a time in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other, and setting the calculated time as a waiting time; making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning a substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a predetermined waiting position; and moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the waiting time has elapsed since the cleaning device having the higher priority started cleaning, and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein travel coordinate axes, each of which is characteristic of a cleaning device, is set; the travel coordinate-axes are unified into a unified travel coordinate axis; and the waiting time is set by using the unified travel coordinate axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein it is judged, on the basis of the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the higher priority and the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the lower priority, whether the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other, and the waiting time is set if it is judged that the interference can occur. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 14, wherein if it is judged, on the basis of the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the higher priority and the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the lower priority, that the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other two or more times, the time in which the two cleaning devices can interfere with each other in each time is calculated, and longest time among the calculated times is set as the waiting time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is positioned between a retreat position, set outside the substrate, in which the cleaning device having the lower priority is held when the cleaning device having the lower priority is not cleaning the substrate, and the cleaning-starting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority, the three positions being on a horizontal line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is at a position horizontally apart from the cleaning device having the higher priority, sitting in the cleaning-starting position, by a minimum accessible distance that is the distance of the cleaning device having the lower priority from the cleaning device having the higher priority when the cleaning device having the lower priority gets closest to the cleaning device having the higher priority without coming into contact with the cleaning device having the higher priority. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning device having the lower priority has a cleaning member that will face the substrate, the cleaning member moves in such a fashion that, after vertically come away from the substrate, the cleaning member vertically re-approaches the substrate as the cleaning device having the lower priority moves, to the cleaning-starting position, from a retreat position, set outside the substrate, in which the cleaning device having the lower priority is held when the cleaning device having the lower priority is not cleaning the substrate, and the waiting position of the cleaning device having the lower priority is in the route of the cleaning member vertically re-approaching the substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The substrate cleaning method according to claim 11, wherein a region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other is set as an interference region, and the time in which the interference can occur is obtained by calculating the difference between the time needed for the cleaning device having the higher priority to come out of the interference region after leaving the cleaning-starting position, and the time needed for the cleaning device having the lower priority to reach a position in the interference region, closest to the cleaning device having the higher priority, after leaving the waiting position. ### Claim 20 A substrate cleaning method of cleaning substrates by controlling the driving of cleaning devices in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, comprising the steps of: prioritizing the cleaning devices; setting, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, an interference region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other; making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning a substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a waiting position outside the interference region; and moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the cleaning device having the higher priority has come out of the interference region, and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 21 A substrate cleaning program with which a substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate, in which the driving of the cleaning devices is controlled in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, carries out cleaning operation, the substrate cleaning program comprising: prioritizing step of prioritizing the cleaning devices; setting waiting time step of calculating, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, the a time in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other, and setting the calculated time as a waiting time; starting higher priority cleaning device step of making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning a substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping lower priority cleaning device waiting step of keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a predetermined waiting position; and starting lower priority cleaning device step of moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the waiting time has elapsed since the cleaning device having the higher priority started cleaning, and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The substrate cleaning program according to claim 21, wherein travel coordinate axes, each of which is characteristic of each cleaning device, is set; the travel coordinate axes are unified into a unified travel coordinate axis; and the waiting time is set in the setting waiting time step by using the unified travel coordinate axis. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The substrate cleaning program according to claim 22, wherein if it is judged, on the basis of the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the higher priority and the driving recipe for the cleaning device having the lower priority, that the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other two or more times, the time in which the two cleaning devices can interfere with each other in each time is calculated, and longest time among the calculated times is set as the waiting time. ### Claim 24 A substrate cleaning program with which a substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate, in which the driving of the cleaning devices is controlled in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, carries out cleaning operation, the substrate cleaning program comprising: prioritizing step of prioritizing the cleaning devices; setting interference region step of setting, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, an interference region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other; starting higher priority cleaning device step of making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping lower priority, cleaning device waiting step of keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a waiting position outside the interference region; and starting lower priority cleaning device step of moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the cleaning device having the higher priority has come out of the interference region and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 25 A program recording medium in which a substrate cleaning program with which a substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate, in which the driving of the cleaning devices is controlled in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, carries out cleaning operation is recorded, the substrate cleaning program comprising: prioritizing step of prioritizing the cleaning devices; setting waiting time step of calculating, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, a time in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other, and setting the calculated time as a waiting time; starting higher priority cleaning device step of making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning a substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping lower priority cleaning device waiting step of keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a predetermined waiting position; and starting lower priority cleaning device step of moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the waiting time has elapsed since the cleaning device having the higher priority started cleaning, and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate. ### Claim 26 A program recording medium in which a substrate cleaning program with which a substrate cleaning system comprising cleaning devices for cleaning a substrate, in which the driving of the cleaning devices is controlled in accordance with driving recipes predetermined, carries out cleaning operation is recorded, the substrate cleaning program comprising: prioritizing step of prioritizing the cleaning devices; setting interference region step of setting, on the basis of a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a higher priority and a driving recipe for a cleaning device having a lower priority, an interference region in which the cleaning device having the higher priority and the cleaning device having the lower priority can interfere with each other; starting higher priority cleaning device step of making the cleaning device having the higher priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate; keeping lower priority cleaning device waiting step of keeping the cleaning device having the lower priority waiting in a waiting position outside the interference region; and starting lower priority cleaning device step of moving the cleaning device having the lower priority from the waiting position when or after the cleaning device having the higher priority has come out of the interference region and making the cleaning device having the lower priority start cleaning the substrate from a predetermined cleaning-starting position towards periphery of the substrate.