Substrate cleaning apparatus and method employed therein

A substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a first clean target surface positioned on a front side of an edge portion of a substrate and a second clean target surface positioned on a back side of the edge portion of the substrate by a fabric cleaning tape including a first wiping surface and a second wiping surface, the substrate cleaning apparatus comprising:

• a first presser member for pressing the cleaning tape against the first clean target surface;
• a second presser member for pressing the cleaning tape against the second clean target surface;
• a tape path forming member which forms a tape path for the cleaning tape, the tape path passing through between the first presser member and the first clean target surface and between the second presser member and the second clean target surface;
• a tape feeding device which feeds the cleaning tape to the tape path;
• a tape collecting device which collects the cleaning tape from the tape path;
• a tape driving device which drives the cleaning tape;
• a cleaner discharging device which discharges a cleaner to the cleaning tape;
• and
• a moving device for moving the cleaning tape and the substrate relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the edge portion of the substrate, wherein
• the tape path includes:
• a first path which allows the cleaning tape to pass through between the first presser member and the first clean target surface in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the edge portion of the substrate with the first wiping surface facing the first clean target surface;
• a second path which allows the cleaning tape, which has passed through the first path, to be looped so that the second wiping surface faces the back side of the substrate;
• and
• a third path which allows the cleaning tape, which has passed through the second path, to pass through between the second presser member and the second clean target surface with the second wiping surface facing the second clean target surface, and wherein
• the tape feeding device has a feeding reel on which the cleaning tape is wound,
• the tape collecting device has a collecting reel for winding up and collecting the cleaning tape, and
• the feeding reel and the collecting reel are juxtaposed in parallel.

A substrate cleaning method for cleaning a first clean target surface positioned on a front side of an edge portion of a substrate and a second clean target surface positioned on a back side of the edge portion of the substrate by a fabric cleaning tape which includes a first wiping surface and a second wiping surface and which is impregnated with a cleaner, the substrate cleaning method comprising:

• cleaning the first and second clean target surfaces by moving the cleaning tape and the substrate relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the edge portion of the substrate while the cleaning tape is pressed against the first clean target surface by the first presser member and moreover the cleaning tape is pressed against the second clean target surface by the second presser member;
• and
• driving the cleaning tape in such a way that:
• the cleaning tape passes through between the first presser member and the first clean target surface in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the edge portion of the substrate with the first wiping surface facing the first clean target surface of the substrate,
• next, the cleaning tape is looped so that the second wiping surface faces the back side of the substrate;
• and
• subsequently, the cleaning tape passes through between the second presser member and the second clean target surface in a direction identical to the passage direction of the cleaning tape between the first presser member and the first clean target surface with the second wiping surface facing the second clean target surface.