Cleaning method and cleaning apparatus for porous member

Abstract

A porous member cleaning method enables effective cleaning of the interior of a porous member even when it has a small pore size, a high density and a large volume. The porous member cleaning method includes: disposing a porous member in a hermetic space, and cleaning the interior of the porous member with a pressurized cleaning liquid passing through the interior of the porous member; and then disposing the porous member in said hermetic space or in a different hermetic space, and supplying pressurized pure water to the interior of the porous member so that the pure water passes through the interior of the porous member.

1 . A porous member cleaning method comprising: 
 disposing a porous member in a hermetic space, and cleaning the interior of the porous member with a pressurized cleaning liquid passing through the interior of the porous member; and then    disposing the porous member in said hermetic space or in a different hermetic space, and supplying pressurized pure water to the interior of the porous member so that the pure water passes through the interior of the porous member.    
   
   
       2 . The porous member cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning liquid and/or pure water in the hermetic space is bubbled with a gas.  
   
   
       3 . The porous member cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning liquid is sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, a hydrogen peroxide solution, pure water, or a mixed solution thereof, an alkaline cleaning liquid or a neutral detergent, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The porous member cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous member is composed of a porous ceramic comprising silicon carbide, alumina, aluminum nitride, zirconia or vanadium oxide, or a porous resin.  
   
   
       5 . The porous member cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous member has a porosity of not more than 40% and a pore size of not more than 100 μm.  
   
   
       6 . The porous member cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the cleaning liquid and the temperature of the pure water are each 20 to 120° C.  
   
   
       7 . A porous member cleaning apparatus comprising: 
 a hermetic vessel for mounting a porous member and forming a hermetic space in the vessel;    a pressurized fluid injection section, connected to the hermetic vessel, for selectively injecting one of a pressurized cleaning liquid and pressurized pure water into the hermetic vessel so that the cleaning liquid or pure water passes through the interior of the porous member; and    a fluid discharge section for discharging the cleaning liquid or pure water which has passed through the interior of the porous member.    
   
   
       8 . The porous member cleaning apparatus according to  claim 7  further comprising a gas supply section for supplying a gas for bubbling to the cleaning liquid and/or pure water which has been injected into the hermetic vessel.  
   
   
       9 . A plating apparatus comprising: 
 a substrate holder for holding a substrate;    a cathode section including a sealing member for contact with a peripheral portion of a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder to water-tightly seal the peripheral portion, and a cathode contact for contact with the substrate to feed electricity to the substrate; and    an anode section movable between a processing position above the substrate holder and a porous member cleaning position lateral to the processing position, including an anode which, when the anode section is located in the processing position, is disposed opposite the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a porous member disposed between the anode and the substrate,    wherein a porous member cleaning section for sequentially introducing a cleaning liquid and pure water into the interior of the porous member of the anode section to clean the interior of the porous member with the cleaning liquid and to replace the cleaning liquid in the interior of the porous member with pure water, is provided in the porous member cleaning position.    
   
   
       10 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the porous member cleaning section is provided in association with a plating solution tray, disposed lateral to the substrate holder, for storing a plating solution for use in idling.  
   
   
       11 . A method for cleaning a porous member in a plating apparatus, comprising: 
 moving an anode section to a porous member cleaning position lateral to a substrate holder, said anode section including an anode which, when the anode section is located in a processing position, is disposed opposite a substrate held by the substrate holder, and a porous member disposed between the anode and the substrate; and then introducing a cleaning liquid and pure water into the interior of the porous member of the anode section, located in the porous member cleaning position, to clean the interior of the porous member with the cleaning liquid and to replace the cleaning liquid in the interior of the porous member with pure water.