Liquid treatment apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9396975-B2
Application number	US-201213355877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2012
Priority date	Jan 25, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a substrate retaining unit, a rotational driving unit configured to rotate the substrate retaining unit; and a nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate, the nozzle having first ejection ports provided to eject a chemical liquid and second ejection ports provided to eject a rinsing fluid towards the lower surface of the substrate. The nozzle comprises a first portion and a second portion each extending from a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate. At least part of the first ejection ports are arranged in the first portion. At least part of the second ejection ports are arranged in the second portion. The first portion and the second portion are arranged to form a V-shaped figure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
a substrate retaining unit comprising a retaining member configured to hold a peripheral edge of a substrate to retain the substrate horizontally;
a rotational driving unit configured to rotate the substrate retaining unit; and
a nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit, the nozzle comprising a plurality of first ejection ports provided to eject a chemical liquid towards the lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit and a plurality of second ejection ports provided to eject a rinsing fluid towards the lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit;
wherein:
the nozzle comprises a first portion extending from a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit, the plurality of first ejection ports are arranged between a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit, and at least part of the plurality of first ejection ports are arranged in the first portion;
the nozzle comprises a second portion extending from a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit, the plurality of second ejection ports are arranged between a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit, and at least part of the plurality of second ejection ports are arranged in the second portion;
the first portion and the second portion are arranged to form a V-shaped figure; and
the first portion is disposed at an angular position advanced through an angle from the second portion in a rotating direction of the substrate rotated by the rotational driving unit.

2. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the angle is an acute angle.

3. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first ejection ports is configured to eject the chemical liquid towards the lower substrate surface in a direction inclined to the rotating direction of the substrate rotated by the rotation driving unit.

4. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the second ejection ports is configured to eject, as the rinsing fluid, at least one of deionized water (DIW) and droplets of a mixture of DIW and an inert gas, towards the substrate.

5. The liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of the second ejection ports is configured to eject the DIW towards the lower surface of the substrate in a direction inclined to the rotating direction of the substrate rotated by the rotation driving unit, when the second ejection ports eject the DIW as the rinsing fluid.

Assignees

• Higashijima Jiro
• Itoh Norihiro
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Higashijima Jiro
• Itoh Norihiro

Classifications

• H10P72/7626

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/7608

  characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/0414 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title