Processing liquid nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9837290-B2
Application number	US-201514598298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a processing liquid nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate. The processing liquid nozzle includes: a hollow nozzle body; a processing liquid flow space formed inside the nozzle body; and a processing liquid flow path configured to connect a processing liquid ejection port formed in a lower portion of the nozzle body and the processing liquid flow space with each other. The processing liquid flow path perforates the nozzle body in a vertical direction. The processing liquid flow path includes a foreign matter collecting space which is formed below an upper end of the processing liquid flow path so as to sediment and collect foreign matters in the processing liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing liquid nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, the processing liquid nozzle comprising:
a hollow nozzle body;
a processing liquid flow space formed inside the nozzle body;
a projection portion formed in a central portion of the processing liquid flow space to protrude from a bottom of the processing liquid flow space; and
a processing liquid flow path configured to connect a processing liquid ejection port formed in a lower portion of the nozzle body and the processing liquid flow space with each other, the processing liquid flow path being formed in the projection portion to perforate the projection portion and the processing liquid ejection port in a vertical direction,
wherein the processing liquid flow space includes a foreign matter collecting space which is formed around the projection portion to be lower than an upper end of the processing liquid flow path so as to sediment and collect foreign matters in the processing liquid.

2. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the foreign matter collecting space is formed to cause a sedimentation speed of the foreign matters in the foreign matter collecting space to be higher than a flow speed of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow space.

3. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 2 , wherein an outflow area of the processing liquid in the foreign matter collecting space is determined such that the sedimentation speed is higher than the flow speed.

4. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 2 , wherein a depth in the foreign matter collecting space is determined such that the sedimentation speed is higher than the flow speed.

5. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body is provided with a plurality of processing liquid supply pipes which are configured to supply the processing liquid to the processing liquid flow space.

6. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body is provided with an exhaust pipe which is formed in a ceiling of the processing liquid flow space so as to discharge bubbles in the processing liquid circulating in the processing liquid flow space.

7. A processing liquid nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, the processing liquid nozzle comprising:
a hollow nozzle body;
a processing liquid flow space formed inside the nozzle body;
a projection portion formed in a central portion of the processing liquid flow space to protrude from a bottom of the processing liquid flow space;
a processing liquid flow path configured to connect a processing liquid ejection port formed in a lower portion of the nozzle body and the processing liquid flow space with each other, the processing liquid flow path being formed in the projection portion to perforate the projection portion and the processing liquid ejection port in a vertical direction;
a filter provided above the processing liquid flow path so as to collect and remove foreign matters in the processing liquid; and
a fixing member configured to fix the filter in the vertical direction in corporation with the nozzle body,
wherein the fixing member includes:
a body configured to fix the filter on a bottom side of the filter; and
a protrusion protruding from a top end of the body to be in contact with a ceiling of the processing liquid flow space, and
the processing liquid flow space includes a foreign matter collecting space which is formed around the projection portion to be lower than an upper end of the processing liquid flow path so as to sediment and collect foreign matters in the processing liquid.

8. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 7 , wherein the foreign matter collecting space is formed to cause a sedimentation speed of the foreign matters in the foreign matter collecting space to be higher than a flow speed of the processing liquid in the processing liquid flow space.

9. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 8 , wherein an outflow area of the processing liquid in the foreign matter collecting space is determined such that the sedimentation speed is higher than the flow speed.

10. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 8 , wherein a depth in the foreign matter collecting space is determined such that the sedimentation speed is higher than the flow speed.

11. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle body is provided with a plurality of processing liquid supply pipes which are configured to supply the processing liquid to the processing liquid flow space.

12. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle body is provided with an exhaust pipe which is formed in a ceiling of the processing liquid flow space so as to discharge bubbles in the processing liquid circulating in the processing liquid flow space.

13. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 7 , wherein the ceiling of the processing liquid flow space is inclined vertically downwardly from a central portion towards an outer circumferential portion.

14. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 7 , wherein the protrusion has a tip end formed in a semispherical shape.

15. A processing liquid nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, the processing liquid nozzle comprising:
a hollow nozzle body;
a processing liquid flow space formed inside the nozzle body;
a projection portion formed in a central portion of the processing liquid flow space to protrude from a bottom of the processing liquid flow space;
a processing liquid flow path configured to connect a processing liquid ejection port formed in a lower portion of the nozzle body and the processing liquid flow space with each other, the processing liquid flow path being formed in the projection portion to perforate the projection portion and the processing liquid ejection port in a vertical direction;
a filter provided above the processing liquid flow path so as to collect and remove foreign matters in the processing liquid;
a fixing member configured to fix the filter in the vertical direction in corporation with the nozzle body, the fixing member including a magnetic material; and
a magnet configured to attract the fixing member with the filter being sandwiched therebetween,
wherein the processing liquid flow space includes a foreign matter collecting space which is formed around the projection portion to be lower than an upper end of the processing liquid flow path so as to sediment and collect foreign matters in the processing liquid.

16. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 15 , wherein the magnet is disposed outside the processing liquid flow path.

17. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 15 , wherein each of the filter and the fixing member is disposed above the processing liquid flow path.

18. The processing liquid nozzle of claim 15 , wherein each of the filter and the fixing member is disposed inside the processing liquid flow path.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Nishimura Satoshi
• Imoto Naoki

Classifications

• H10P72/0414 Primary

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

• H10P72/0424 Primary

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

• H01L21/67051

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/6708 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G03F7/16

  Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74) · CPC title