Abstract: An apparatus includes an injection part, a transfer part, a pressure supply part, a collision part and an emission part. An object is injected through the injection part. The transfer part is connected to the injection part, and bended at a plurality of points thereof. The object passes through the transfer part. The pressure supply part is connected to the transfer part and supplies a pressure into the transfer part to move the object. The collision part collides with the object moving in the transfer part to treat a surface of the object. The emission part is connected to the transfer part, and the object having the treated surface is emitted through the emission part.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus including a chuck for supporting a wafer while exposing a peripheral portion of the wafer, a polishing head for polishing the peripheral portion of the wafer, and a polishing solution supplying assembly provided above the chuck and configured to spray a polishing solution on the wafer and to form a liquid curtain on the chuck to protect the wafer when the wafer is polished may be provided.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus including a chuck for supporting a wafer while exposing a peripheral portion of the wafer, a polishing head for polishing the peripheral portion of the wafer, and a polishing solution supplying assembly provided above the chuck and configured to spray a polishing solution on the wafer and to form a liquid curtain on the chuck to protect the wafer when the wafer is polished may be provided.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an injection part, a transfer part, a pressure supply part, a collision part and an emission part. An object is injected through the injection part. The transfer part is connected to the injection part, and bended at a plurality of points thereof. The object passes through the transfer part. The pressure supply part is connected to the transfer part and supplies a pressure into the transfer part to move the object. The collision part collides with the object moving in the transfer part to treat a surface of the object. The emission part is connected to the transfer part, and the object having the treated surface is emitted through the emission part.

Abstract: A semiconductor cleaning system includes deionized water cleaning units for removing particles and chemicals from the wafer surface, and chemical cleaning units for removing organic materials and oxides from the wafer surface. The system is interlocked when chemicals used to clean the surface of a wafer are erroneously supplied to one or more chemical cleaning units of the system. To this end, the semiconductor cleaning system also includes a respective detection unit for detecting the state under which chemicals are being supplied to a chemical cleaning unit, a control unit for determining whether the cleaning system should be interlocked based on data from the detection units, and an alarm unit for providing an alarm in response to a control signal issued from the control unit.

Abstract: A polishing head of a chemical and mechanical polishing apparatus can uniformly polishing a wafer by sticking the wafer firmly and with uniform pressure to a polishing pad. The polishing head includes a housing through which air is supplied and discharged from the head. A carrier is connected to the housing so as to be movable up and down relative to the housing. A wafer chucking device is mounted to the carrier. The wafer chucking device includes a wafer chuck body movable up and down relative to the carrier. The wafer chuck body defines a vacuum chamber therein for use in adhering a wafer to the wafer chucking device. A retainer is mounted to the periphery of the carrier, guides the wafer chuck body in its up and down movement relative to the carrier, and protects the wafer chucked by the wafer chucking device. A biasing member is used to exert a downward biasing force uniformly on the wafer chuck body.

Abstract: An etching apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices which reduces contamination of the processing surface of a wafer by transporting a plurality of wafers stacked in a cassette with their processing surfaces facing down from the cassette supply chamber to one or more process chambers where the etching operation is performed on each wafer, one at a time. The apparatus has a load lock chamber for transferring the wafers stacked in the cassette from the cassette supply chamber, which is maintained under atmospheric conditions, to the process chamber, which is maintained under a strong vacuum. The process chamber has a cathode to which a wafer is clamped by a wafer holder with its processing surface facing down; the process chamber may also have a removable lower cover for easy repair and cleaning.

Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus has a polishing head onto which a semiconductor wafer is fixed for holding the surface of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the surface of a polishing pad. The polishing head includes a wafer carrier and a retainer ring which guides the edges of the semiconductor wafer. The retainer ring has an opening through which air is supplied to the lower portion thereof, such that air is injected between the semiconductor wafer and the polishing pad through the opening before separating the semiconductor wafer from the polishing pad after the polishing process. The injected air reduces the adsorptive force between the semiconductor wafer and the polishing pad. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer can be easily separated from the polishing pad when the polishing head is raised.

Abstract: An etching apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices which reduces contamination of the processing surface of a wafer by transporting a plurality of wafers stacked in a cassette with their processing surfaces facing down from the cassette supply chamber to one or more process chambers where the etching operation is performed on each wafer, one at a time. The apparatus has a load lock chamber for transferring the wafers stacked in the cassette from the cassette supply chamber, which is maintained under atmospheric conditions, to the process chamber, which is maintained under a strong vacuum. The process chamber has a cathode to which a wafer is clamped by a wafer holder with its processing surface facing down; the process chamber may also have a removable lower cover for easy repair and cleaning.

Abstract: A polishing head of a chemical and mechanical polishing apparatus can uniformly polishing a wafer by sticking the wafer firmly and with uniform pressure to a polishing pad. The polishing head includes a housing through which air is supplied and discharged from the head. A carrier is connected to the housing so as to be movable up and down relative to the housing. A wafer chucking device is mounted to the carrier. The wafer chucking device includes a wafer chuck body movable up and down relative to the carrier. The wafer chuck body defines a vacuum chamber therein for use in adhering a wafer to the wafer chucking device. A retainer is mounted to the periphery of the carrier, guides the wafer chuck body in its up and down movement relative to the carrier, and protects the wafer chucked by the wafer chucking device. A biasing member is used to exert a downward biasing force uniformly on the wafer chuck body.