Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate cleaning method capable of removing particles from the entire surface of a substrate to be processed at a high removing efficiency. In the substrate cleaning method according to the present invention, a substrate to be processed W is immersed in a cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank 12. Then, ultrasonic waves are generated in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank 12, so that the substrate to be processed W is subjected to an ultrasonic cleaning process. While the substrate to be processed is being cleaned, a dissolved gas concentration of a gas dissolved in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank is changed.

Abstract: Disclosed are an evaporator, an evaporation method, and a substrate processing apparatus, which can increase the concentration of generated vapor of an organic solvent and efficiently heat the organic solvent. The evaporator includes a fluid tube, a liquid organic solvent supply device for supplying the organic solvent liquid to one end of the fluid tube, and heating units for heating the fluid tube. The fluid tube has a cross section that increases from the one end to the other end. When the organic solvent liquid supplied to one end of the fluid tube is heated, the organic solvent vapor is discharged from the other end of the fluid tube. The substrate processing apparatus includes the above-described evaporator.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus 1 comprises a casing 5, a substrate holding mechanism 20 that holds a wafer (substrate to be processed) W, a process-liquid supplying mechanism 30 that supplies a process liquid, a draining cup 12 that receives a process liquid, and a draining pipe 13 that discharges a process liquid outside. The process-liquid supplying mechanism 30 includes a first chemical-liquid supply mechanism that supplies a hydrofluoric process liquid, and a drying-liquid supplying mechanism that supplies an organic solvent for drying a wafer W. A control part 50 causes the first chemical-liquid supplying mechanism to supply a hydrofluoric process liquid, and then causes the drying-liquid supplying mechanism to supply an organic solvent. In addition, before the control part 50 causes the drying-liquid supplying mechanism to supply an organic solvent, the control part causes a cleaning mechanism 10 to remove an alkaline component in a casing 5.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning and drying a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. This substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit for processing a substrate by immersing the substrate in stored purified water, a drying unit arranged above the liquid processing unit and configured to dry the substrate, a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring the substrate between the liquid processing unit and drying unit, a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid mixture containing vapor or mist of purified water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying unit, and a controller for controlling the supply of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: Disclosed are an evaporator, an evaporation method, and a substrate processing apparatus, which can increase the concentration of generated vapor of an organic solvent and efficiently heat the organic solvent. The evaporator includes a fluid tube, a liquid organic solvent supply device for supplying the organic solvent liquid to one end of the fluid tube, and heating units for heating the fluid tube. The fluid tube has a cross section that increases from the one end to the other end. When the organic solvent liquid supplied to one end of the fluid tube is heated, the organic solvent vapor is discharged from the other end of the fluid tube. The substrate processing apparatus includes the above-described evaporator.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a hollow holding plate configured to hold an object to be processed; a hollow outer rotational shaft fixedly connected to the holding plate; a rotary drive part configured to rotate the outer rotational shaft; and a lift pin plate disposed in a hollow space of the holding plate, and having a lift pin configured to support the object to be processed. Inside the lift pin plate, a cleaning-liquid supply part configured to supply a cleaning liquid is extended. Connected to the lift pin plate is a lifting member configured to locate the lift pin plate on an upper position and a lower position. When located on the lower position, the lift pin plate receives a force of the rotary drive part for rotating the outer rotational shaft so that the lift pin plate is rotated.

Abstract: A liquid treating apparatus comprising a holding device (30) for holding wafers (W) in a substantially vertical attitude and a treating vessel (10) for accommodating the wafers held by the holding device. A treating liquid is supplied into the treating vessel by means of a treating liquid supply system. A rotational drive device (20) is provided for rotating the holding device (30) around a rotational axis passing approximately through the center of the wafers (W) in a state of non-contact with the treating vessel (10).

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including a processing vessel in which a target substrate W is processed by using a high-pressure fluid in a supercritical state or a subcritical state, and pipes that are divided into a first pipe member and a second pipe member in a flowing direction of the fluid and circulate the fluid are connected to processing vessel. A connecting/disconnecting mechanism moves at least one of first and second pipe members between a connection position and a separation position of first pipe member and the second pipe member, and opening/closing valves are installed in each of first and second pipe members and are closed at the time of separating pipe members.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning method can uniformly removing particles from substrates at a high removing efficiency. The substrate cleaning method includes the steps of immersing substrates W in a cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank 12, and generating ultrasonic waves in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank. A region in the cleaning tank toward which the cleaning liquid is supplied is varied with respect to a vertical level in the step of generating ultrasonic waves in the cleaning liquid while the cleaning liquid is being supplied into the cleaning tank.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus in which a liquid state raw material is maintained at a high-temperature and high-pressure fluid state by a cooling mechanism at a first raw material receiving unit, a supplying valve of a raw material supplying path is opened to provide the high-temperature and high-pressure fluid to a processing chamber where a target substrate is disposed, and the target substrate is dried by the high-temperature and high-pressure fluid. A second raw material receiving unit is cooled down below a condensation temperature of the raw material by a second cooling mechanism, the high-temperature and high-pressure fluid in the processing chamber is collected at the second raw material receiving unit by opening a collecting valve. The collected raw material is re-utilized as a raw material supplied from the first raw material receiving unit to the processing chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning and drying a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. This substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit for processing a substrate by immersing the substrate in stored purified water, a drying unit arranged above the liquid processing unit and configured to dry the substrate, a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring the substrate between the liquid processing unit and drying unit, a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid mixture containing vapor or mist of purified water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying unit, and a controller for controlling the supply of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of drying a substrate to be processed while suppressing the pattern collapse or the occurrence of contamination. A substrate is held in a liquid bath while being immersed in a liquid, and the liquid bath is disposed in a processing space of a processing vessel. A processing of drying the substrate is performed by replacing the liquid in the liquid bath with a supercritical-state fluid. A predetermined mechanism moves liquid bath between a processing location in the processing case and a stand-by location outside the processing case. A heater installed in the processing case changes the fluid to a supercritical state or maintains the supercritical state while cooling mechanisms cool down the liquid bath moved to the stand-by location outside the processing vessel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of drying a substrate to be processed while suppressing a pattern collapse or occurrence of contamination. In a processing vessel, a substrate is immersed in a liquid in the longitudinal direction, and the liquid is pushed out by a substitution fluid of a supercritical state to be discharged from the processing vessel. Thereafter, the substitution fluid subjected to the substitution with the liquid is discharged from the processing vessel to depressurize the processing vessel, and the substitution fluid is changed from the supercritical state to a gaseous state to dry the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus for cleaning and drying a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. This substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing unit for processing a substrate by immersing the substrate in stored purified water, a drying unit arranged above the liquid processing unit and configured to dry the substrate, a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring the substrate between the liquid processing unit and drying unit, a fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid mixture containing vapor or mist of purified water and vapor or mist of a volatile organic solvent to the drying unit, and a controller for controlling the supply of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: A batch forming apparatus forms a batch of substrates by combining a plurality of substrates that have been taken out from a plurality of carriers each containing therein the substrates in a stacked manner. The batch forming apparatus includes: a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out the substrates from each carrier and transfer the substrates; a substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism that rearranges one or more substrates out of the substrates transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism one by one relative to other substrates to change positional relationships of the substrates relative to each other; and a batch forming mechanism that forms a batch of substrates out of the substrates that have been transferred thereto by the substrate transfer mechanism, with positional relationships of the substrates having been changed relative to each other by the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism.

Abstract: A semiconductor device fabricating system 1 includes a casing 10, processing units 12, 13 and 14, for carrying out semiconductor device fabricating processes, disposed inside the casing, and platforms 15, 16 and 17 set outside the casing. The platforms are foldable. Spaces required by the platforms can be reduced and the footprint of the semiconductor device fabricating system can be reduced by folding the platforms.

Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus including: a cleaning tank for storing a cleaning liquid; an object-to-be-processed holder for insertion into the cleaning tank, the holder holding an object to be processed and immersing the object into the cleaning liquid; a vibrator disposed on a bottom part of the cleaning tank; and an ultrasonic oscillator configured to make the vibrator ultrasonically vibrate. In the cleaning tank, a lateral holding member configured to hold the object is disposed. The holder is configured to be laterally moved by a driving apparatus. The control device is configured to control the driving apparatus such that the holder is laterally moved after the object has been held by the lateral holding member, and the control device is configured to control the ultrasonic oscillator such that the vibrator is made to ultrasonically vibrate so that the ultrasonic vibration from the vibrator is propagated to the object.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus 1, which utilizes a first transfer apparatus 104A and a second transfer apparatus 104B which are configured to transfer a transfer container 10 containing a plurality of substrates, along a first transfer path 102A and a second transfer path 102B whose lateral positions differ from each other, respectively, comprises a first load port 21 where the transfer container 10 is loaded and unloaded by the first transfer apparatus 104A, and a second load port 22 that is arranged stepwise with respect to the first load port 21, the transfer container 10 being loaded to and unloaded from the second load port 22 by the second transfer apparatus 104B.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a hollow holding plate to hold an object to be processed; a hollow outer rotary shaft fixedly joined to the holding plate; a lift pin plate having a lift pin to support the object; an inner rotary shaft fixedly joined to the lift pin plate; and a lifting member to raise and lower the lift pin plate to locate the lift pin plate on an upper position and a lower position. Inside the inner rotary shaft, there is disposed a cleaning-liquid supply part to supply a cleaning liquid to the object to be processed. An outer rotary drive part is joined to the outer rotary shaft, the outer rotary drive part being configured to rotate the outer rotary shaft. An inner rotary drive part is joined to the inner rotary shaft, the inner rotary drive part being configured to rotate the inner rotary shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method to efficiently remove a resist residue of a substrate surface by using sulfuric acid without hydrogen peroxide solution that is not stable in a high temperature, or by using sulfuric acid together with hydrogen peroxide solution that is not stable in a high temperature. The substrate processing apparatus to process a substrate by using a first processing liquid including sulfuric acid and a second processing liquid including water includes a liquid-film forming device to form a liquid film of the first processing liquid maintained at a temperature higher than room temperature on at least one surface of the substrate, and a vapor/mist supply device to supply vapor or mist of the second processing liquid on the surface of the substrate on which the liquid film of the first processing liquid is formed.