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: 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 vapor drying apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1a adapted to contain semiconductor wafers W; a supply nozzle 2 adapted to supply IPA vapor or N2 gas into the processing chamber 1a; a two-fluid nozzle 3 connected to both of an IPA supply source 8 and an N2 gas supply source 5 and adapted to produce a mixed fluid of IPA and N2 gas; a vapor generating apparatus 10 adapted to produce IPA vapor by heating the mixed fluid produced by the two-fluid nozzle 3; an N2 gas supply line 23 connected to the upstream side of the two-fluid nozzle 3; and a mixed fluid supply line 22 connected to the downstream side of the two-fluid nozzle 3. An open-and-close valve V2 is provided on a branch line 25 connecting the N2 gas supply line 23 and the mixed fluid supply line 22.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing a consumed amount of a processing liquid is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units 22-1 to 22-6 to perform liquid processing on a substrate by using a processing liquid, a processing liquid supply pipe 210 to supply the processing liquid in common to the plurality of processing units 22-1 to 22-6, and a flow control part 220 to control a flow rate of the processing liquid within the processing liquid supply pipe 210 to be increased or decreased according to a number of operating processing units from among the plurality of processing units 22-1 to 22-6.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid heating apparatus including a halogen lamp 23, and a tubular structure 26 surrounding the heating lamp and having a fluid inlet 24 and a fluid outlet 25. The tubular structure 26 comprises plural straight pipes 26a arrayed circumferentially around the halogen lamp 26, with adjacent straight pipes 26a being in contact with each other, or being slightly spaced from each other. At least the surfaces, facing the halogen lamp 26, of the straight pipes 26a are coated with a black paint 27, or a radiant-light-absorbing paint.

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 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 liquid processing apparatus includes: a processing part 80 configured to process an object to be processed by a process liquid; a supply path 1 connected to the processing part 80, the supply path 1 being configured to guide the process liquid to the processing part 80; a solvent supply part 7 configured to supply a solvent to the supply path 1; and a chemical-liquid supply part 5 configured to supply a chemical liquid to the supply path 1 through a chemical-liquid supply path so as to generate a chemical liquid diluted with the solvent. A measuring part 10, which is configured to measure a conductivity of the chemical liquid diluted with the solvent, is disposed in the supply path at a position downstream a connection points 25a, 35a, 45a, to which the chemical-liquid supply path 6 is connected.

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: 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 liquid processing apparatus includes containers 26, 27, 26a, 26b surrounding processing chambers 51, 52 for accommodating a plurality of wafers W and nozzles 54, 56 for supplying a processing liquid to the substrates W in order to perform a liquid process. The nozzles 54, 56 are respectively equipped with a plurality of ejecting orifices 53, 55 capable of ejecting the processing liquid in a plane manner, allowing the substrates W to be processed uniformly and effectively.

Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a substrate transfer unit having a plural-wafer conveyer that transfers plural wafers collectively and a single wafer conveyer that transfers a single wafer at a time. The single-wafer conveyer is accessible to the plural-wafer conveyer to deliver and remove a wafer to and from the plural-wafer conveyer.

Abstract: The feature of the present invention is to enhance the throughput of manufacturing semiconductor wafers and/or liquid crystal substrates, by reducing the time required for performing a rinsing process. In this invention, the position of an object to be processed is controlled, such that a distance (L1) between the surface position (LV1) of a rinsing liquid upon the rinsing process and a top end position (LV2) of the object to be processed (wafers 2) becomes shorter than a distance (L2) between the surface position (LV3) of a chemical liquid upon a chemical liquid process and the top end position (LV4) of the object to be processed (wafers 2).

Abstract: The present invention provides a rotary shaft sealing mechanism having the seal between the rotary shaft and the seal ring improved, and a liquid processing apparatus including the rotary shaft sealing mechanism. The cleaning processing apparatus 1 comprises a rotor 34 for holding wafers W, an outer chamber 71a and an inner chamber 71b which can house the rotor 34, a spindle 50 for rotating the rotor 34, and an outer cylindrical member 32 disposed around the spindle 50. A first sealing ring 13, etc. of resins are provided in a ring member 12 constituting the outer cylindrical member 32. A clearance between the spindle 50 and the first sealing ring 13 is adjusted by press inserting the spindle 50 into the first sealing ring 13, etc. and rotating the spindle 50 for a prescribed period of time to abrade the fist sealing ring 13, etc.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus 1 includes a foup loading/unloading part 2 for mounting foups F each accommodating a plurality of wafers W at intervals of a constant pitch (normal pitch), a rotor 34 capable of holding the wafers W at half the normal pitch (half pitch), a wafer transporting device 11 for transporting the wafer E between the foup F and the rotor 34, wafer posture changing devices 20a, 20b, a wafer elevating mechanism 40, a motor 31 for rotating the rotor 34, an outer chamber 71a and an inner chamber 71b both accommodating the rotor 34, and cleaning liquid nozzles 53, 55 for supplying a cleaning liquid to the wafers W. The rotor 34 holds the wafers W at intervals of an optional pitch (every one holding pitch or every plural holding pitches) to carry out a cleaning operation. Consequently, it is possible to process substrates accommodated in two containers at one batch processing.

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: A liquid processing apparatus includes containers 26, 27, 26a, 26b surrounding processing chambers 51, 52 for accommodating a plurality of wafers W and nozzles 54, 56 for supplying a processing liquid to the substrates W in order to perform a liquid process. The nozzles 54, 56 are respectively equipped with a plurality of ejecting orifices 53, 55 capable of ejecting the processing liquid in a plane manner, allowing the substrates W to be processed uniformly and effectively.

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: A liquid processing apparatus has a substrate rotating device including a holder for holding a substrate and a motor, a chamber for applying the liquid processing to the substrate, a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the substrate rotating device at outside of the chamber such that a state of the substrate held by the holder changes between vertical and horizontal, and a position adjusting mechanism for relatively adjusting the positions of the chamber and the substrate rotating device together with the posture changing mechanism such that the holder is housed in the chamber. The substrate is taken out from the container and held by the holder in a horizontal state. After the posture of the holder was changed to vertical, a process liquid is supplied to the substrate of vertical state.

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.