Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are cleaned by placing the semiconductor wafers in a processing vessel, forming a pure water film on the surfaces of the wafers, forming an ozonic water film by dissolving ozone gas in the pure water film, and removing resist films formed on the wafers by the agency of the ozonic water film. The pure water film is formed by condensing steam on the surfaces of the wafers. The resist films formed on the surfaces of the wafers can be removed by also using hydroxyl radicals produced by interaction between steam and ozone gas supplied into the processing vessel. Thus, the resist films can be removed highly effectively.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are cleaned by placing the semiconductor wafers in a processing vessel, forming a pure water film on the surfaces of the wafers, forming an ozonic water film by dissolving ozone gas in the pure water film, and removing resist films formed on the wafers by the agency of the ozonic water film. The pure water film is formed by condensing steam on the surfaces of the wafers. The resist films formed on the surfaces of the wafers can be removed by also using hydroxyl radicals produced by interaction between steam and ozone gas supplied into the processing vessel. Thus, the resist films can be removed highly effectively.

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: 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 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 processing apparatus essentially includes a rotatable rotor 21 for carrying semiconductor wafers W, a motor 22 for driving to rotate the rotor 21, a plurality of processing chambers for surrounding the wafers W carried by the rotor 21, for example, an inner chamber 23 and an outer chamber 24, a chemical supplying unit 50, an IPA supplying unit 60, a rinse supplying unit 70 and a drying fluid supplying unit 80. With this constitution of the apparatus, it is possible to prevent the wafers from being contaminated due to the reaction of treatment liquids of different kinds, with the improvement of processing efficiency and miniaturization of the apparatus.

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: 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 present invention provides a substrate processing system and method which can prevent the filter from being stuffed with foreign objects and make the filter accordingly more durable. The substrate processing system 12 comprising a substrate processing unit 46 for processing substrates W with a processing liquid, and a processing liquid recovery passage 75 for passing the processing liquid discharged from the substrate processing unit 46, in which the processing liquid recovery passage 75 includes a filter 80 for removing foreign objects mixed in the processing liquid, a cleaning fluid supply passage 120 for feeding a cleaning fluid for cleaning the filter 80, and a discharge passage 115 for discharging the processing liquid and the cleaning fluid from the filter 80.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are cleaned by placing the semiconductor wafers in a processing vessel, forming a pure water film on the surfaces of the wafers, forming an ozonic water film by dissolving ozone gas in the pure water film, and removing resist films formed on the wafers by the agency of the ozonic water film. The pure water film is formed by condensing steam on the surfaces of the wafers. The resist films formed on the surfaces of the wafers can be removed by also using hydroxyl radicals produced by interaction between steam and ozone gas supplied into the processing vessel. Thus, the resist films can be removed highly effectively.

Abstract: An outer covering wall (26) and an inner covering wall (27), which are capable of surrounding a rotor (24), can be horizontally moved. A wafer carrier waiting portion (30) is disposed right below the rotor (24). A wafer holding member (41) included in a wafer lifter (40) moves into a wafer carrier (C) containing wafers (W) and mounted on a stage (31) (sliding table 32) included in the wafer carrier waiting portion (30), lifts up the wafers (W) and transfers the wafers (W) to the rotor (24). The outer covering wall (26) or the inner covering wall (27) surrounds the rotor (24) to define a processing chamber. The wafers (W) held on the rotor (24) are subjected to a cleaning process in the processing chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a system in which transportation, assembly and maintenance can be easily carried out. The system comprises: a case carrying unit for carrying in/out a case accommodating therein the substrate; a liquid-processing unit and the processing liquid being supplied to process the substrate with the processing liquid; a substrate conveying unit for conveying the substrate between the case carrying unit and the liquid-processing unit; a processing liquid storing unit for storing, feeding and recovering the processing liquid which is supplied to the liquid-processing unit; and a plurality of frames each supporting one or more of the case carrying unit, the liquid-processing unit, the substrate conveying unit and the processing liquid storing unit, wherein the at least two of the plurality of frames are capable of being connected to and separated from each other.

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: A cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method for cleaning a object are provided. In the cleaning apparatus, a drying chamber 42 and a cleaning bath 41 are separated from each other up and down, respectively. Thus, a space in the drying chamber 42 can be insulated from a space of the cleaning bath 41 through rotary doors 59a and a slide door 72. In the cleaning method, a cleaning process in the cleaning bath 41 is carried out while sealing it by the rotary doors 59a. On the other hand, a drying process in the drying chamber 42 is accomplished while sealing and closing it by the slide door 72. Consequently, there is no possibility that, during the drying process, the object is subjected to a bad influence from a chemical treatment.

Abstract: A rotary substrate processing apparatus includes a rotor 1 having a holding member for holding a plurality of semiconductor wafers W arranged at appropriate intervals and a motor 4 for rotating the rotor 1. The holding member includes open/close holding rods 3 that are moved to open or close the rotor 1 in inserting the wafers W into the rotor 1 sideways and a plurality of constant-position holding rods 2a to 2d for holding the wafers W in cooperation with the open/close holding rods 3. Among the constant-position holding rods 2a to 2d, at least one constant-position holding rod 2a is equipped with a plurality of press members 5 which move toward respective peripheral portions of the wafers W by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor 1. Consequently, it becomes possible to make the wafers W follow the rotation of the rotor 1 ensurely and also possible to reduce slip between the open/close holding rods 3, the constant-position holding rods 2a to 2d and the wafers W.

Abstract: A cleaning processing apparatus, which is one embodiment of a liquid processing apparatus for performing a liquid processing by supplying a predetermined process liquid to a target object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer while rotating the target object, comprises a rotor for holding wafers W, a slidable process section for housing the rotor, and a cleaning liquid spurting nozzle for supplying a predetermined cleaning liquid to the wafers W. A housing for housing the slidable process section is of a hermetic structure so as to be substantially shielded from the outside.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus for carrying out a process, such as cleaning, with a chemical serving as a processing liquid, with respect to a semiconductor wafer (W) which serves as an object to be processed and which is housed in a processing chamber. A chemical tank (10) for storing therein the chemical has a double vessel structure which has an external tank (2) and an internal tank (1) housed in the external tank (2). Supply pipe-lines (14a, 14b and 14c) are provided for supplying the chemical from the external tank (2) and the internal tank (1) to the processing chamber. A return pipe-line (56) is provided for returning the chemical from the processing chamber to the external tank (2). The outer periphery of the external tank (2) is surrounded by a heater (4).

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes an inner cylinder 25 (a processing chamber 23) accommodated in a carrying unit for carrying an object to be processed and further seals up the object with the inner cylinder 25 or a first stationary wall 34 to process the object in contact with processing fluid. In this processing apparatus with sealing mechanism, flexible hollow packings 100, 101 are arranged doubly in either the inner cylinder 25 or the first stationary wall 34, at its occluded part with the first stationary wall 34 and the inner cylinder 25. The hollow packings 100, 101 have their hollow parts 102 connected with respective pressurized-air sources 103 through pressure-detecting switches 110 and closing valves 105. By expanding or contracting the hollow packings 100, 101, the operation of the apparatus is switched in between its sealing state and non-sealing state. With this arrangement, it is possible to improve the sealing capability and prolong the life of the mechanism.

Abstract: A cleaning processing apparatus and method of wafers W held by a rotor capable of holding a plurality of wafers W, which is one embodiment of the liquid processing apparatus of the present invention, comprises an outside chamber, an inside chamber arranged slidable between a process position and a retreat position, and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside chamber in the retreat position. The cleaning mechanism includes a cylindrical body arranged in the inside chamber so as to form a substantially cylindrical cleaning processing space between the inside chamber and the cylindrical body, a cleaning liquid spurting nozzle for spurting a cleaning liquid into the cleaning processing space, and a gas supply nozzle for supplying a predetermined drying gas into the cleaning processing space so as to make it possible to clean and dry the inside chamber.

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.