Abstract: A method for removing liquid from a surface of a disc includes, rotating the disc article about an axis perpendicular to the disc's main surface, supplying liquid from a supply port, moved across the substrate towards the edge of the disc, onto the rotated disc, supplying a first gas flow through a first gas supply port onto the disc article to an area whose centre has a distance to the centre of rotational movement of not more than 20 mm, the area being covered with a liquid layer thereby opening the liquid layer at a discrete area, and supplying a second gas flow through a second gas supply port moved across the substrate towards the edge of the substrate onto the rotated disc wherein the distance of the second gas supply port to the centre is lower than the distance of the liquid supply port to the centre.

Abstract: A method and device for wet treatment of plate-like articles includes, a chuck for holding a single plate-like article having an upwardly facing surface for receiving liquid running off a plate-like article when being treated with liquid, wherein the chuck is outwardly bordered by a circumferential annular lip. The chuck has an outer diameter greater than the greatest diameter of the plate-like article to be treated, and a rotatable part with an upwardly facing ring-shaped surface for receiving liquid running off the circumferential lip of the chuck. The rotatable part is rotatable with respect to the chuck, the ring-shaped surface is coaxially arranged with respect to the circumferential annular lip, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped surface is smaller than the outer diameter of the chuck, and the distance d between the lip and the upwardly facing ring-shaped surface is in a range from 0.1 mm to 5 mm.

Abstract: A method for removing liquid from a surface of a disc includes, rotating the disc article about an axis perpendicular to the disc's main surface, supplying liquid from a supply port, moved across the substrate towards the edge of the disc, onto the rotated disc, supplying a first gas flow through a first gas supply port onto the disc article to an area whose centre has a distance to the centre of rotational movement of not more than 20 mm, the area being covered with a liquid layer thereby opening the liquid layer at a discrete area, and supplying a second gas flow through a second gas supply port moved across the substrate towards the edge of the substrate onto the rotated disc wherein the distance of the second gas supply port to the centre is lower than the distance of the liquid supply port to the centre.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for wet treatment of a plate-like article, which includes: a spin chuck for holding and rotating the plate-like article including an element for holding the plate-like article at the plate-like article's edge and a gas supply element for directing gas towards the side of the plate-like article, which faces the spin chuck, wherein the gas supply element includes a gas nozzle rotating with the spin chuck, for providing a gas cushion between the plate-like article and the spin chuck; a fluid supply element for directing fluid onto the side of the plate-like article, which is facing the spin chuck, through a non-rotatable fluid nozzle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a respective apparatus for ultrasonic wet treatment of a plate-like article, which comprises: bringing a solid element, which is connected to a transducer in close proximity to a surface of a plate-like article so that a gap is formed between the solid element and the plate-like article, the gap having a distance d2 between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, dispensing liquid for filling the gap between the solid element and the plate-like article, and detecting ultrasonic waves and/or controlling the distance d2, by measuring the distance d2, comparing the measured distance with a desired distance d0 and adjusting the distance accordingly.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a surface of a plate-like article includes the steps of: treating the surface with free flow cleaning, wherein liquid is dispensed through a dispense nozzle onto the surface in a continuous liquid flow, and treating the surface with spray cleaning, wherein liquid is directed through a spray nozzle towards the surface in form of droplets. The surface is treated with a spray cleaning step before the free flow cleaning step and a spray cleaning step after the free flow cleaning step.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for wet treatment of plate-like articles including: a first plate holding elements for holding a single plate-like article substantially parallel to the first plate, first dispensing elements for introducing liquid into a first gap between said first plate and a plate-like article when being treated, wherein the first plate is a silicon plate, which consists at least 99 wt % of silicon, the silicon plate being in contact with the treatment liquid, when the plate-like article is treated. Further disclosed is a method associated therewith.

Abstract: A device for fluid treatment of a plate-like article includes a rotary head for holding and rotating a plate-like article around a substantially vertical rotation axis drive elements to suspend and drive the rotary head without contact, the elements to suspend and drive the rotary head being arranged radially around the rotary head a substantially cylindrical sidewall, which is substantially concentric to the rotation axis, wherein the cylindrical sidewall is arranged between the rotary head and the drive elements and is introduced in the gap between the rotary head and the drive elements elevating members for lifting and lowering the rotary head and the wall relative to each other.

Abstract: Method for cleaning a surface is disclosed comprising a cleaning step with an aqueous cleaning medium, which is supplied to said semiconductor surface wherein the cleaning medium comprises cleaning particles suspended in a colloidal form and mechanical agitation is applied to the particles to be removed for at least part of the time during the cleaning step.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a device and a method for liquid treatment of a disc-like article comprising rotating a disc-like article, dispensing liquid onto the disc-like article when rotated, collecting liquid, which is flung off the disc-like article when rotated, providing a plate arranged parallel to the disc-like article and facing the disc-like article when rotated, and directing gas parallel to the plate across the plate.

Abstract: Method and device for wet treating a defined peripheral edge-region of a wafer-shaped article having a first surface plane W1, a second surface plane W2 and an edge surface. The device includes a support for holding the wafer-shaped article; liquid dispensing members for dispensing liquid onto the first surface plane W1 of the wafer-shaped article not facing the support and liquid guiding member connected to the support for guiding at least a part of the liquid around the edge surface of the wafer-shaped article towards the second surface plane W2 of the wafer-shaped article facing the support thereby wetting at least the edge surface, wherein the liquid guiding member has the form of a ring.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for drying a surface of a disc-shaped article comprising covering said surface with a rinsing liquid, whereby a closed liquid layer is formed, and removing said rinsing liquid, wherein said rinsing liquid containing at least 50 wt. % water and at least 5 wt. % of a substance, wherein the substance lowers the surface energy of water, wherein said removing of the liquid is initiated by blowing gas onto said closed liquid layer, whereby the closed liquid layer is opened at on discrete area.

Abstract: A device for liquid treatment of a defined area of a wafer-shaped article, especially of a wafer, near the edge, in which the liquid is applied to a first surface, flows essentially radially to the outside to the peripheral-side edge of the wafer-shaped article and around this edge onto the second surface, the liquid wetting a defined section near the edge on the second surface and thereupon being removed from the wafer-shaped article.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid discharging device for separately discharging at least two fluids comprising an inner nozzle for discharging a first fluid and a coaxially arranged outer nozzle for discharging a second fluid. Such a fluid can be liquid or gas or a mixture thereof. Mixtures of liquid or gas comprise fluids having gas as the continuous phase and liquid as the disperse phase (e.g. aerosols) and fluids having liquid as the continuous phase and gas as the disperse phase (e.g. carbonated water). The invention further relates to a device and a method for wet treating a flat disc-like substrate, such as semiconductor wafers, flat panel displays or compact discs utilizing such a fluid discharging device. If in the following the term wafer is used, such disk-like substrates are meant.

Abstract: Method of selectively etching a first material on a substrate with a high selectivity towards a second material by flowing a liquid etchant across a substrate surface at a flow sufficiently fast to generate a minimum mean velocity parallel to the substrate's surface, wherein the first material is selected from a group including materials with semiconducting properties based on at least two different chemical elements.

Abstract: A device for drying a disk-shaped substrate includes an element for holding a single disk-shaped substrate, an element for supplying rinsing liquid onto the disk-shaped substrate surface, an element for generating an aerosol and an element for supplying the aerosol onto the disk-shaped substrate surface. Also described is a method for drying a disk-shaped substrate including the steps of providing a single disk-shaped substrate, applying rinsing liquid to the disk-shaped substrate surface, applying an aerosol onto the disk-shaped substrate surface wherein the aerosol includes a drying liquid as disperse phase and an inert gas as the continuous phase. At least part of the liquid is present on the disk-shaped substrate during supply of the aerosol and aerosol droplets condense on liquid surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for wet treatment of disk-like substrates comprising a first plate (10) with a size and shape being able to overlap a disk-like substrate to be treated, holding means (22) for holding a disk-like substrate (W) parallel to said first plate in a s distance of 0.2 to 5 mm, rotating means (37) for rotating the disk-like substrate (W) about a rotation axis (A) substantially perpendicular to said first plate, first dispensing means (14) with a first dispensing opening (16) in the first gap for introducing fluid into a first gap (11) between said first plate (10) and a disk-like substrate (W) when being treated, and shifting means (34) for shifting the position of said first dispensing opening (16) from a first position (P1) to a second position (P2) wherein the distance of said first position (P1) to the rotation axis (A) is smaller than the distance of said second position (P2) to the rotation axis (A). Furthermore an associated method is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the treatment of disk-like objects with one first liquid and at least one second liquid at least in a defined edge region of a disk-like object.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating wafer-shaped articles includes at least one linear arranged array of a plurality of at least two process units wherein in each such process unit one single wafer-shaped article can be treated, a cassette-holding unit for holding at least one cassette storing at least one wafer-shaped article therein and a transport system for picking a wafer-shaped article from a cassette and placing it into one of a process unit. The apparatus has a transport unit movably mounted on a linear track. The transport unit includes at least one holding member for holding a single wafer-shaped article in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the linear track.

Abstract: A device for liquid treatment of a defined area of a wafer-shaped article, especially of a wafer, near the edge, in which the liquid is applied to a first surface, flows essentially radially to the outside to the peripheral-side edge of the wafer-shaped article and around this edge onto the second surface, the liquid wetting a defined section near the edge on the second surface and thereupon being removed from the wafer-shaped article.