Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a substrate comprises a spin chuck for holding a substrate substantially horizontally a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the spin chuck, a lower nozzle having a plurality of liquid outlet ports facing both a peripheral portion and a center portion of a lower surface oaf the substrate held by the spin chuck, a process liquid supply mechanism for supplying a first process liquid to the lower nozzle, and a controller for controlling operations of the process liquid supply mechanism and the rotation driving mechanism, individually, in which the controller controls the rotation driving mechanism to rotate the spin chuck and controls the process liquid supply mechanism to supply a first process liquid to the lower nozzle, thereby outputting the first process liquid toward the peripheral portion and the center portion of the lower surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An edge remover is provided in the vicinity of an edge portion of a wafer subjected to copper plating. An aqueous hydrogen peroxide is supplied to the edge portion of the wafer from a first nozzle provided at an inner side for a radial direction of the wafer. Next, diluted hydrofluoric acid is supplied to the edge portion of the wafer from a second nozzle provided at an outer side for the radial direction thereof.

Abstract: Liquid treatment units are disposed in multi-tiers surrounding a main-arm 35. Among liquid treatment units, plating units M1 through M4 are disposed on a lower tier side, and a unit for post-treatment process such as a cleaning unit 70 where a cleaner atmosphere is necessary is disposed on an upper tier side. Thereby, an improvement in an area efficiency and the formation and maintenance of a clean atmosphere can be simultaneously obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning both sides of a substrate, incorporating a spin chuck for holding a substrate such that contact with at least a central portion of the substrate is prevented, a motor having a hollow shaft connected to the spin chuck to transmit rotating force to the spin chuck, a front-side cleaning mechanism for cleaning a surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck, and a back-side cleaning mechanism for rinsing a back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck, wherein the back-side cleaning mechanism is disposed to face the back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck through hollow portions of the hollow shaft.

Abstract: A washing/drying process apparatus comprises a spin chuck for holding a substrate such that a surface thereof to be processed faces upward and for rotating the substrate, a process fluid supply mechanism for selectively supplying one or two or more of a plurality of kinds of process fluids to the surface to be processed of the substrate rotated by the spin chuck, the process fluid supply mechanism having a first nozzle with a discharge port for discharging a process fluid which is in a liquid phase under conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure, and a second nozzle with a discharge port for discharging fluid which is in a gas phase under conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure, a driving mechanism for simultaneously moving the first and second nozzles to a location above the substrate held by the spin chuck, and a controller for controlling operations of the process liquid supply mechanism and the driving mechanism.

Abstract: Substrate transporting method comprising (a) inputting process data, (b) determining whether a number of units required for processing the wafer is an odd number or an even number, (c1) when a determination result of the step (b) is an odd number, transporting the wafer, (d1) taking out the wafer by the second arm from a cassette section, (e1) loading the W by the second arm to an odd-numbered unit, (f1) unloading the W by the third arm from an odd-numbered unit, except for a final unit, (g1) loading the W by the third arm to an even-numbered unit, (h1) unloading the W by the second arm from an even-numbered unit, and (i1) unloading the W from the final unit by the first arm and loading the W by the first arm into the cassette section, and (c2) when a determination result of the step (b) is an even number, transporting the W (d2) taking out the W by the third arm from the cassette section, (e2) loading the W by the third arm into an odd-numbered unit, (f2) loading the W by the second arm from an odd-numbered

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning both sides of a substrate, incorporating a spin chuck for holding a substrate such that contact with at least a central portion of the substrate is prevented, a motor having a hollow shaft connected to the spin chuck to transmit rotating force to the spin chuck, a front-side cleaning mechanism for cleaning a surface of the substrate held by the spin chuck, and a back-side cleaning mechanism for rinsing a back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck, wherein the back-side cleaning mechanism is disposed to face the back side of the substrate held by the spin chuck through hollow portions of the hollow shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wet etching method applied to a thin, including the steps of (a) setting in advance an etching rate of said thin film in view of a kind of the thin film to be etched, components of said etchant solution, and temperature, (b) loading the substrate on a spin chuck such that the surface having the thin film formed thereon faces upward and, (c) detecting a thickness of the thin film in at least a peripheral portion and a central portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for washing a group of semiconductor wafers in which a first support arrangement is provided for supporting the wafer group to be immersed in a solution, with a second support carrying the wafer group to the treatment vessel. The second support can be provided, for example, in the form of a fork arrangement, and the wafer group is transferred from the second support to the first support for treatment or washing in the treatment vessel. After the wafer group is pulled from the treatment solution, the wafer group is transferred from the first support to the second support and carried outside of the treatment vessel and transferred from the second support. Water is then sprayed onto the second support by moving a water washing nozzle along support rod(s) of the second support, and by blowing a drying gas along the second support while the second support is not carrying wafers thereon, and the next wafer group can then be supported by the clean second support.

Abstract: A washing apparatus includes plural washing vessels each containing a solution for cleaning or washing wafers, a boat housed in each washing vessel to support the wafers and immersed together with the wafers in the chemical solution, and a carrier for carrying the wafers into and out of its corresponding washing vessel. The carrier has a fork for supporting the wafers and loading and unloading them to and from the boat. It further has nozzles for washing and drying the fork.