Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus for holding substrates in vertical posture includes a first holder, a second holder and a substrate fall preventing stand arranged along edges of the substrates and located below centers of the substrates. The first holder is disposed in a position for holding the substrates between lower ends and lateral ends of the substrates. The second holder is disposed in a position for holding the substrates at the lower ends of the substrates, or in a position opposed to the first holder across the lower ends for holding the substrates between the lower ends and lateral ends of the substrates. The substrate fall preventing stand being disposed opposite the first holder across the lower ends of the substrates and above the second holder.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus does not allow sudden boiling of supplementary liquid but rather sufficiently diffuses the supplementary liquid into processing liquid so that the temperature of the processing liquid does not decrease largely. De-ionized water (PW) is ejected through a plurality of de-ionized water blow-off openings (Ha) which are formed in a de-ionized water injection nozzle (10a). Inside an internal bath (1), which is located immediately below the de-ionized water blow-off openings, and close to a overflow part (20a) which is a top edge of a side surface (1a) of the internal bath (1), the de-ionized water reaches the surface of a phosphoric acid solution (PA). The de-ionized water thereafter reaches a gutter part (30a) of an external bath (2), as it is mixed with the phosphoric acid solution (PA), and flows into a reservoir part (30d) of the external bath (2).

Abstract: Semiconductor substrates are held by a substrate holder having a parallel arrangement of bridges, and are capable of being dipped in processing liquids by the holder. Each bridge has an alternate arrangement of teeth and valleys to define Y-shaped notches. Vent holes are formed in the bottoms of the notches for ready drainage of processing liquids. The substrates are held in the notches while contacting only the walls of the notches. Thus, there is minimum contact between the substrates and the substrate holder. When the holder is lifted up from the processing liquid, part of the processing liquid remaining around the contacts between the substrates and the valleys drain through the vent holes, which attributes to the rapid drying of the substrates.

Abstract: A wafer cleaning method and apparatus in which a cleaning solution is caused to evaporate at a temperature below its boiling point, and cleaning vapor thus produced is applied at a temperature above its dew point to a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is cleaned without formation of colloidal silica in the absence of aerosol, or etched uniformly free of impurities. The wafer cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning solution storage, a vapor generating section, a wafer supporting position of a wafer supporting device and a vapor supply section. These components are arranged in a housing to overlap one another in plan view and to lie vertically close to one another. The apparatus has a compact overall construction with simplified seals for preventing leakage of the cleaning vapor.

Abstract: A dipping type wafer treatment apparatus includes a treatment solution bath capable of forming a uniform rising flow of a treatment solution inside from an inlet to an outlet, a treatment solution supplying unit for supplying a treatment solution at a constant velocity to the inlet of the treatment solution bath to form a uniform rising flow of the treatment solution inside the treatment solution bath and a device for dipping and retrieving the wafer into and out of the uniform flow of the treatment solution. The treatment solution is supplied from the inlet in the treatment solution bath and drown off through an outlet of the treatment solution bath. Accordingly, the treatment solution can be rapidly substituted, and the wafers to no experience contact with air during replacement of the treatment solutions.

Abstract: A wafer cleaning method and apparatus in which a cleaning solution is caused to evaporate at a temperature below its boiling point, and cleaning vapor thus produced is applied at a temperature above its dew point to a wafer such as a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is cleaned without formation of colloidal silica in the absence of aerosol, or etched uniformly free of impurities. The wafer cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning solution storage, a vapor generating section, a wafer supporting position of a wafer supporting device and a vapor supply section. These components are arranged in a housing to overlap one another in plan view and to lie vertically close to one another. The apparatus has a compact overall construction with simplified seals for preventing leakage of the cleaning vapor.

Abstract: A method for surface treating of thin substrates such as semiconductor wafers, wherein a semiconductor wafer formed with relatively deep but transversely minute trenches on its surface is horizontally placed on a spinner in a chamber with its trenched surface directed up, ultraviolet light is then emitted onto the surface of the wafer to dissolve impurities sticking in the trenches, and thereafter etchant is spouted from a nozzle to the trenched surface of the wafer being spinned about a vertical axis at a high speed. Next, the inside of the chamber is subjected to a lower pressure than atmospheric pressure, and atmospheric pressure is restored after the lapse of a predetermined time. Thus a series of these steps of etchant supplying, pressure reducing, and pressure recovering are carried out until the complete entrance of the etchant into the interior surfaces of the trenches is effected, so as to even or smooth the interior surfaces and, finally the wafer is treated with rinsing, heating and drying steps.

Abstract: An apparatus for washing and wiping both surfaces of a substrate includes a pair of juxtaposed cleaning disks of a porous elastic material with a disk-shaped wiping member on each disk. A substrate requiring cleaning is inserted between the disks and one of the disks is rotated to produce relative rotation which is effective for cleaning/wiping the substrate. A cleaning-liquid supply alternately supplies a cleaning liquid to one and then to the other of the substrate to sequentially wash the opposite surfaces of the substrate. While one of its sides is being washed, the other side of the substrate, which is not being supplied with the cleaning liquid, is drawn against the other disk by suction pressure or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying substrates by means of centrifugal force. Air is introduced into a drying chamber from the top end thereof. A rotary member is provided in the drying chamber, on which is mounted a cassette in which a plurality of substrates to be dried are stored. An auxiliary chamber is disposed at the bottom part of the drying chamber, within which fan blades are provided. An auxiliary exhausting duct is connected to the auxiliary chamber, whereby fine particles of dust produced around the bearing are completely exhausted.

Abstract: In a method of surface treatment irradiating a part of a plate to be treated with light flux, detecting a quantity of transmitted light or reflected light on the plate corresponding to the light flux, detecting an end point of surface treatment based on the variation in the detected signal level the combination with the method of a step of detecting whether the detected signal level exceeds a predetermined target level within a predetermined period of time, a step of repeatedly setting up a new target level so long as the detected level is found exceeding the predetermined target level, and a step of determining the end point of the surface treatment at the moment when the detected signal level is found not exceeding the new target level.

Abstract: Apparatus for exposing an image of a desired pattern, such as a lead frame pattern for producing lead frames of IC devices, with a predetermined pitch on a photosensitive beltlike material consisting of a film carrier and a photoresist-coated metallic foil laminated on the carrier.Apparatus typically comprises a first means for positively supporting and accurately positioning the beltlike material at an exposing position, a second means for intermittently conveying the material and a third means for photoelectrically detecting the amount of the movement of the beltlike material to control the first and the second means.