Abstract: A cooling gas is discharged from a cooling gas discharge nozzle toward a local section of a front surface of a substrate on which a liquid film is formed. And then the cooling gas discharge nozzle moves from a rotational center position of the substrate toward an edge position of the substrate along a moving trajectory while the substrate is rotated. As a result, of the surface region of the front surface of the substrate, an area where the liquid film has been frozen (frozen area) expands toward the periphery edge from the center of the front surface of the substrate. It is therefore possible to form a frozen film all over the front surface of the substrate while suppressing deterioration of the durability of the substrate peripheral members since a section receiving supply of the cooling gas is limited to a local area on the front surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A part of the opening of the nozzle insertion hole located in the liquid discharging direction relative to the nozzle inserted in the nozzle insertion hole is enlarged in the liquid discharging direction. Therefore, the droplets which have migrated to the nozzle insertion hole adheres to the internal surface in the liquid discharging direction relative to the nozzle, that is, to the slanted part via the enlarged part. Moreover, the slanted part is provided slanted from the central portion of the nozzle insertion hole toward the enlarged part and separated away from the central portion of the substrate top surface. Hence, the adhering droplets flow in the liquid discharging direction along the slanted part to be discharged from the opening of the nozzle insertion hole.

Abstract: After the rinsing processing is completed, the rotation speed of the substrate is reduced from 600 rpm to 10 rpm to form a puddle-like DIW liquid film. After the supply of DIW is stopped, the control unit waits for a predetermined time (0.5 seconds) so that the film thickness t1 of the puddle-like liquid film becomes approximately uniform. Then, IPA is discharged to a central part of the surface of the substrate at a flow rate of 100 (mL/min) for instance. By the supply of IPA, DIW is replaced with IPA at the central part of the surface of the substrate to form a replaced region. Further, after three seconds of IPA supply, the rotation speed of the substrate is accelerated from 10 rpm to 300 rpm. This causes the replaced region to expand in a radial direction of the substrate so that the entire surface of the substrate is replaced with the low surface-tension solvent.

Abstract: A rinsing liquid supplier includes a temperature adjuster. The temperature adjuster cools DIW to a temperature lower than room temperature. This temperature adjuster cools down DIW to a temperature not more than 10 degrees centigrade for instance, and cooling down to an even lower temperature of 5 degrees centigrade or below is more preferable. Meanwhile, the temperature adjuster maintains DIW at not less than 0 degrees centigrade, which prevents freezing of the DIW. The cooled DIW supplied to a rinsing liquid pipe is discharged from the rinsing liquid discharge nozzle toward the top surface of the substrate, to thereby form a liquid film. Further, the cooled DIW is discharged toward the rear surface of the substrate from the liquid discharge nozzle via the liquid supply pipe, to thereby form the liquid film on the rear surface. Since the liquid films are already cooled, they are frozen in a short time when the cooling gas is discharged toward the top surface and the rear surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The substrate cleaning method of and the substrate cleaning apparatus for removing contaminants such as particles adhering to a surface of a substrate attain a high throughput and effectively remove the particles and the like. To clean the back surface Wb of the substrate W, DIW cooled down to a temperature near its freezing point and cooling gas which is at a lower temperature than the freezing point of the DIW are discharged toward the center of the lower surface of the substrate which rotates. When thus cooled DIW flows along the back surface Wb of the substrate W, the particles and the like adhering to the substrate are removed.

Abstract: DIW is supplied toward a surface of a substrate to form a lower layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form a lower layer frozen film. Further, DIW cooled down to a temperature at which the lower layer frozen film will not melt is supplied toward a surface of the lower layer frozen film to form an upper layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form an upper layer frozen film in a layered structure. DIW which is at room temperature is thereafter supplied, thereby melting the entirety of the lower layer frozen film and the upper layer frozen film to remove these films together with particles off from the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a spin chuck holding and rotating a substrate and an atmosphere blocking member, corresponding in planar shape and size to the substrate, arranged oppositely and proximately to the upper surface of the substrate and formed with a processing solution discharge port and a gas discharge port discharging a processing solution and gas to the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate respectively. The atmosphere blocking member is formed with an outer gas discharge port outside the gas discharge port in plan view for discharging the gas to the upper surface of the substrate. The outer gas discharge port is so formed on the atmosphere blocking member that an arrival position of the gas discharged from the outer gas discharge port is closer to the center of the upper surface of the substrate held by a spin base than an intermediate portion between the center and the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface.

Abstract: An on-off valve 81 is opened during rinsing, whereby a part of DIW supplied to a processing liquid supply section 43 is guided into inside a suction pipe 82. After rinsing, a puddle is formed between a lower cleaning nozzle 29 and the bottom surface of a wafer. As the on-off valve 81 is opened while an on-off valve 86 is kept close, the puddle is sucked at a first speed (V1) which is regulated by a needle valve 85 and set to a relatively slow speed. Once the puddle is collected into inside the lower cleaning nozzle 29, the on-off valve 86 is opened so that the puddle is sucked at a second speed (V2) which is regulated by a needle valve 84 and which is faster than said first speed.

Abstract: On the top surface of a substrate, an atmosphere blocker plate, of which plan size is equal or larger than the substrate size, is disposed opposing to the top surface of the substrate. In the rim portion of the atmosphere blocker plate, a vertical through hole is formed so that a nozzle can be inserted into the hole. Nozzle move mechanism moves the nozzle to insert the nozzle to the through hole and position it to the opposing position that is opposed to the top rim portion of the substrate and to the retract position that is away from the atmosphere blocker plate. Processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle, which is positioned to the opposing position, to the top rim portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A holding mode is selectively switched, in accordance with the content of processing of a substrate, among three holding modes: (a) a first holding mode in which while first support pins F1 through F12 abut on the back surface of a substrate W and support the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitrogen gas which is supplied to the front surface of the substrate W; (b) a second holding mode in which while second support pins S1 through S12 abut on the edge surface of the substrate W as the substrate W moves along the horizontal direction, thereby restricting horizontal movement of the substrate W, and abut on the back surface of the substrate W, thereby supporting the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitrogen gas which is supplied to the back surface of the substrate W; and (c) a third holding mode in which while the first and the second support pins F1 through F12 and support pins S1 through S12 abut on the back surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitroge

Abstract: In the vicinity of a rim portion of a spin base 5, a plurality of supports 7 which abut on a bottom rim portion of a substrate W and support the substrate W are formed projecting toward above from the spin base 5. The substrate W is supported horizontally by the plurality of supports 7, with a predetermined distance ensured from the spin base 5 which opposes the bottom surface of the substrate W. Into the space which is created between the top surface of the substrate W and an opposing surface 9a of an atmosphere blocker plate 9, inert gas is ejected from a plurality of gas ejection outlets 9b which are formed in the opposing surface 9a. The inert gas thus supplied to the top surface of the substrate W presses the substrate W against the supports 7 and the substrate W is held at the spin base 5.

Abstract: A substrate (W) is held and rotated in its horizontal position on a spin base (10). A processing liquid can be supplied from a processing liquid lower nozzle 15 to the lower surface of the substrate (W). The upper surface of the substrate (W) is covered with an atmosphere blocking plate (30). A splash guard (50) is disposed so as to circumscribe the substrate (W). A guard (52) is curved such that the vertical cross section of a recovery port (52f) of the splash guard (50) is of substantially U-shape opening to the center of the splash guard (50), so that the maximum internal diameter part of the recovery port (52f) is brought near a guard (53). The space between the internal wall surface of the recovery port (52f) and the substrate (W) is increased to thereby suppress the bounce of the processing liquid flying spattering from the substrate (W) in rotation.

Abstract: A substrate W rotates about the center of rotations A0 of a spin base 3, while supported by plural support pins 5 in such a manner that the substrate W can freely slide and while held owing to the force of friction which develops between the bottom surface of the substrate W and the support pins 5. After a detection sensor 74 detects, while the substrate W rotates, an edge surface position (eccentric position) of the edge surface of the substrate which is the farthest from the center of rotations A0, a press block 71 pushes this edge surface position to a preset position P1 which is away along the horizontal direction from the center of rotations A0 by a distance which is determined in accordance with the radius of the substrate W. This aligns the eccentric position to the preset position P1 and positions the center W0 of the substrate within a predetermined range from the center of rotations A0.

Abstract: A gas injection head 200 is provided above a substantial center of a substrate W. Nitrogen gas introduced from a gas feed port 291 is injected from a slit-shaped injection port 293 via an internal buffer space BF. In this way, a radial gas flow substantially isotropic in a horizontal direction while having an injection direction restricted in a vertical direction is generated above the substrate. Thus, dust D, mist M and the like around the substrate are blown off in outward directions and do not adhere to the substrate W. The gas injection head 200 can be made smaller than the diameter of the substrate W and needs to be neither retracted from the substrate surface nor rotated, wherefore an apparatus can be miniaturized.

Abstract: As a substrate transportation robot transports an unprocessed substrate W to a substrate transfer position P1, inert gas ejected from a substrate floating head 71 toward the bottom surface of the substrate W floats up the unprocessed substrate W. Driven by an actuator 74, the substrate floating head 71 floating up the unprocessed substrate W then moves down. Upon arrival of the unprocessed substrate W at a substrate processing position P3, a bottom rim portion of the substrate W engages with support pins 3, and as the substrate floating head 71 further moves down, the unprocessed substrate W is transferred to and mounted on the support pins 3. The substrate W is thus positioned at the substrate processing position P3, whereby the bottom rim portion of the substrate W and an opposing surface 5b of a spin base 5 are positioned close to each other and opposed against each other.

Abstract: After the rinsing processing is completed, the rotation speed of the substrate is reduced from 600 rpm to 10 rpm to form a puddle-like DIW liquid film. After the supply of DIW is stopped, the control unit waits for a predetermined time (0.5 seconds) so that the film thickness t1 of the puddle-like liquid film becomes approximately uniform. Then, IPA is discharged to a central part of the surface of the substrate at a flow rate of 100 (mL/min) for instance. By the supply of IPA, DIW is replaced with IPA at the central part of the surface of the substrate to form a replaced region. Further, after three seconds of IPA supply, the rotation speed of the substrate is accelerated from 10 rpm to 300 rpm. This causes the replaced region to expand in a radial direction of the substrate so that the entire surface of the substrate is replaced with the low surface-tension solvent.

Abstract: A part of the opening of the nozzle insertion hole located in the liquid discharging direction relative to the nozzle inserted in the nozzle insertion hole is enlarged in the liquid discharging direction. Therefore, the droplets which have migrated to the nozzle insertion hole adheres to the internal surface in the liquid discharging direction relative to the nozzle, that is, to the slanted part via the enlarged part. Moreover, the slanted part is provided slanted from the central portion of the nozzle insertion hole toward the enlarged part and separated away from the central portion of the substrate top surface. Hence, the adhering droplets flow in the liquid discharging direction along the slanted part to be discharged from the opening of the nozzle insertion hole.

Abstract: When chuck pins are in a releasing state, support pins for supporting a lower surface of a substrate at respective heights different from each other support the substrate in an inclined position. When the chuck pins are in a gripping state, substrate gripping parts grip a substrate sidewise to separate the substrate upwardly from a substrate rest part, thereby holding the substrate in a horizontal position at a predetermined gripping height. After a liquid mass covering the substrate is formed, the chuck pins are changed from the gripping state to the releasing state to support the substrate having been gripped in the horizontal position into an inclined position, thereby draining the liquid mass from the surface of the substrate. The substrate with the liquid mass drained from the surface thereof is held and rotated in a horizontal position. Thus, the substrate is dried.

Abstract: DIW is supplied toward a surface of a substrate to form a lower layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form a lower layer frozen film. Further, DIW cooled down to a temperature at which the lower layer frozen film will not melt is supplied toward a surface of the lower layer frozen film to form an upper layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form an upper layer frozen film in a layered structure. DIW which is at room temperature is thereafter supplied, thereby melting the entirety of the lower layer frozen film and the upper layer frozen film to remove these films together with particles off from the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A rinsing liquid supplier includes a temperature adjuster. The temperature adjuster cools DIW to a temperature lower than room temperature. This temperature adjuster cools down DIW to a temperature not more than 10 degrees centigrade for instance, and cooling down to an even lower temperature of 5 degrees centigrade or below is more preferable. Meanwhile, the temperature adjuster maintains DIW at not less than 0 degrees centigrade, which prevents freezing of the DIW. The cooled DIW supplied to a rinsing liquid pipe is discharged from the rinsing liquid discharge nozzle toward the top surface of the substrate, to thereby form a liquid film. Further, the cooled DIW is discharged toward the rear surface of the substrate from the liquid discharge nozzle via the liquid supply pipe, to thereby form the liquid film on the rear surface. Since the liquid films are already cooled, they are frozen in a short time when the cooling gas is discharged toward the top surface and the rear surface of the substrate.