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: 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: Nitrogen is dissolved in pure water and hydrochloric acid is mixed in this nitrogen-dissolved pure water, thereby creating as a rinsing liquid a mixture liquid whose pH is lower than that of pure water, and thus created rinsing liquid is supplied at nozzles 6 and 25 toward a substrate W. In the case of such a rinsing liquid, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the rinsing liquid is lowered, and it is possible to suppress a rapid increase of the dissolved oxygen concentration in the rinsing liquid as it is immediately after injected at the nozzles 6 and 25. Also suppressed is elution of Si from the surfaces of the substrate.

Abstract: A pure water supplier is connected with an inlet of the nitrogen dissolving unit. Further, there is another inlet formed in the nitrogen dissolving unit, and this inlet is connected with a nitrogen gas supply source. Nitrogen gas from the nitrogen gas supply source is dissolved in pure water supplied from the pure water supplier, thereby producing nitrogen-rich pure water. Thus nitrogen-rich rinsing liquid is produced immediately prior to rinsing. This reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the rinsing liquid. This also slows down an increase of the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the rinsing liquid which has been discharged at a nozzle.

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 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: A support member of a rotary base member engages with a substrate for preventing the substrate from horizontal movement and rotation with respect to the rotary base member while allowing vertical movement of the substrate, and a proximity suction plate is provided above the rotary base member so that the lower surface thereof is formed on a plane on the rotary base member parallel to the substrate for downwardly and outwardly injecting gas toward the overall upper surface of the substrate and sucking the substrate in a proximity state by Bernoulli effect. It is possible to provide an apparatus capable of reliably preventing mist of a processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate when rotating the substrate and supplying the processing solution to the lower surface for processing the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing method including a substrate rotating step for rotating a substrate with the substrate held almost horizontally within a chamber; a peripheral edge processing step for discharging a processing liquid to a lower surface of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step and causing the processing liquid to flow around an upper surface of the substrate at a peripheral edge thereof from the lower surface of the substrate to process the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the substrate in the chamber; and a both-surface processing step for discharging the processing liquid to both the surfaces of the substrate rotated in the substrate rotating step to process both the surfaces of the substrate in the chamber.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus provided with a substrate rotating and holding mechanism for holding and rotating a substrate; and an etching liquid discharging mechanism disposed, on the axis of rotation of a substrate held and rotated by the substrate rotating and holding mechanism, at the side of the substrate rotating and holding mechanism with respect to the substrate. The etching liquid discharging mechanism has a discharge port arranged to discharge an etching liquid toward a position separated by 3 to 20 mm from the axis of rotation of the substrate as held and rotated by the substrate rotating and holding mechanism.

Abstract: A support member of a rotary base member engages with a substrate for preventing the substrate from horizontal movement and rotation with respect to the rotary base member while allowing vertical movement of the substrate, and a proximity suction plate is provided above the rotary base member so that the lower surface thereof is formed on a plane on the rotary base member parallel to the substrate for downwardly and outwardly injecting gas toward the overall upper surface of the substrate and sucking the substrate in a proximity state by Bernoulli effect. It is possible to provide an apparatus capable of reliably preventing mist of a processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate when rotating the substrate and supplying the processing solution to the lower surface for processing the substrate.

Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus wherein a substrate is held horizontally and rotated about a center axis which extends in a vertical direction to thereby supply processing liquid to the substrate, vortical grooves which are twisted in a direction of rotation of the substrate are formed in a cover surface which is a bottom surface of a cover plate which covers a top surface of the substrate across a gap. Although the processing liquid which is supplied to the substrate is scattered at the substrate and adhere as drops to the cover surface, subjected to force of an air stream which is created as a substrate rotates, the drops move along the grooves on the cover surface. This permits the drops on the cover surface to be smoothly discharged outside the cover surface without allowing the drops to fall off onto the substrate, which in turn improves the quality of the substrate.