Abstract: A nozzle cleaning device is capable of uniformly cleaning a nozzle from a front end of the nozzle to an upper part thereof. The nozzle cleaning device includes a storage tank, a liquid discharging portion and an overflow discharging portion. The storage tank has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface and is configured to store therein a cleaning liquid that cleans a nozzle used in a substrate process. The liquid discharging portion is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid into the storage tank toward a position eccentric with respect to a central axis of the cylindrical inner peripheral surface to store the cleaning liquid within the storage tank and configured to form a vortex flow of the cleaning liquid revolving within the storage tank. The overflow discharging portion is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid that overflows the storage tank.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus of the present invention includes a process-liquid supply unit selectively supplying a plurality of types of process-liquids to the substrate held by a substrate holding table, first and second guide cups which are disposed in this order from the top and are configured to respectively guide downward the process-liquid scattering from the rotating substrate while being held by the substrate holding table; and a position adjustment mechanism adjusting a positional relationship between the first and second guide cups and the substrate holding table. A first process-liquid recovery tank is provided at a lower area of the first and second guide cups and recovers the process-liquid guided by the first guide cup. A second process-liquid recovery tank is provided at the inner peripheral side of the first process-liquid recovery tank and recovers the process-liquid guided by the second guide cup.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus is provided, in which a processing solution and an atmosphere can be separated from each other within a collection cup. The substrate liquid processing apparatus includes: a substrate rotation unit; a processing solution supply unit; a collection cup configured to collect the processing solutions; liquid collection regions formed at the collection cup; a liquid drain opening formed at a bottom portion of the collection cup; an exhaust opening formed above the liquid drain opening; a fixed cover configured to cover an upper portion of the exhaust opening with a space therebetween; an elevating cup provided above the fixed cover and configured to guide the processing solutions into the liquid collection regions; and a cup elevating unit configured to move up and down the elevating cup depending on the kinds of the processing solutions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus capable of performing a liquid processing and a drying processing in a position each having a different height. The liquid processing apparatus includes: a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate; a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the substrate holding unit; a substrate holding unit elevating member configured to lift and lower the substrate holding unit; a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply a processing liquid to the substrate; a liquid receiving cup configured to surround the substrate when the processing liquid is being supplied to the substrate; a drying cup located above the substrate and the liquid receiving cup when the processing liquid is being supplied to the substrate. The drying cup surrounds the substrate and located above the liquid receiving cup when the substrate is being dried.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a rotatable substrate holder that holds a wafer from above, and a top plate nozzle that supplies at least rinse liquid to the wafer and is provided in the rotation center of the substrate holder. The top plate nozzle is movably configured with the substrate holder in the top-bottom direction, and the rinse liquid is supplied to the wafer from the top plate nozzle while the top plate nozzle is spaced from the substrate holder. When the top plate nozzle approaches to the substrate holder, the rinse liquid is supplied to the lower surface of the substrate holder from the top plate nozzle to clean the lower surface of the substrate holder.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a storage tank configured to store a liquid; a substrate support unit configured to rotatably, horizontally support a substrate; and a plate driving unit configured to move the substrate support unit between an immersion position at which the substrate is immersed into the liquid stored in the storage tank, and a separation position located above the immersion position, at which the substrate is separated from the liquid stored in the storage tank. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a rotary drive unit configured to rotate the substrate supported by the substrate support unit, and liquid supply units configured to supply a liquid to the substrate that is being rotated by the rotary drive unit in the separation position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus which includes: a plurality of liquid processing units to supply a processing liquid to an object to be processed and liquid-process the object; a common exhaust path to discharge atmospheres in the plurality of liquid processing units; an individual exhaust path to connect the common exhaust path with each of the liquid processing units; an opening-closing mechanism provided on the individual exhaust path to be openable; and an air injecting port to inject an air into the common exhaust path. An injection amount adjusting valve is provided on the common exhaust path to adjust the flow rate of the air injected from the air injecting port. A controller controls an opening degree of the injection amount adjusting valve based on an opening-closing state of the opening-closing mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid treatment apparatus for processing a lower surface of the substrate. The apparatus includes a first nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit to eject a treatment liquid towards the lower surface of the substrate, the first nozzle having a plurality of first ejection ports, which are arrayed from a position opposing a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit to a position opposing a peripheral portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit. An ejecting direction of the treatment liquid ejected from the first ejection port is inclined towards a rotation direction of the substrate rotated by the rotational driving unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid treatment apparatus including a nozzle positioned below the substrate retained by a substrate retaining unit. The nozzle is capable of ejecting two fluids of a mixture of a liquid and a gas. The nozzle includes a plurality of liquid-ejecting passages for ejecting a liquid and a plurality of gas-ejecting passages for ejecting a gas, and also includes a plurality of liquid-ejecting ports each corresponding to one of the liquid-ejecting passages. The liquid-ejecting ports are arrayed on a horizontal line extending inwardly from a position below a peripheral portion of the substrate. The liquid-ejecting ports are configured to eject the liquid towards the lower surface of the substrate in an ejecting direction, and the ejecting direction is inclined at an inclination angle in a rotating direction of the substrate rotated by rotational driving unit with respect to a plane including the lower surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a placement table configured to hold a substrate, a rotary driving unit configured to rotate the placement table, a liquid supply unit configured to supply a liquid to the substrate placed on the placement table, and an upper liquid guide cup, a central liquid guide cup, and a lower liquid guide cup which are disposed in this order from the top and are configured to guide downward the liquid scattering from the rotating substrate being placed on the placement table. A driving mechanism is configured to move up and down the upper liquid guide cup, the central liquid guide cup, and the lower liquid guide cup. The driving mechanism is connected to the central liquid guide cup.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus and a liquid processing method that can prevent a processing liquid from being left on a lift pin after a drying-out process of a substrate, thereby preventing the processing liquid from being attached to the back surface of the substrate after the liquid processing. The liquid processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a holding plate that supports a substrate, a lift pin plate provided above the holding plate having a lift pin that supports the wafer from a lower side, and a processing liquid supply unit that supplies the processing liquid to the back surface of the wafer. The processing liquid supply unit is provided with a head part configured to close a penetrating hole of the lift pin plate. The processing liquid supply unit and the lift pin plate are configured to be elevated with respect to the holding plate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a storage tank configured to store a liquid; a substrate support unit 10 configured to rotatably, horizontally support a substrate W; and a plate driving unit 30a configured to move the substrate support unit 10 between an immersion position at which the substrate W is immersed into the liquid stored in the storage tank, and a separation position located above the immersion position, at which the substrate W is separated from the liquid stored in the storage tank. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a rotary drive unit 30M configured to rotate the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 10, and liquid supply units 10n, 20m and 20n configured to supply a liquid to the substrate W that is being rotated by the rotary drive unit in the separation position.

Abstract: Disclosed are a flow path switching apparatus and a fluid processing apparatus having a liquid processing unit that performs a processing by supplying different kinds of processing fluid to wafer W at different timings. The atmosphere of the liquid processing unit is discharged fluid to a plurality of exclusive exhaust paths through exhaust paths and flow path switching units. A flow path switching unit includes an outer tube having a plurality of connection holes and a rotary tube inserted into the outer tube having a plurality of openings. In particular, one of the plurality of openings of the rotary tube is aligned with one of the plurality of connection holes of the outer tube in such a way that only an aligned set of an opening of the rotary tube and a connection hole of the outer tube is sequentially communicated during the rotation of the rotary tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus capable of increasing the number of arranged substrate retainers without increasing the total exhaust amount of the liquid processing apparatus. A N-number (N is an integer identical to or greater than three) of cup bodies are inhaled and exhausted in total exhaust amount E through a plurality of separate exhaustion passage each having a first damper, and through a common exhaustion passage connected in common downstream of the separate exhaustion passages. The first dampers are configured such that an external air is received from the cup body in a first intake amount of external air E1 for one of the cup bodies where a chemical liquid nozzle is placed at a setting location facing a wafer, and an external air is received from each of the other cup bodies in a second intake amount of external air E2 less than the first amount E1 and the intake amount of external air from both each of the other cup bodies and each of branched passages equals (E?E1)/(n?1).

Abstract: A nozzle cleaning device is capable of uniformly cleaning a nozzle from a front end of the nozzle to an upper part thereof. The nozzle cleaning device includes a storage tank, a liquid discharging portion and an overflow discharging portion. The storage tank has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface and is configured to store therein a cleaning liquid that cleans a nozzle used in a substrate process. The liquid discharging portion is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid into the storage tank toward a position eccentric with respect to a central axis of the cylindrical inner peripheral surface to store the cleaning liquid within the storage tank and configured to form a vortex flow of the cleaning liquid revolving within the storage tank. The overflow discharging portion is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid that overflows the storage tank.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus of the present invention includes a guide rotary cup configured to guide a process-liquid scattering from a substrate rotating and being held by a substrate holding table and a guide cup configured to guide downward the process-liquid guided by the guide rotary cup. The guide cup includes a downward extension portion extending downward from an inner peripheral end portion of a guide cup body and an inner peripheral extension portion extending inward from the inner peripheral end portion more than the downward extension portion. The inner peripheral extension portion is configured to form a gas guide space together with the guide rotary cup and the downward extension portion so that a gas turning by the rotation of the guide rotary cup can be guided downward.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate rotation unit configured to hold and rotate a substrate within a processing space; a processing solution supply unit configured to selectively supply multiple kinds of processing solutions; a collection cup configured to collect the processing solutions; liquid collection regions formed at the collection cup and configured to collect the processing solutions; a liquid drain opening formed at a bottom portion of the collection cup and configured to discharge the processing solutions; an exhaust opening formed above the liquid drain opening; a fixed cover configured to cover an upper portion of the exhaust opening with a space therebetween; an elevating cup provided above the fixed cover and configured to guide the processing solutions into the liquid collection regions; and a cup elevating unit configured to move up and down the elevating cup depending on the kinds of the processing solutions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus which includes: a plurality of liquid processing units to supply a processing liquid to an object to be processed and liquid-process the object; a common exhaust path to discharge atmospheres in the plurality of liquid processing units; an individual exhaust path to connect the common exhaust path with each of the liquid processing units; an opening-closing mechanism provided on the individual exhaust path to be openable; and an air injecting port to inject an air into the common exhaust path. An injection amount adjusting valve is provided on the common exhaust path to adjust the flow rate of the air injected from the air injecting port. A controller controls an opening degree of the injection amount adjusting valve based on an opening-closing state of the opening-closing mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid treatment apparatus for processing a lower surface of the substrate. The apparatus includes a first nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit to eject a treatment liquid towards the lower surface of the substrate, the first nozzle having a plurality of first ejection ports, which are arrayed from a position opposing a central portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit to a position opposing a peripheral portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit. An ejecting direction of the treatment liquid ejected from the first ejection port is inclined towards a rotation direction of the substrate rotated by the rotational driving unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid treatment apparatus including a nozzle positioned below the substrate retained by a substrate retaining unit. The nozzle is capable of ejecting two fluids of a mixture of a liquid and a gas. The nozzle includes a plurality of liquid-ejecting passages for ejecting a liquid and a plurality of gas-ejecting passages for ejecting a gas, and also includes a plurality of liquid-ejecting ports each corresponding to one of the liquid-ejecting passages. The liquid-ejecting ports are arrayed on a horizontal line extending inwardly from a position below a peripheral portion of the substrate. The liquid-ejecting ports are configured to eject the liquid towards the lower surface of the substrate in an ejecting direction, and the ejecting direction is inclined at an inclination angle in a rotating direction of the substrate rotated by rotational driving unit with respect to a plane including the lower surface of the substrate.