Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Saga Limited

Tokyo Electron Kyushu Limited

Hirofumi Shiraishi

Hiroshi Tanaka

Noriyuki Anai

Takami Satoh

Koji Harada

Takayuki Tomoeda

Shinya Murakami

Sinichiro Izumi

Yuuji Kamikawa

Yoshiyuki Honda

Yuji Kamikawa

Kazuyoshi Mizumoto

Kenji Yokomizo

Disclosed herein is a washing apparatus comprising a washing chamber, an opening/closing mechanism, and a nozzle. The chamber has an opening and is designed for washing the objects transported from outside through the opening. The opening/closing mechanism is designed to open and close the opening of the washing chamber. The nozzle is used to wash the opening/closing mechanism. The apparatus further comprises a washing vessel filled with a washing liquid, for washing the objects, and also a nozzle for applying a washing liquid to the objects located in the washing vessel when the objects are partly exposed as the washing liquid is discharged from the washing vessel.

Washing apparatus, and washing method

A washing method for washing objects includes the steps of supplying a washing liquid to a washing vessel and immersing objects in the washing liquid contained in the washing vessel. The method also includes the steps of discharging the liquid at least once from the washing vessel, and starting to apply the washing liquid to the objects when the objects are partly exposed to air as the liquid is discharged from the washing vessel. The washing liquid application is continued during exposure of the objects to the air to prevent the surface of the objects from being dried and stained.

Method for washing objects

A spindrier comprises a box enclosing a plurality of wafers, a motor for rotating the wafers in the box, upper and lower clamp bars for holding the wafers face to face and substantially perpendicular to a rotating shaft of rotating means, and gas introducing and discharging mechanisms for generating a flow of clean gas in the box. A sectional area of an open bottom of the box is smaller than a sectional area of an open top of the box, and the gas flows from the open top to the open bottom.

Spindrier

A spindrier according to the present invention includes a box body enclosing a plurality of wafers, a rotor for holding the wafers in the box body and rotated by a motor, and upper and lower clamp bars for holding the wafers face to face with their faces directed perpendicular to rotating shafts of the rotor. The lower clamp bars are connected and fixed to the rotating shafts so as to hold lower rim portions of the wafers thereon when the wafers are set in the rotor. The upper clamp bars are connected to one of the rotating shafts at their base ends so that they can be swung vertically erect and also and horizontally relative to the rotating shaft and they are locked to the other rotating shaft at their front ends when they are swung horizontally. They include a mechanism for swinging them, a locking mechanism for locking their front ends to the other rotating shaft, and an unlocking mechanism for releasing their front ends from the other rotating shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Kurume, Japan

Hirofumi Shiraishi