Tokyo Electron Limited

Koji Egashira

Yuji Kamikawa

Takafumi Tsuchiya

Koji Tanaka

Hiroaki Inadomi

Hiroshi Komiya

Sadayuki Fujishima

Masaki Taira

Hideyuki Yamamoto

A liquid processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a substrate holding unit configured to be rotated and hold a substrate from a bottom side thereof with substrate being spaced apart horizontally, a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the substrate holding unit, and an air supply unit provided above the substrate and configured to supply air toward the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. The liquid processing apparatus also includes an air supply path including a suction port that inhales the air supplied from the air supply unit and supplies the air inhaled from the suction port to a space formed between the substrate holding unit and a bottom surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit.

Liquid processing apparatus

A substrate processing apparatus, which utilizes a first transfer apparatus and a second transfer apparatus which are configured to transfer a transfer container containing a plurality of substrates, along a first transfer path and a second transfer path whose lateral positions differ from each other, respectively, including a first load port where the transfer container is loaded and unloaded by the first transfer apparatus, and a second load port that is arranged stepwise with respect to the first load port, with the transfer container being loaded to and unloaded from the second load port by the second transfer apparatus.

Substrate processing apparatus

A liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit and an elevating member provided to ascend/descend with respect to the substrate holding unit. The substrate holding unit includes a holding base, and a first engagement member and a second engagement member which are provided to be movable in the holding base, and moved between an engaging position where the member is engaged with the peripheral edge of the substrate and a releasing position where the member releases the substrate. When the first contact unit connected to the first engagement member is in contact with a first portion to be contacted, the first engagement member is located at the engaging position. When the second contact unit connected to the second engagement member is in contact with a second portion to be contacted at a lower position than the first portion, the second engagement member is located at the engaging position.

An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus including: a cleaning tank for storing a cleaning liquid; an object-to-be-processed holder for insertion into the cleaning tank, the holder holding an object to be processed and immersing the object into the cleaning liquid; a vibrator disposed on a bottom part of the cleaning tank; and an ultrasonic oscillator configured to make the vibrator ultrasonically vibrate. In the cleaning tank, a lateral holding member configured to hold the object is disposed. The holder is configured to be laterally moved by a driving apparatus. The control device is configured to control the driving apparatus such that the holder is laterally moved after the object has been held by the lateral holding member, and the control device is configured to control the ultrasonic oscillator such that the vibrator is made to ultrasonically vibrate so that the ultrasonic vibration from the vibrator is propagated to the object.

Ultrasonic cleaning apparatus, ultrasonic cleaning method, and storage medium storing computer program for executing ultrasonic cleaning method

A batch forming apparatus forms a batch of substrates by combining a plurality of substrates that have been taken out from a plurality of carriers each containing therein the substrates in a stacked manner. The batch forming apparatus includes: a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out the substrates from each carrier and transfer the substrates; a substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism that rearranges one or more substrates out of the substrates transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism one by one relative to other substrates to change positional relationships of the substrates relative to each other; and a batch forming mechanism that forms a batch of substrates out of the substrates that have been transferred thereto by the substrate transfer mechanism, with positional relationships of the substrates having been changed relative to each other by the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism. A substrate processing system includes such a batch forming apparatus, and a substrate processing apparatus that process the batch of substrates formed by the batch forming apparatus.

Batch forming apparatus, substrate processing system, batch forming method, and storage medium

A liquid processing apparatus includes containerssurrounding processing chambersfor accommodating a plurality of wafers W and nozzlesfor supplying a processing liquid to the substrates W in order to perform a liquid process. The nozzlesare respectively equipped with a plurality of ejecting orificescapable of ejecting the processing liquid in a plane manner, allowing the substrates W to be processed uniformly and effectively.

Liquid processing apparatus and method

The present invention provides a rotary shaft sealing mechanism having the seal between the rotary shaft and the seal ring improved, and a liquid processing apparatus including the rotary shaft sealing mechanism. The cleaning processing apparatuscomprises a rotorfor holding wafers W, an outer chamberand an inner chamberwhich can house the rotora spindlefor rotating the rotorand an outer cylindrical memberdisposed around the spindleA first sealing ringetc. of resins are provided in a ring memberconstituting the outer cylindrical memberA clearance between the spindleand the first sealing ringis adjusted by press inserting the spindleinto the first sealing ringetc. and rotating the spindlefor a prescribed period of time to abrade the fist sealing ringetc.

Rotary shaft sealing mechanism and liquid processing apparatus

Liquid processing apparatus with nozzle having planar ejecting orifices

A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotorfor rotating a plurality of wafers W paralleled each other at appropriate intervals. While rotating the wafers W by the rotor, a chemical liquid is supplied to the wafers W for their processing. The rotorhas holding membersfor holding the peripheries of the wafers W in parallel arrangement and a press memberfor holding the wafers W while applying a pressure on their peripheries. Irrespective of rotation of the rotor, the press memberalways applies a pressure on the peripheries of the wafers W so as to prevent the peripheries from sifting with respect to the holding members. With the action of the press member, it becomes possible to prevent the peripheries of the wafers W from being worn and also possible to elongate the span of life of the holding memberswhile performing a chemical processing.

A rotary substrate processing apparatus includes a rotor having a holding member for holding a plurality of semiconductor wafers W arranged at appropriate intervals and a motor for rotating the rotor . The holding member includes open/close holding rods that are moved to open or close the rotor in inserting the wafers W into the rotor sideways and a plurality of constant-position holding rods to for holding the wafers W in cooperation with the open/close holding rods . Among the constant-position holding rods to , at least one constant-position holding rod is equipped with a plurality of press members which move toward respective peripheral portions of the wafers W by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the rotor . Consequently, it becomes possible to make the wafers W follow the rotation of the rotor ensurely and also possible to reduce slip between the open/close holding rods , the constant-position holding rods to and the wafers W. Therefore, it is possible to accomplish both improvement in processing efficiency for the substrates and reduction in abrasion amount of the holding member and also possible to increase a life span of the apparatus.

Rotary substrate processing apparatus and method

A cleaning processing apparatus, which is one embodiment of a liquid processing apparatus for performing a liquid processing by supplying a predetermined process liquid to a target object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer while rotating the target object, comprises a rotor for holding wafers W, a slidable process section for housing the rotor, and a cleaning liquid spurting nozzle for supplying a predetermined cleaning liquid to the wafers W. A housing for housing the slidable process section is of a hermetic structure so as to be substantially shielded from the outside.

A processing apparatus includes an inner cylinder (a processing chamber ) accommodated in a carrying unit for carrying an object to be processed and further seals up the object with the inner cylinder or a first stationary wall to process the object in contact with processing fluid. In this processing apparatus with sealing mechanism, flexible hollow packings are arranged doubly in either the inner cylinder or the first stationary wall , at its occluded part with the first stationary wall and the inner cylinder . The hollow packings have their hollow parts connected with respective pressurized-air sources through pressure-detecting switches and closing valves . By expanding or contracting the hollow packings , the operation of the apparatus is switched in between its sealing state and non-sealing state. With this arrangement, it is possible to improve the sealing capability and prolong the life of the mechanism.

Processing apparatus with sealing mechanism

A liquid processing apparatus is provided to improve its processing efficiency, together with a liquid processing method. The apparatus is capable of both reduction in temperature-variation of a processing liquid at processing and shortening for temperature-recovery of the processing liquid. Further, the liquid processing apparatus can facilitate the establishment of respective designated temperatures for different processes and carry out different processes continuously and effectively. The apparatus includes an inner cylinder to accommodate semiconductor wafers W and a chemical supply unit to supply the semiconductor wafers W in an inner cylindrical chamber with a chemical liquid. The apparatus further includes a case heat exchanger arranged in an outer peripheral position of the inner cylinder and allowing a temperature-adjustment medium to flow and a medium supplier to supply the regulator with the temperature-adjustment medium.

A rotor ( ) includes a pair of flanges ( ), four fixed holding bars ( ) fixed to the flanges ( ), and two movable holding bars ( ) supported for turning on the flanges ( ). The holding bars ( ) are provided in their surfaces with positioning grooves ( ) for positioning and holding wafers (W). The holding bars ( ) are provided with drain grooves ( ) connected to the positioning grooves ( ). The drain grooves ( ) prevent a processing liquid from staying in the positioning grooves ( ).

Growing community of inventors

Tosu, Japan

Koji Egashira