Tokyo Electron Limited

Takeshi Hirao

Akihiro Fujimoto

Kenichi Miyamoto

Kentaro Yamamura

Yasutaka Souma

Yasuyuki Kometani

Makoto Muramatsu

Hitoshi Hashima

Norihiko Sasagawa

Disclosed are a nozzle cleaning apparatus and a nozzle cleaning method, which are capable of effectively cleaning a nozzle for discharging a process liquid to a substrate. A nozzleis accommodated in a cleaning containerhaving a funnel-shaped portion. A solvent T as a cleaning liquid is supplied along an inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion. The solvent T forms a vortex flow whirling around the nozzle. By exposing the nozzleto the vortex flow, the nozzlecan be effectively, thoroughly cleaned.

Nozzle cleaning method and a computer-readable storage medium storing nozzle cleaning program

A cleaning and drying-preventing method including: positioning a nozzle in a container such that a funnel-like inner circumferential surface of the container is located around a periphery of a distal end of the nozzle; sucking a liquid in the nozzle to retract a level of the liquid to a side of a supply passage; supplying a solvent into the container to form a swirl flow of the solvent turning around the distal end of the nozzle, and cleaning the nozzle by the swirl flow; supplying a solvent into the container to form a liquid pool of the solvent; and further retracting the level of the liquid in the nozzle to the side of the supply passage. A liquid layer, an air layer, and a solvent layer are formed in the nozzle in this order from the side of the supply passage, to prevent drying of the liquid in the nozzle.

Cleaning and drying-preventing method, and cleaning and drying-preventing apparatus

Disclosed are a nozzle cleaning apparatus and a nozzle cleaning method, which are capable of effectively cleaning a nozzle for discharging a process liquid to a substrate, with a simple structure and a low cost. A nozzleis accommodated in a cleaning containerhaving a funnel-shaped portion. A solvent T as a cleaning liquid is supplied along an inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion. The solvent T forms a vortex flow whirling around the nozzle. By exposing the nozzleto the vortex flow, the nozzlecan be effectively, thoroughly cleaned.

Nozzle cleaning apparatus, nozzle cleaning method, and a computer-readable storage medium storing nozzle cleaning program

A process liquid supply nozzle comprises a substantially tubular main nozzle provided with a discharge port for discharging a coating liquid, a substantially bowl-shaped nozzle holder provided with a through-hole into which the main nozzle can be inserted, and a free space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle holder and the outer circumferential surface of the main nozzle, at least a prescribed cleaning liquid being supplied into the free space. The nozzle holder or the nozzle is relatively movable in the vertical direction such that the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port under the state that the discharge port of the main nozzle projects downward from the through-hole, and the nozzle is cleaned with the cleaning liquid under the state that the nozzle is housed in the nozzle holder.

Growing community of inventors

Koshi, Japan

Takeshi Hirao