# US 12,007,692 B2 · Nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method

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- Number: US 12,007,692 B2
- Document ID: US12007692B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/077,577
- Filed: 2022-12-08
- Published: 2023-06-15
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-14
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Hiroki Sakurai; Nobuhiro Ogata; Daisuke Goto; Kanta Mori; Kenji Yada; Yusuke Hashimoto; Shoki Mizuguchi; Yenrui Hsu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007692B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/3021: {from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck}
- G03F 7/423: {containing mineral acids or salts thereof, containing mineral oxidizing substances, e.g. peroxy compounds}
- G03F 7/426: {containing organic halogen compounds; containing organic sulfonic acids or salts thereof; containing sulfoxides}
- H10P 72/0424: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A nozzle that mixes fluid containing steam or mist of pressurized pure water and processing liquid containing at least sulfuric acid and ejects mixed fluid of the fluid and the processing liquid, the nozzle comprising: at least one first ejection port ejecting the fluid; at least one second ejection port ejecting the processing liquid; and at least one lead-out path being in fluid communication with the at least one first ejection port and the at least one second ejection port and leading out the mixed fluid of the fluid ejected from the at least one first ejection port and the processing liquid ejected from the at least one second ejection port, wherein the at least one first ejection port or the at least one second ejection port is arranged to be directed to position deviated from central axis of the at least one lead-out path in a plan view.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nozzle that mixes a fluid containing steam or mist of pressurized pure water and a processing liquid containing at least sulfuric acid and ejects a mixed fluid of the fluid and the processing liquid, the nozzle comprising:
at least one first ejection port configured to eject the fluid;
at least one second ejection port configured to eject the processing liquid; and
at least one lead-out path extending vertically downward to form an inner wall surface, configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one first ejection port and the at least one second ejection port, and configured to lead out the mixed fluid of the fluid ejected from the at least one first ejection port and the processing liquid ejected from the at least one second ejection port,
wherein the at least one first ejection port or the at least one second ejection port is arranged to be directed to a position deviated from a central axis of the at least one lead-out path in a plan view.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein a central axis of the at least one first ejection port or the at least one second ejection port is tilted with respect to a direction of a normal line of an inner wall surface of the at least one lead-out path in the plan view.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The nozzle of claim 2, wherein the at least one first ejection port includes a plurality of first ejection ports, the at least one second ejection port includes a plurality of second ejection ports, and the at least one lead-out path includes a plurality of lead-out paths, and
wherein the nozzle comprises the plurality of first ejection ports, the plurality of second ejection ports, and the plurality of lead-out paths, each of which is configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one first ejection port and the at least one second ejection port.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The nozzle of claim 3, wherein the first ejection ports are open at inner wall surfaces of the lead-out paths, and
wherein the second ejection ports are open to upper end surfaces of the lead-out paths.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the at least one first ejection port includes a plurality of first ejection ports, the at least one second ejection port includes a plurality of second ejection ports, and the at least one lead-out path includes a plurality of lead-out paths, and
wherein the nozzle comprises the plurality of first ejection ports, the plurality of second ejection ports, and the plurality of lead-out paths, each of which is configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one first ejection port and the at least one second ejection port.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the at least one first ejection port is open at an inner wall surface of the at least one lead-out path, and
wherein the at least one second ejection port is open to an upper end surface of the at least one lead-out path.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, further comprising:
a second supply path configured to supply the processing liquid to the at least one second ejection port; and
a lead-in space formed in an annular shape surrounding the second supply path,
wherein the at least one second ejection port and the second supply path are arranged coaxially with the at least one lead-out path, and are configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one lead-out path and the lead-in space, and
wherein the at least one first ejection port is open to an inner wall surface of the lead-in space.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The nozzle of claim 7, wherein the at least one first ejection port is arranged above the at least one second ejection port, and is configured to eject the fluid toward the position deviated from the central axis of the at least one lead-out path in the plan view to form a swirling flow that swirls in the at least one lead-out path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the at least one first ejection port is open to an upper end surface of the at least one lead-out path, and
wherein the at least one second ejection port is open to an inner wall surface of the at least one lead-out path.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The nozzle of claim 1, further comprising:
a first supply path configured to supply the fluid to the at least one first ejection port; and
a lead-in space formed in an annular shape surrounding the first supply path,
wherein the at least one first ejection port and the first supply path are arranged coaxially with the at least one lead-out path, and are configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one lead-out path and the lead-in space, and
wherein the at least one second ejection port is open to an inner wall surface of the lead-in space.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The nozzle of claim 10, wherein the at least one second ejection port is arranged above the at least one first ejection port, and is configured to eject the processing liquid toward the position deviated from the central axis of the at least one lead-out path in the plan view to form a swirling flow that swirls in the at least one lead-out path.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder configured to rotatably hold a substrate;
a fluid supplier configured to supply the fluid containing steam or mist of pressurized pure water;
a processing liquid supplier configured to supply the processing liquid containing at least sulfuric acid; and
the nozzle of claim 1 connected to the fluid supplier and the processing liquid supplier and configured to mix the fluid and the processing liquid and eject the mixed fluid to the substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one lead-out path is arranged obliquely with respect to a rotation direction of the substrate rotated by the substrate holder.

### Claim 14

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder configured to rotatably hold a substrate;
a fluid supplier configured to supply a fluid containing steam or mist of pressurized pure water;
a processing liquid supplier configured to supply a processing liquid containing at least sulfuric acid;
a nozzle connected to the fluid supplier and the processing liquid supplier and configured to mix the fluid and the processing liquid and eject a mixed fluid of the fluid and the processing liquid to the substrate; and
a controller configured to control the substrate holder, the fluid supplier, the processing liquid supplier, and the nozzle,
wherein the nozzle includes:
a first ejection port configured to eject the fluid;
a second ejection port configured to eject the processing liquid; and
a lead-out path extending vertically downward to form an inner wall surface, configured to be in fluid communication with the first ejection port and the second ejection port, and configured to lead out the mixed fluid of the fluid ejected from the first ejection port and the processing liquid ejected from the second ejection port,
wherein the first ejection port or the second ejection port is arranged to be directed to a position deviated from a central axis of the lead-out path in a plan view,
wherein the controller is configured to tilt the nozzle in a state in which the substrate held on the substrate holder is rotated such that the lead-out path is arranged obliquely with respect to a rotation direction of the substrate, and
wherein the controller is configured to eject the mixed fluid from the nozzle toward the substrate.

### Claim 15

A substrate processing method in a substrate processing apparatus,
wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:
a substrate holder configured to rotatably hold a substrate;
a fluid supplier configured to supply a fluid containing steam or mist of pressurized pure water;
a processing liquid supplier configured to supply a processing liquid containing at least sulfuric acid; and
a nozzle connected to the fluid supplier and the processing liquid supplier and configured to mix the fluid and the processing liquid and eject a mixed fluid of the fluid and the processing liquid to the substrate,
wherein the nozzle includes:
a first ejection port configured to eject the fluid;
a second ejection port configured to eject the processing liquid; and
a lead-out path extending vertically downward to form an inner wall surface, configured to be in fluid communication with the first ejection port and the second ejection port, and configured to lead out the mixed fluid of the fluid ejected from the first ejection port and the processing liquid ejected from the second ejection port,
wherein the first ejection port or the second ejection port is arranged to be directed to a position deviated from a central axis of the lead-out path in a plan view, and
wherein the substrate processing method comprises:
tilting the nozzle in a state in which the substrate held on the substrate holder is rotated such that the lead-out path is arranged obliquely with respect to a rotation direction of the substrate; and
ejecting the mixed fluid from the nozzle toward the substrate.