Substrate processing apparatus and method

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to substrate processing apparatus for and method of executing a surface treatment on a substrate by supplying an etching liquid thereto while the substrate is being rotated. Examples of a substrate to be treated include a variety of substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a liquid-crystal-display-device glass substrate, a plasma-display-panel glass substrate, an optical-disk substrate, a magnetic-disk substrate, a magneto-optical-disk substrate, a photomask substrate and the like.

#2. Description of Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a schematic section view illustrating the arrangement of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a section view illustrating the arrangement of a spin chuck and its relevant rotational drive mechanism; and

#FIG. 3 is a section view illustrating the arrangement of a stationary nozzle.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic section view illustrating the arrangement of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This substrate processing apparatus is arranged to remove, at the same time, both a thin film formed on the backside of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to simply as wafer) W as an example of a substrate, and a thin film formed on the peripheral edge portion of the wafer W surface and on the end face of the wafer W. The substrate processing apparatus is provided in a processing cup (not shown) thereof with a spin chuck 21 arranged to substantially horizontally hold a wafer W with its backside turned down and also arranged to be rotated around the perpendicular axis of rotation substantially passing through the center of the wafer W thus held.

#The spin chuck 21 is to be rotated as connected to the drive shaft of a motor 22 serving as a rotational drive mechanism. The drive shaft of the motor 22 is a hollow shaft inside of which there passes a treating liquid supply tube 23 in the form of a center shaft nozzle capable of supplying deionized water or an etching liquid. The treating liquid supply tube 23 is connected to a stationary nozzle having a discharge port in the vicinity of the center of the backside of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 21. Deionized water or an etching liquid is to be supplied from this discharge port toward the backside of the wafer W.

#Deionized water or an etching liquid is to be supplied, at predetermined timings, to the treating liquid supply tube 23 through a deionized water supply valve 11 connected to a deionized water supply source or an etching liquid supply valve 12 connected to an etching liquid supply source.