US 2008/0173327 A1 · TWO-FLUID NOZZLE, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus has a two-fluid nozzle having an inner cylindrical member and an outer cylindrical member. Gas flows in the inner cylindrical member which is a gas passage and the processing liquid downwardly flows in a processing liquid passage constituted of the inner and outer cylindrical members. The gas and the processing liquid are mixed in a mixing area below the inner cylindrical member to generate fine droplets, and the droplets are ejected from an outlet of a lower end of the outer cylindrical member onto a substrate. Charge is induced on the processing liquid by generating an electric potential difference between a first electrode provided in the gas passage and a second electrode provided in the processing liquid passage, to generate charged droplets. In the nozzle, the first electrode is isolated from the processing liquid with a simple construction, and the droplets can be charged efficiently.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A two-fluid nozzle for ejecting droplets of processing liquid onto an object to be processed, comprising:

a processing liquid passage through which processing liquid flows;
a gas passage through which gas flows;
a droplet generation part which mixes said processing liquid from said processing liquid passage and said gas from said gas passage to generate droplets and ejects said droplets toward a predetermined ejection direction together with said gas;
a first electrode provided in said gas passage in the vicinity of said droplet generation part;
and
a second electrode which contacts said processing liquid in said processing liquid passage or said droplet generation part, wherein
an electric potential difference is generated between said first electrode and said second electrode.

4 more elements

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a holding part for holding a substrate;
a two-fluid nozzle for ejecting droplets of processing liquid onto a main surface of said substrate;
and
a power supply connected to said two-fluid nozzle, wherein
said two-fluid nozzle comprises:
a processing liquid passage through which processing liquid flows;
a gas passage through which gas flows;
a droplet generation part which mixes said processing liquid from said processing liquid passage and said gas from said gas passage to generate droplets and ejects said droplets toward a predetermined ejection direction together with said gas;
a first electrode provided in said gas passage in the vicinity of said droplet generation part;
and
a second electrode which contacts said processing liquid in said processing liquid passage or said droplet generation part, and
said power supply generates an electric potential difference between said first electrode and said second electrode.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Two-fluid nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method

Life of this patent

Two-fluid nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21