# US 7,608,152 B2 · Substrate processing apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,152 B2 - Document ID: US7608152B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/130,585 - Filed: 2005-05-17 - Published: 2005-12-15 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-06-14 - Assignees: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Katsuhiko Miya; Koji Ando - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608152B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/7614: {characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions} - B08B 3/02: Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays - B08B 11/02: Devices for holding articles during cleaning {(B08B9/42 takes precedence)} - G11B 7/266: {Sputtering or spin-coating layers (sputtering in general C23C14/24; spin-coating in general B05D1/005)} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0424: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - G03F 1/82: Auxiliary processes, e.g. cleaning or inspecting - Y10S 134/902: Semiconductor wafer - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - 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) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract In the vicinity of a rim portion of a spin base 5, a plurality of supports 7 which abut on a bottom rim portion of a substrate W and support the substrate W are formed projecting toward above from the spin base 5. The substrate W is supported horizontally by the plurality of supports 7, with a predetermined distance ensured from the spin base 5 which opposes the bottom surface of the substrate W. Into the space which is created between the top surface of the substrate W and an opposing surface 9a of an atmosphere blocker plate 9, inert gas is ejected from a plurality of gas ejection outlets 9b which are formed in the opposing surface 9a. The inert gas thus supplied to the top surface of the substrate W presses the substrate W against the supports 7 and the substrate W is held at the spin base 5. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate processing apparatus which performs predetermined processing by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while rotating said substrate, comprising: a rotary member which has a vertical axis and is structured to rotate freely about the vertical axis; a rotating element which rotates said rotary member; a support element which is disposed upward to said rotary member and which comprises at least three supporting members disposed so as to abut on a bottom surface of said substrate at positions inward from an edge of said substrate to thereby support said substrate with a distance from said rotary member; and a pressing element which presses said substrate against said supporting members by supplying gas to a top surface of said substrate and accordingly makes said rotary member hold said substrate; wherein said pressing element is arranged to control a press-holding condition to cause a friction force developing between the bottom surface of said substrate and said supporting members to be greater than a centrifugal force acting upon said substrate, wherein the friction force increases in response to an increased flow rate of gas supplied by said pressing element, and wherein the centrifugal force increases in response to an increased speed of rotation of said rotary member rotated by said rotating element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driver which applies drive force to said support element, wherein said support element comprises, as said supporting members, at least four movable members which are structured to freely move away from and abut on the bottom surface of said substrate, said processing is executed by supplying said processing liquid to the bottom surface of said substrate while said movable members of at least three abut on the bottom surface of said substrate to support said substrate under the drive force from said driver, and said driver makes each one of said movable members move away from the bottom surface of said substrate at least once during said processing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bottom-side processing liquid supplier which supplies said processing liquid toward the bottom surface of said substrate which rotates as it is pressed against said supporting members, wherein said pressing element supplies gas to a non-processing area which is on an inner side relative to a top processing area which is processed with said processing liquid supplied by said bottom-side processing liquid supplier to the bottom surface of said substrate and circling over to a rim portion of the top surface of said substrate, and said supporting members abut on the bottom surface of said substrate corresponding to said non-processing area and accordingly support said substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a top-side processing liquid supplier which supplies said processing liquid to a rim portion of the top surface of said substrate which rotates as it is pressed against said supporting members. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pressing element includes a plate member that has a vertical axis which is coaxial with the vertical axis of said rotary member and an opposing surface which opposes against the top surface of said substrate in which a plurality of gas ejection outlets are formed, and said plurality of gas ejection outlets are arranged along a circumference about the vertical axis of said plate member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said pressing element includes a gas supplying part which guides and supplies gas to a space which is created between said opposing surface and the top surface of said substrate by ejecting gas at said plurality of gas ejection outlets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said plurality of gas ejection outlets in said opposing surface are formed on a rotation track of said supporting members and eject gas in a substantially vertical direction, thereby pressing said substrate against said supporting members. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said plate member is structured to be able to rotate about said vertical axis thereof, and said rotating element rotates said plate member together with said substrate while said pressing element makes said rotary member hold said substrate. ### Claim 9 A substrate processing method in which predetermined processing is performed by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while rotating said substrate, said method comprising steps of: making at least three supporting members which are disposed upward to a rotary member abut on a bottom surface of said substrate at positions inward from an edge of said substrate to thereby support said substrate with a distance from said rotary member; pressing said substrate against said supporting members by supplying gas to a top surface of said substrate and accordingly makes said rotary member hold said substrate; rotating said rotary member about a vertical axis to thereby rotate said substrate; and controlling a press-holding condition to cause a friction force developing between the bottom surface of said substrate and said supporting members to be greater than a centrifugal force acting upon said substrate, the friction force being increased by increasing a flow rate of gas supplied to the top surface of said substrate, the centrifugal force being increased by increasing a speed of rotation of said rotary member. ### Claim 10 A substrate processing apparatus which performs predetermined processing by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while rotating said substrate, comprising: a rotary member which is structured to rotate freely about a vertical axis; a rotating element which rotates said rotary member; a support element which is disposed upward to said rotary member and which comprises at least three supporting members which abut on a bottom surface of said substrate to thereby support said substrate with a distance from said rotary member; a pressing element which presses said substrate against said supporting members by supplying gas to a top surface of said substrate and accordingly makes said rotary member hold said substrate; a bottom-side processing liquid supplier which supplies said processing liquid toward the bottom surface of said substrate which rotates as it is pressed against said supporting members, wherein said pressing element supplies gas to a non-processing area which is on an inner side relative to a top processing area which is processed with said processing liquid supplied by said bottom-side processing liquid supplier to the bottom surface of said substrate and circling over the rim portion of the top surface of said substrate, said supporting members abut on the bottom surface of said substrate corresponding to said non-processing area and accordingly support said substrate, and said pressing element is arranged to control a press-holding condition in which said substrate is rotated while being maintained pressed against said supporting members without slipping on said supporting members. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein said pressing element comprises: a plate member which has an opposing surface which opposes against the top surface of said substrate and in which a gas ejection outlet is formed, and a gas supplying part which guides and supplies gas to a space which is created between said opposing surface and the top surface of said substrate by ejecting gas at the gas ejection outlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein said gas ejection outlet in said opposing surface is formed on a rotation track of said supporting members and ejects gas in a substantially vertical direction, thereby pressing said substrate against said supporting members. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein said plate member is structured to be able to rotate about said vertical axis, and said rotating element rotates said plate member together with said substrate while said pressing element makes said rotary member hold said substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a driver which applies drive force to said support element, wherein said support element comprises, as said supporting members, at least four movable members which are structured to freely move away from and abut on the bottom surface of said substrate, said processing is executed by supplying said processing liquid to the bottom surface of said substrate while said movable members of at least three abut on the bottom surface of said substrate to support said substrate under the drive force from said driver, and said driver makes each one of said movable members move away from the bottom surface of said substrate at least once during said processing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a top-side processing liquid supplier which supplies said processing liquid to a rim portion of the top surface of said substrate which rotates as it is pressed against said supporting members.