Semiconductor wafer treating apparatus

An apparatus for grinding, cleaning, and oxidizing a back of a semiconductor wafer comprising:

• a grinding means, a wafer withdrawal zone, a transport means, a wafer acceptance means, a wafer treating section, and a main housing arranging each of the grinding means, the wafer withdrawal zone, the transport means, the wafer acceptance means, and the wafer treating section with said treating section being apart from the grinding means, said treating section comprising:
• a local housing,
• holding means rotatably disposed within the local housing and having a holding upper surface,
• rotating means, within the local housing, for rotating the holding means,
• cleaning means, within the local housing, for cleaning a ground back surface of a semiconductor wafer held on the holding means with the ground back surface pointing upward,
• irradiation means for irradiating the ground and cleaned back surface of the semiconductor wafer held on the holding upper surface of the holding means, the irradiation means including an irradiation unit having radiation lamps for irradiating the wafer with short wavelength ultraviolet radiation so as to form an oxide film on the back surface by oxidization,
• a support member for mounting the irradiation means, and
• a moving means connected to the support member for transferring both the support member and the irradiation means between a non-operating position outside the local housing and an operating position, within the local housing, where the irradiation means is above and in opposition to the holding upper surface of the holding means, wherein
• the support member and the irradiation unit mounted on the support member are moveable horizontally through an opening formed in a wall of the local housing, whereby the irradiation unit is selectively located at the operating position and the non-operating position, and
• the support member has a first closing portion for substantially closing the opening when the irradiation unit is located at the operating position, and a second closing portion for substantially closing the opening when the irradiation unit is located at the non-operating position.