US 9,802,227 B2Granted

Method of cleaning substrate processing apparatus

AssigneeSCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.

InventorsNaoyuki Osada, Kentaro Sugimoto

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A spin base is caused to rotate at a number of revolutions of from 250 rpm to 350 rpm (first number of revolutions), and at the same time, a cleaning solution is supplied through a discharge head to a holding surface of a spin base while the upper end of a processing cup surrounding the spin base is placed below the holding surface. Thus, an outer upper surface of the processing cup is cleaned with the cleaning solution scattered from the holding surface. Then, the spin base is caused to rotate at a number of revolutions of from 350 rpm to 450 rpm (second number of revolutions) higher than the first number of revolutions, and at the same time, a cleaning solution is supplied through the discharge head onto the holding surface. Thus, a partition plate outside the processing cup is cleaned with the cleaning solution scattered from the rotating holding surface.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus that performs substrate processing with a processing solution, the method comprising the step of:

(a) causing a substrate holding element to rotate at a first number of revolutions, said substrate holding element having a holding surface facing the lower surface of a substrate to be held on said substrate holding element, and at the same time, supplying a cleaning solution from a cleaning solution supply nozzle onto said holding surface while placing the upper end of a cup surrounding said substrate holding element below said substrate holding element, thereby cleaning an outer upper surface of said cup with said cleaning solution scattered from said holding surface while said holding surface is rotating,
wherein in said step (a), said cleaning solution supply nozzle for supplying said cleaning solution is caused to move over said holding surface, so that said cleaning solution scattered from said holding surface falls on different positions of said outer upper surface of said cup.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/870,302Filed 30 Sep 2015 · continuation
Priority: JP 2011-09914827 Apr 2011
Published: US 2016/0016206 A121 Jan 2016
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B08B 3/02
Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam: cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
H10P 70/50
Cleaning of wafers, substrates or parts of devices: characterised by the part to be cleaned
H10P 72/0414
For wet cleaning or washing: using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
H10P 90/00
Preparation of wafers not covered by a single main group of this

Family

Application13/450,654Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Apr 2012
US 2016/0016206 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Jan 2016
US 9,190,300 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0273011 A1Published application
US 9,802,227 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.