Patent ID: 11887868
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B | IPC B  H

Claim 8:
9. A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
loading the substrate into a processing space of a substrate processing apparatus; and
processing the substrate by using a supercritical fluid;
wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:
at least one vessel comprising the processing space configured to process the substrate, wherein the at least one vessel comprises an upper vessel and a lower vessel moveably coupled to each other so as to be openable and closable to switch between a closed position for sealing the processing space and an open position for opening the processing space and wherein a first inner surface of the upper vessel and a second inner surface of the lower vessel are configured to define the processing space in the closed position;
a substrate support configured to support the substrate loaded in the processing space, wherein the substrate support is coupled to an upper wall of the at least one vessel;
a barrier between a side wall of the at least one vessel and the substrate support, wherein an upper end of the barrier is directly connected to the first inner surface of the upper vessel, and a side wall of the barrier surrounds the substrate and the substrate support;
a first supply port in the upper wall of the at least one vessel and configured to supply a first supercritical fluid into the processing space; and
an exhaust port in a bottom wall of the at least one vessel opposite the upper wall and configured to discharge a fluid from inside the at least one vessel,
wherein the barrier extends downward along a direction of the side wall of the at least one vessel toward the bottom wall,
wherein a lowest portion of the barrier extends past a lowest portion of the substrate support from the upper wall when the at least one vessel is in the closed position,
wherein the barrier is configured to:
block the first supercritical fluid supplied from the first supply port from flowing directly to a contact portion between the upper vessel and the lower vessel, and cause the first supercritical fluid to flow downwardly toward the bottom wall of the at least one vessel; and
guide fluid flowing from the contact portion between the upper vessel and the lower vessel downward to a point lower than the lowest portion of the barrier in a region between the side wall of the at least one vessel and the barrier, and cause the guided fluid to flow downwardly toward the bottom wall of the at least one vessel,
wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a first guide pin connected to a side wall of the lower vessel, and
wherein the first guide pin is configured to guide the barrier to be positioned in at a predetermined position in the processing space such that the first guide pin is in contact with the barrier without fixation thereto.