Patent ID: 8834672
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: G03F,H01L

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor development apparatus comprising: a chuck for supporting a semiconductor wafer; a developer supply unit for supplying developer to a wafer, said developer supply unit positioned a distance above said chuck; a knife edge ring disposed adjacent to a bottom surface of said wafer, said knife edge ring having a body and a plurality of discharge holes extending through the body; a cleaning solution spraying unit for spraying a cleaning solution toward said bottom surface of said wafer, at least a portion of said spraying unit positioned underneath said body of said knife edge ring, wherein said body of said knife edge ring has an inner peripheral side facing a portion of the chuck, and an outer peripheral side, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the outer peripheral side of said body of the knife edge ring comprises a multi-stage inclined portion constituted by a series of inclined outer peripheral surfaces connected to one another, each of the inclined outer peripheral surfaces subtending an obtuse angle with a horizontal plane, the inclined outer peripheral surfaces having different inclinations from one another, and the series of connected inclined outer peripheral surfaces only leading downwardly between the top surface and the bottom surface of said body, and each of the discharge holes has an inlet flush with a respective one of the outer peripheral inclined surfaces constituting said multi-stage inclined portion such that each of the discharge holes opens to the exterior of the body at said one of the outer peripheral inclined surfaces, and an outlet; and suction generating means, connected to said plurality of discharge holes at their outlets, for generating a vacuum in the discharge holes that suctions developer and cleaning solution into said discharge holes via the respective inlets thereof.