Patent ID: 9022045
Filing Date: 2015-05-05
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A liquid treatment apparatus comprising: a substrate retaining unit comprising a retaining member configured to hold a peripheral edge of a substrate to retain the substrate horizontally; a rotational driving unit configured to rotate the substrate retaining unit; a first nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit configured to eject two fluids comprising a mixture of a liquid and a gas towards the lower surface of the substrate, the first nozzle being provided therein with a plurality of first liquid-ejecting passages and a plurality of first gas-ejecting passages; a liquid supply mechanism that supplies the liquid to each of the first liquid-ejecting passages; a gas supply mechanism that supplies the gas to each of the first gas-ejecting passages; a controller configured to control operation of the liquid-supply mechanism and the gas-supply mechanism, wherein the first nozzle further comprises a plurality of first liquid-ejecting ports each corresponding to one of the first liquid-ejecting passages and one of the first gas-ejecting passages, the first liquid-ejecting ports being arrayed on a horizontal line extending inwardly from a position below a peripheral portion of the substrate retained by the substrate retaining unit; wherein, proximate to each of the first liquid-ejecting ports, the corresponding first liquid-ejecting passage merges with the corresponding first gas-ejecting passage such that the supplied liquid mixes with the supplied gas to be a two fluid mixture; wherein each of the first liquid-ejecting ports is configured to eject liquid supplied from the corresponding first liquid-ejecting passage towards the lower surface of the substrate in the direction of rotation of the substrate at an elevation angle inclined to a plane of the lower surface of the substrate in the absence of gas supplied from the corresponding first gas-ejecting passage; wherein each of the first gas-ejecting passages merges with the corresponding first liquid-ejecting passage such that a flow direction of the liquid ejected from the first liquid-ejecting port is changed by the gas ejected from the first gas ejecting passage, and such that an elevation angle at which the liquid mixed with the gas is ejected from each of the first liquid-ejecting ports is greater than the elevation angle at which the liquid is ejected from each of the first liquid-ejecting ports in the absence of gas supplied from the corresponding first gas-ejecting passage; wherein the first nozzle further comprises at least one second liquid-ejecting port provided in a region positioned radially inside a region where the first liquid-ejecting ports are provided; wherein the second liquid-ejecting port is connected to a second liquid-ejecting passage and a second gas-ejecting passage so that the supplied liquid mixes with the supplied gas to be the two fluid mixture; wherein the second liquid-ejecting port has an upper end portion extending substantially vertically that causes the liquid to be ejected from the second liquid-ejecting port substantially vertically upward regardless of the absence or presence of gas supplied from the second gas-ejecting passage; wherein the first liquid-ejecting passages and the second liquid ejecting passage are branched from a common liquid passageway extending within the first nozzle along the horizontal line, and the first gas-ejecting passages and the second gas-ejecting passage are branched from a common gas passageway extending within the first nozzle along the horizontal line.