Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides a nozzle device comprising a substantially cylindrical nozzle body and a cup member which is arranged within the cylinder of the nozzle body and jets out fluid droplets from the tip thereof while being driven to turn, wherein two or more fluids including a detergent and a gas are mixed and jetted out of the tip of the nozzle in order to achieve sufficient cleaning of a single wafer without a re-adhesion of contamination or destruction of the pattern of the wafer. Therefore, the fluid droplets can be controlled to a smaller size than the conventional double-fluid cleaning system or high pressure jet system.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a nozzle device and a cleaning apparatus equipped with the nozzle device, and more particularly to a high performance nozzle device suitable for use in single wafer cleaning in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits and the like and a cleaning apparatus equipped with the nozzle device. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In recent years, the main stream of the cleaning step as part of the manufacturing process of semiconductor integrated circuits and the like is shifting from the batch watching system, by which wafers are dipped in cleaning fluid, to the single wafer cleaning system to address the need for small lot production of many different types. The following systems are known to be suitable for such single wafer cleaning (see, for instance, Handbook of Industrial Cleaning Techniques (in Japanese), Realize Riko Center 1994 and Q&amp;A: Manual on the Theory of Cleaning and Applied Operations (in Japanese), R&amp;D Planning Shuppan 2001). 
   1) Brush cleaning system 
   2) Low pressure shower cleaning system 
   3) Ultrasonic shower cleaning system 
   4) Cavitation jet cleaning system 
   5) Two-fluid cleaning system 
   6) High pressure jet cleaning system 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The conventional cleaning systems listed above, however, involve one or another of the following problems, which at present are found extremely difficult to overcome. 
   1) The brush cleaning system, though powerful in cleaning effect, suffers from re-adhesion of contamination or destruction of the pattern by the shearing force applied by the brush. 
   2) The low pressure shower cleaning system is insufficient in cleaning power because of the low speed of jetted liquid droplets. 
   3) The ultrasonic shower cleaning system may invite destruction of the pattern by cavitation due to ultrasonic oscillation. Moreover, as the object of cleaning is determined by the ultrasonic frequency, only specific contamination (particles) can be cleaned. 
   4) The cavitation jet cleaning system can exert little cavitation effect and accordingly is insufficient in cleaning power. 
   5) The double-fluid cleaning system, though excelling in cleaning power, involves difficulty in controlling the fluid droplet size and the speed of droplets (changing the fluid droplet size or the speed of droplets requires replacement of the nozzle). Moreover, the presence of large droplets or fast moving droplets may destroy the pattern. 
   6) The high pressure jet cleaning system, though excelling in cleaning power, involves the same problems as 5). Namely, it is difficult to control the fluid droplet size and the speed of droplets (changing the fluid droplet size or the speed of droplets requires replacement of the nozzle). Moreover, the presence of large droplets or fast moving droplets may destroy the pattern. 
   An object of the present invention, attempted in view of these circumstances, is to provide a nozzle device suitable for use in single wafer cleaning in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits and the like, which can solve these problems, and a cleaning apparatus equipped with this nozzle device. 
   In order to achieve the foregoing object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a nozzle device comprising a substantially cylindrical nozzle body and a cup member which is arranged within the cylinder of the nozzle body and jets out fluid droplets from the tip thereof while being driven to turn, wherein two or more fluids including a detergent and a gas are mixed and jetted out of the tip of the nozzle. 
   According to the first aspect of the invention, since the nozzle device comprises a nozzle body and a cup member which jets out fluid droplets from the tip thereof while being driven to turn, wherein two or more fluids including a detergent and a gas are mixed and jetted out of the tip of the nozzle, the fluid droplets can be controlled to a smaller size than the conventional double-fluid cleaning system or high pressure jet system, enabling the problems noted above to be successfully overcome. 
   According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to the first aspect, wherein the cup member is driven to turn by turbine air fed to the nozzle device. According to the second aspect of the invention, as the cup member is driven to turn by turbine air, the number of revolutions of the cup member can be set higher. Also, by adjusting the quantity of the turbine air that is fed to the nozzle device, it is made possible to control the droplet size and droplets speed of the fluid to respectively desired values and to achieve cleaning in a broad range of conditions. 
   According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the opening angle of the mixed fluid that is jetted out of the tip of the nozzle is controlled with the shaving air that is fed to the nozzle device. According to the third aspect of the invention, as the opening angle of the mixed fluid that is jetted out is controlled with shaving air, cleaning can be achieved in a broad range of conditions. 
   According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through third aspects, wherein the cup member is rotationally supported without contact by bearing air that is fed to the nozzle device. According to the fourth aspect of the invention, as the cup member is rotationally supported without contact by bearing air, dust generation from the apparatus can be restrained, and the cup member can be easily turned at high speed. 
   According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through fourth aspects, further provided with a sensor device which detects the number of revolutions of the cup member, wherein the number of revolutions is controlled according to the feedback of the number of revolutions of the cup member detected by the sensor device. According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the cup member is subjected to the feedback control as detected by the sensor device, the number of revolutions of the cup member can be easily accomplished. 
   According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through fifth aspects, further provided with a sensor device which detects the number of revolutions of the cup member, wherein the number of revolutions of the cup member detected by the sensor device is displayed. 
   According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through sixth aspects, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in the cup member in the circumferential direction, and the detergent is jetted out of the through holes. According to the seventh aspect of the invention, as a plurality of through holes are formed in the cup member in the circumferential direction, the detergent can be jetted out evenly. 
   According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the through holes are inclined outward at an angle α to the axis of the cup member. According to the eighth aspect of the invention, as the through holes are inclined outward at an angle α to the axis, a preferable spray pattern can be formed. 
   According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through eighth aspects, wherein the tip part of the cup member is formed to be concave inward, and the inner circumferential edge of the concave is formed to be inclined outward at an angle α to the axis of the cup member. According to the ninth aspect of the invention, as the tip part of the cup member is formed to be concave inward, an even more preferable spray pattern can be formed. 
   According to a tenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to the ninth aspect, wherein a plurality of grooves are formed in the inner circumferential edge of the concave in the tip part of the cup member. According to the tenth aspect of the invention, as a plurality of grooves are formed in the inner circumferential edge of the concave in the tip part of the cup member, an even more preferable spray pattern can be formed. 
   According to an eleventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through tenth aspects, wherein the shaving air is fed to the outer circumferential side of the cup member. According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, as the shaving air is fed to the outer circumferential side of the cup member, the spray pattern can be controlled with the shaving air. 
   According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through tenth aspects, wherein the shaving air is fed between an air cap arranged on the outer circumferential side of the cup member and the nozzle body. According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the shaving air is fed between an air cap and the nozzle body, the spray pattern can be controlled with the shaving air. 
   According to a thirteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to the twelfth aspect, wherein spirally shaped air guides are formed on the outer circumference of the air cap. According to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, as spirally shaped air guides are formed on the outer circumference of the air cap, the flow of the shaving air can be swirled, and the spray pattern can be even more preferably controlled with the shaving air. 
   According to a fourteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through thirteenth aspects, wherein the speed of fluid droplets jetted out of the nozzle tip is 0.1 to 100 m/second. According to a fifteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a version of the nozzle device according to any one of the first through fourteenth aspects, wherein the droplet size of the fluid jetted out of the nozzle tip is not more than 100 μm. According to the fourteenth and fifteenth aspects of the invention, as the speed and size of the fluid droplets are controlled within the optimal range, satisfactory cleaning results can be achieved. 
   The present invention can help provide satisfactory cleaning results. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows an overall configuration of a cleaning apparatus to which a nozzle device according to the invention is applied; 
       FIG. 2  shows a plan of the configuration of the essential part of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the nozzle device according to the invention; 
       FIG. 4  shows the A-A section of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  shows an exploded perspective view of the process of assembling the nozzle device; 
       FIG. 6  shows the B-B section of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 7  shows the C section of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 8  shows the D section of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 9  shows the E section of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 10  shows the front view of an air cap; 
       FIG. 11  shows a frontal section of a cup member; 
       FIG. 12  shows a left profile of the cup member; and 
       FIG. 13  shows a partially enlarged view of the cup member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A nozzle device and a cleaning apparatus equipped with this nozzle device embodying the present invention in a preferred mode will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  shows an overall configuration of the cleaning apparatus to which the nozzle device according to the invention is applied, and  FIG. 2 , a plan of the configuration of its essential part. As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , this cleaning apparatus  10  comprises a wafer turning device  12  which holds and turns a wafer W to be cleaned and a detergent spraying device  30  which sprays a detergent in an atomized state onto the wafer W being held and turned by that wafer turning device  12 . 
   Incidentally in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , illustration of a turbine air feeding device (feed piping), a shaving air feeding device (feed piping) and a bearing air feeding device (feed piping) to be described afterwards is dispensed with. 
   First, the configuration of the wafer turning device  12  will be described. A turntable  18  formed in a disk shape is arranged within a cleaning tub  16  installed on a pedestal  14 . A vacuum chuck  20  is provided over the turntable  18 , and the wafer W is sucked and held by this vacuum chuck  20 . 
   On the other hand, a spindle  22  is linked to the lower part of the turntable  18 , and the output shaft of a turntable driving motor  24  is linked to the lower end of this spindle  22 . The turntable  18  is turned by being driven by this turntable driving motor  24 . 
   Next, the configuration of the detergent spraying device  30  will be described. A detergent tank  36  is connected to the input side of a detergent pump  32  which supplies the detergent to the detergent spraying device  30  via a pipe  34 . On the other hand, a gun  40  is connected to the output side of the detergent pump  32  via a pipe  38 . A spray nozzle  42 , which is the nozzle device, is disposed at the tip of the gun  40 , and the detergent in an atomized state is sprayed from this spray nozzle  42  onto the wafer W. 
   This gun  40  is supported by the tip of an arm  44  disposed within the cleaning tub  16  as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , and the base of this arm  44  is fastened to the output shaft of a motor  46 . The motor  46  is supported on the inner wall face of the cleaning tub  16  via a bracket  48 , and by driving this motor  46  the arm  44  is swung to cause the gun  40  to move horizontally above the wafer W. 
   In the detergent spraying device  30  of the above-described configuration, when the detergent pump  32  is driven, the detergent in the detergent tank  36  is sucked into the detergent pump  32  and fed to the gun  40  in a pressurized state. The detergent fed to the gun  40  is sprayed in an atomized state from the jet outlet of the spray nozzle  42 . The detergent sprayed from the spray nozzle  42 , after hitting the wafer W, falls into the cleaning tub  16  and is guided to a liquid drain  28  via ribs  26  disposed within the cleaning tub  16 . It is discarded (or recycled) via a pipe  50  linked to that liquid drain  28 . 
   Next, the configuration of the nozzle device (the spray nozzle  42 ), which is a characteristic part of the invention, will be described in detail.  FIG. 3  shows a rear view (the top view in  FIG. 1 ) of the nozzle device  42 ,  FIG. 4  shows the A-A section of  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 5  shows an exploded perspective view of the process of assembling the nozzle device  42 .  FIG. 6  shows the B-B section of  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7  shows the C section of  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 8  shows the D section of  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 9  shows the E section of  FIG. 3 . 
   This spray nozzle  42  is provided with a substantially cylindrical nozzle body  52  and a cup member  54  which is arranged within the cylinder of this nozzle body  52  and jets out fluid droplets from the tip while being driven to turn. The nozzle body  52  is formed of a tip cover  52 A and a barrel  52 B. 
   A base  52 C is fixed to the rear face of the barrel  52 B so as to seal the barrel  52 B. A supporting shaft  52 D extends to this base  52 C. 
   Whereas this spray nozzle  42  is a nozzle device which jets out from the tip a mixture of two or more fluids including the detergent and a gas, it is so configured that not only the detergent is fed to it by the detergent pump  32  already described but also turbine air, shaving air and bearing air are supplied into it. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the detergent is fed from a detergent feeding joint  56  fixed to the base  52 C and, as shown in  FIG. 4 , is jetted out of the tip of the cup member  54  as fluid droplets via a detergent channel  56 A which penetrates the axis of the spray nozzle  42 . Incidentally, this detergent channel  56 A is formed of a field tube  56 B shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  or the like. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , turbine air is fed from a turbine air feeding joint  58  fixed to the base  52 C, is supplied to a spindle  60  via a turbine air channel  58 A as shown in  FIG. 4 , and is enabled to drive the rotation of the rotation shaft  60 B of the spindle  60  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   Incidentally, the spindle  60  comprises a cylindrical stator  60 A, which is the spindle body, and the rotation shaft  60 B disposed rotatably in the cylinder of this stator  60 A. The rotation of the rotation shaft  60 B is driven by turbine air fed from the rear face of the stator  60 A. 
   The cup member  54  is fixed to the tip of the rotation shaft  60 B of the spindle  60 . Therefore, the turbine air drives the rotation of the cup member  54 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 9 , bearing air is fed from a bearing air feeding joint  62  fixed to the base  52 C, fed to the spindle  60  via a bearing air channel  62 A as shown in  FIG. 9 , and can rotationally support the rotation shaft  60 B of the spindle  60  without contact as shown in  FIG. 5 . Therefore, the cup member  54  is rotationally supported by the bearing air without contact. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a fibrous sensor device  64 B is inserted from a sensor joint  64  fixed to the base  52 C, and the tip of the sensor device  64 B is so arranged as to be positioned on the rear face of the spindle  60  via a sensor passage  64 A as shown in  FIG. 6  to be enabled to detect the number of revolutions of the rotation shaft  60 B of the spindle  60  shown in  FIG. 5 . Therefore, the number of revolutions of the cup member  54  can be detected by the sensor device  64 B. 
   The number of revolutions of the cup member  54  is controlled by a control device not shown on the basis of the feedback of the number of revolutions of the cup member  54  detected by this sensor device  64 B. 
   Turbine air and bearing air fed into the spray nozzle  42  pass a discharged air channel  66 A as shown in  FIG. 7 , and are discharged to the rear face of the spray nozzle  42  from an air discharging joint  66  fixed to the base  52 C as shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 . Incidentally, a muffler  66 B shown in  FIG. 5  is fitted to the rear face of the air discharging joint  66 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 , shaving air is fed from a shaving air feeding joint  68  fixed to the base  52 C, and is supplied to the periphery of the spindle  60  via a shaving air channel  68 A as shown in  FIG. 8 , with the opening angle of the mixed fluid jetted out from the tip of the nozzle being controlled. Details of this aspect will be described below. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , gaps are formed between an air cap  70  and the tip cover  52 A (the nozzle body  52 ) arranged on the outer circumferential side of the cup member  54 , and the shaving air that is fed jets out of these gaps. 
     FIG. 10  shows the front view of the air cap  70 . A tapered face  70 A constituting these gaps is formed on the outer circumference of this air cap  70 , and air guides  70 B, which are spiral convex strips, are formed on this tapered face  70 A. 
   The above-described configuration of the air cap  70  causes the shaving air fed into the gaps between the air cap  70  and the tip cover  52 A to form air flows along the spiral shape of the air guides  70 B and to be jetted out from the nozzle tip while turning counterclockwise. These flows of shaving air enable the opening angle of the mixed fluid jetted out from the nozzle tip to be controlled. 
   Next, the detailed configuration of the cup member  54  will be described.  FIG. 11  shows a frontal section of the cup member  54 , and  FIG. 12 , a left profile of the cup member  54 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , this cup member  54  is configured by combining three members including an outer  54 A, an inner  54 B and an insert  54 C. 
   A female thread is cut inside a through hole in the rear face of the outer  54 A to enable the tip of the rotation shaft  60 B of the spindle  60  to be screwed in. Therefore, the detergent can be fed from the detergent channel  56 A into the cup member  54 . 
   The tip part of the cup member  54  is formed to be concave inward, and the inner circumferential edge  54 D of this concave is formed to be inclined outward at an angle α to the axis of the cup member  54 . It is preferable for this angle α to be 15 to 45 degrees. 
   Grooves  54 E,  54 E . . . of a prescribed pitch P are formed all around the inner circumferential edge  54 D (more specifically the inner circumferential edge of the outer  54 A) of this concave as the partially enlarged view of  FIG. 13  shows. Though there is no particular limitation to the pitch P of these grooves  54 E, it can be 0.1 to 0.5 mm. Nor is there any particular limitation to the depth D of these grooves  54 E, but it can also be 0.1 to 0.5 mm. 
   It is preferable for the opening angle β of these grooves  54 E to be 30 to 60 degrees. It is also preferable for these grooves  54 E,  54 E . . . to have no flat part between them. 
   As shown in  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  inner  54 B has through holes  72 ,  72  . . . all over at a prescribed pitch in two concentric radial positions. These through holes  72  are formed to be inclined outward at an angle α to the axis of the cup member  54 . It is preferable for this angle α to be 15 to 45 degrees. These through holes  72 ,  72  . . . cause the detergent fed from the detergent channel  56 A to be jetted forward at a prescribed angle. 
   The combination of the constituent elements of the spray nozzle  42  described above enables a desired spray pattern to be formed. 
   Though not illustrated in any of  FIG. 3  through  FIG. 9  referred to so far, bolt members N for combining different constituent elements and sealing members R (mainly O rings) for keeping airtightness and watertightness among the constituent elements are also used. 
   The cleaning method which uses the cleaning apparatus  10  configured as described above as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  will now be described. First, a carrier robot not shown carries the wafer W, which is the work to be cleaned, onto the vacuum chuck  20  and mounts it there. The wafer W is then sucked and held by that vacuum chuck  20 . 
   Next, the turntable driving motor  24  is driven to turn the turntable  18 , and the wafer W starts turning. At the same time, the motor  46  is driven, and the arm  44  swings from a prescribed standby position (the position indicated by double-dot chain lines in  FIG. 2 ) to a prescribed cleaning start position (the position indicated by solid lines in  FIG. 2 ). 
   Then, the arm  44  starts oscillating horizontally within a prescribed range of angles. As a result, the gun  40  disposed at the tip of the arm  44  starts reciprocating horizontally above the wafer W. 
   Next, the detergent pump  32  is driven, and the detergent in the detergent tank  36  is sucked into the detergent pump  32 . The detergent sucked into the detergent pump  32  is fed to the gun  40  in a pressurized state, and jetted out in an atomized state from the spray nozzle  42  of the gun  40  onto the wafer W. The jetted detergent is sprayed onto the wafer W turning on the turntable  18  to clean the wafer W. 
   In this process, turbine air, shaving air and bearing air as referred to above are fed to the spray nozzle  42  in addition to the detergent, and jetted onto the wafer W in an atomized state in a prescribed spray pattern. 
   First, the cup member  54  is rotationally supported without contact by the bearing air that is fed. Therefore, dust generation from the apparatus can be restrained, and the cup member  54  can be easily turned at high speed (e.g. 70000 rpm at the maximum). 
   Also, the cup member  54  is driven into rotation by the turbine air that is fed. Therefore, the droplet size and droplets speed of the fluid can be controlled to respectively desired values by adjusting the quantity of the turbine air that is fed to achieve cleaning in a broad range of conditions. 
   Further, the sensor device  64 B which detects the number of revolutions of the cup member  54  is provided and the number of revolutions is controlled according to the feedback of the number of revolutions of the cup member  54 , which facilitates the control of the number of revolutions of the cup member  54 . 
   Also, the opening angle of the mixed fluid jetted out of the tip of the nozzle is controlled with the shaving air that is fed. Therefore, as the opening angle of the mixed fluid that is jetted out is controlled with the shaving air, cleaning can be accomplished in a broad range of conditions. 
   In particular, the mixed fluid that is jetted out can be controlled to a desired state by regulating the shaving air that is fed, the above-described various configurational factors applied to the cup member  54  (including the angle α of the inner circumferential edge  54 D, the grooves  54 E, the angle β of the grooves  54 E, the through holes  72  and the angle α of the through holes  72 ) and the above-described various configurational factors applied to the air cap  70  (including the tapered face  70 A and the air guides  70 B). 
   As the spray nozzle  42  so far described jets out of its tip a mixture of two or more fluids including the detergent and a gas, the fluid droplets can be controlled to a smaller size than the conventional double-fluid cleaning system or high pressure jet system, enabling the problems noted above to be successfully overcome. 
   The speed of fluid droplets jetted out of this spray nozzle  42  can be kept at, for instance, 0.1 to 100 m/second. Further, the droplet size of the fluid jetted out of the spray nozzle  42  can be reduced to, for instance, 100 μm or less. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the spraying of the detergent is continued for a prescribed length of time, after the lapse of which the driving of the detergent pump  32  and the feeding of various airs are stopped. This ends the spraying of the detergent. After that, the driving of the motor is stopped, and so is the swinging of the arm  44 , which then returns to its initial standby state. 
   On the other hand, the turntable  18  continues to be turned even after this end of the spraying of the detergent, and the centrifugal force generated by the turning of the turntable  18  shakes off the detergent remaining on the wafer W, which is thereby subjected to so-called spin drying. This spin driving of the wafer W is also continued for a prescribed length of time, after the lapse of which the driving of the turntable driving motor  24  is stopped. 
   After the turntable  18  stops turning, the wafer W is released from chucking by the vacuum chuck  20 , and the cleaned wafer W is carried by the carrier robot not shown to the next step. 
   Incidentally, there is no particular limitation to the detergent to be used in implementing the invention, but the suitable one for the particular purpose of cleaning can be selected for use. 
   For instance, the SPM detergent which is a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, the APM detergent which is a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide water and water, the HPM detergent which is a mixture of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide water and water, the DHF liquid obtained by diluting hydrofluoric acid with water 50 to 200 times, the BHF liquid which is a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride, or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can be used. 
   The nozzle device and the cleaning apparatus equipped with the nozzle device embodying the present invention in the preferred mode have been hitherto described, but the invention is not limited to this preferred embodiment, but can be implemented in various other ways. 
   For instance, though the cleaning apparatus  10  is used in this preferred mode, an apparatus in any other appropriate mode, such as a resist removing device, a developing device or a wet etching device can be used as well. 
   Resist removal and other such procedures are ways of cleaning in a broader sense of the term, to which the nozzle device according to the invention can be applied with equally significant effectiveness.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1